Native American Elder Justice refers to the protection and advocacy of the rights, dignity, and well-being of older adult members within Native American communities. This encompasses efforts to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults in tribal communities, ensuring they have access to essential resources, healthcare, and support services. Additionally, it involves upholding the respect for Native American older adults’ cultural and traditional roles, preserving their wisdom and contributions to the community, and ensuring their voices are heard in matters that affect their lives. Native American Elder Justice integrates traditional practices and values with Western legal and social frameworks to create a holistic approach to elder abuse and protection. The Center recognizes the term Native American to be inclusive to all the original peoples of the U.S., including Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and unrecognized tribes.
Native American Elder Justice refers to the protection and advocacy of the rights, dignity, and well-being of older adult members within Native American communities. This encompasses efforts to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults in tribal communities, ensuring they have access to essential resources, healthcare, and support services. Additionally, it involves upholding the respect for Native American older adults' cultural and traditional roles, preserving their wisdom and contributions to the community, and ensuring their voices are heard in matters that affect their lives. Native American Elder Justice integrates traditional practices and values with Western legal and social frameworks to create a holistic approach to elder abuse and protection. The Center recognizes the term Native American to be inclusive to all the original peoples of the U.S., including Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and unrecognized tribes.
The Native American Elder Justice Initiative (NAEJI) promotes locally tailored, culturally relevant activities to address the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian (AI/AN/NH) elders and promote justice for the nation’s Indigenous elders. NAEJI was created to address the lack of culturally appropriate information and community education materials on Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation in Indian Country.
Hā Kūpuna, the National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders, seeks to improve health and increase life expectancy of our treasured kūpuna (Native Hawaiian elders). Native Hawaiians—the indigenous people of Hawaiʻi—experience numerous social and health concerns that together lead to generally poorer health and economic outcomes compared to the US population. Native Hawaiian elders, or kūpuna, have some of the nation’s shortest life expectancies, and are more likely to be impoverished, have greater problems with self-care, and underutilize health care services compared to their non-native elder counterparts in Hawai`i. Hā Kūpuna was established in September 2006 at the University of Hawaiʻi Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), Department of Health and Human Services.
The National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. (NICOA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by members of the National Tribal Chairmen’s Association who called for a national organization focused on the needs of aging American Indian and Alaska Native elders. The mission of NICOA is to advocate for improved comprehensive health, social services and economic well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native elders.
The National Resource Center on Native American Aging (NRCNAA) is committed to identifying Native Elder health and social issues. Through education, training, and technical assistance, we assist in developing community-based solutions to improve the quality of life and delivery of related support services to the Native aging population. The Center opened in 1994 through a cooperative agreement with Administration on Aging. The Center is located at the Center for Rural Health, at the University of North Dakota (UND), in Grand Forks.
The overarching goal for the NRC-ANE is to advance relevant knowledge and research for the wellbeing of Indigenous Elders through the creation and dissemination of products that inform caregiving, community support for active and healthy aging, and strengthening traditional ways that support positive aging. We aim to provide culturally-appropriate resources and other materials of relevance to Title VI programs and tribal communities, with the support of key community partnerships. This Center provides resources for individuals and families, for professionals and staff, and updated research.
NABS was created to develop and implement a national strategy that increases public awareness and cultivates healing for the profound trauma experienced by individuals, families, communities, American Indian and Alaska Native Nations resulting from the U.S. adoption and implementation of the Boarding School Policy of 1869.
