Enter by August 31, 2023 for your chance to receive a $30 gift card!
The International Association for Indigenous Aging ( IA²) is putting together a library of stories, including the perspectives of American Indian and Alaska Native elders and their caregivers about the various taboos and misconceptions that surround memory loss and dementia in native communities.
Submit your story, related photo or video, and email address below, and an IA² team member will follow up.
Eligibility:
The topic must be stories or perspectives related to dementia-related (misconceptions) taboos within your family or community.
The story must be about your lived experience in the American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian community.
Submission must include either a narrative or a video
1) a minimum of 50 words
2) if you decide to submit a video, an IA² team member will follow up
3) if you would like an IA2 team member to follow up with you to share your story regarding misconceptions (taboos) within your family or community please submit your name and contact information for follow up.
Pieces must be original, unpublished work.
Each participant may only enter once.
Not a commercial promotion.
Submission Use:
IA² will feature selected submissions in their Indigenous Misconceptions flyer and social media messaging campaign – including but not limited to the organization’s social media pages (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn) or its website, e-newsletter, or other future media purposes.
If you’re not sure where to begin, please share with us your name (or remain anonymous) and your tribal affiliation and share a story or perspective about one or some of the following questions. (reminder – all submissions must be a 50 word minimum). Here are some questions to consider in telling your story:
- What tribe are you from?
- Do you or a loved one live with dementia?
- How long ago did you/they get diagnosed?
- How did the discussion about dementia start in your family or circle?
- Has your loved ones use of language changed?
- Is it hard to talk about dementia?
- What do you say when someone asks about how your loved one is doing?
- Why is it hard to talk about dementia?
- Is there a word or phrase in your language that describes dementia?
- Do you feel like people talk about it or don’t talk about it?
- How do others react to a discussion about dementia?
- What is the hardest to talk about when it comes to dementia?
- Do you have any suggestions or advice for others in your situation?
- Are there any misconceptions or taboos within your community regarding dementia, memory loss, or aging?
- Share with us a story about a time where a common misconception or taboo within your community about dementia or memory loss occurred.
