Social Aspects of Aging in Indigenous Communities

Abstract Social and structural changes affect the daily lives and quality of life of older Indigenous adults throughout the world. In many cases, older adults are no longer esteemed and valued as they were in the past. Their role as keepers and teachers of cultural knowledge and traditions has changed as family life has been transformed due to the effects of colonization but also due to social and economic changes. This book describes how older adults are meeting these challenges and finding strategies to survive, thrive, and contribute to their families, communities, and society. The geographic locations discussed in relation to Indigenous aging include Bangladesh, Chile, Canada, Finland, Ghana, India, Nigeria, New Zealand, North America, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Zambia.…