The National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA) invites you to submit your proposals for our 2023 American Indian Elders Conference, which will be held September 25-29, 2023, at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. We look forward to having an exciting conference and hope you’ll join us! You can submit your workshop proposals online or by mail.
NICOA’s conference is the only national conference in the country focusing exclusively on the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native elders. It consists of educational presentations from tribal, state and federal organizations as well as a diverse network of aging service partners with experience in providing services to Native elders, who provide information and updates on aging services, health care, civic engagement and economic development in Indian Country.
Keynote speakers from federal, state and tribal programs and agencies will be present to provide program updates and listen to the aging needs of American Indian and Alaska Native elders.
Past symposium topics have included “Role of Tribal Leaders in Reaffirming the Value of Elders in Preserving Tribal Cultures,” “Becoming an Elder: Tribal Perspective on Aging in Indian Country,” “Native American Veterans: Issues and Concerns as They Age,” “Future Elders: Perspectives on Aging from the Youth,” and “The Aging Network: Challenges & Opportunities in the Next Decade.”
Workshop sessions have discussed caregiver support, elder abuse prevention, health, nutrition, transportation, disease prevention, long-term services and supports, employment and training, financial assistance and more.
We have a variety of workshop tracks to choose from:
☐ Politics and Legislation: Workshops being proposed in this category will include topics related to policies, regulations that affect and impinge on the lives of Native elders; strengthening and reaffirming the sovereignty of tribes serving elders; the role of tribes and elders in the upcoming amendments to the Older American Act; the 2025 White Conference on Aging; and workshops that identify the roles of the different federal agencies in serving Native elders.
☐ Research and Studies: Workshops in this category will include studies and research being conducted related to social determinants of health in Indian Country; work being conducted by individuals and/or organizations that increase the knowledge base of workers in the field of aging; advocacy efforts in the research arena that could include recommendations regarding research policies, etc.
☐ Culture Preservation: Workshops being proposed in this category are to present and showcase innovative tribal aging programs that are culturally sensitive and appropriate; other innovative programs in the aging field for possible replication; programs that strengthen tribal culture, language, environmental issues affecting tribal preservation of culture such as Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, climate change, and other issues such as access to tribal traditional food and the impact of environmental infringement like fishing rights and its impact on the health of elders, etc.
☐ Education, Outreach and Collaborations: The American Indian and Alaska Native elder population is growing and living longer. More of them are educated and some desire learning more. What can tribal colleges and universities do to meet this need; what policies and initiatives can be pursued and developed in the field of education; intergenerational learning; infrastructure issues that are needed, etc.
☐ Other: If your workshop doesn’t fit into one of the above categories, send it anyway! We would like to have a diverse group of workshops!
If you have any questions, please email Cheryl J. Archibald at carchibald@nicoa.org, or call (505) 292-2001.
