Roadmap for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples
The Healthy Brain Initiative’s (HBI) Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples is a guide for Native leaders, public health, and health care staff to learn about dementia and start discussions throughout their communities.
IA2 played a key part by adding culturally meaningful stories and images that honor the traditions and knowledge of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. The Roadmap offers clear steps to improve brain health, address dementia, and provide better support for caregivers
Communities, tribal nations, and villages are taking meaningful action to support individuals and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia, while striving to lessen the impact on future generations.
- Elders with heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes have a much higher risk of developing dementia.
- There are steps leaders, communities, and families can take to help and protect their people.
- Vascular disease, Lewy body disease, frontotemporal degeneration, Parkinson’s disease and hippocampal sclerosis are examples of disease that cause dementia.
- The most common dementia is caused by more than one disease and is known as “mixed dementia”.
The Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples is a guide that includes strategies that embrace community strengths, including traditional practices, resilience, and existing services. The strategies can be tailored to each community.
Additional Road Map-related documents for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples are available:
- The Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI): Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples (PDF)
- Executive Summary (PDF)
- CDC Alzheimer’s Disease Program
- What’s New (PDF)
- Application for HBI Road Map Champions: This funding opportunity is available for tribally-led health programs and urban Indian organizations to implement the new Road Map. Apply by Feb. 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
- Road Map for Indian Country Planning Guide
- Brain Health Resources
- Healthy Brain Initiative: State and Local Road Map for Public Health, 2023-2027
- The River: A Native Story About Dementia – written by Dr. Anton (Waagosh) Truer, narrated by IA² co-founder Dave Baldridge
Success Stories Featured in the Road Map:
