Honoring Cherokee senior citizens during Elder Appreciation Week

Last June, we had our first Cherokee Nation Elder’s Summit and delivered a tremendous amount of helpful information to our beloved elders. It was so well received that we did it again in 2016 and doubled the number of Cherokee citizens reached. We recently hosted summits in Vinita and Tahlequah and catered to about 700 senior citizens. We added more content to better connect Cherokee senior citizens with programs and services that can help them.

These Elder Summits are a day of fellowship and learning. The Cherokee Nation serves elders through nutrition sites, senior housing facilities and housing rehab, health care programs, and programs such as Elders In Need, Home Health Services, the Caregiver Program, Cherokee First Elder Stipend and many, many more.  As a responsible tribal government, we serve our elders in so many diverse ways.

Cherokee elders are the keepers of our traditions and customs and are invaluable resources of information. Our elders should be respected and appreciated for their experience and cultural knowledge. Honoring and protecting them has always been a part of our Cherokee heritage.  It’s part of the values and culture we all grew up with.

Our seniors are the foundation of all our successes as a tribe. It’s our responsibility to ensure our most valuable, and in many cases our most vulnerable, citizens remain safe from abuse, whether it’s physical or financial or emotional.

Last year, we launched our Elder Fraud Protection Initiative, which was led by Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden, the Attorney General’s Office and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. That initiative seeks to put an end to the growing problem of elder abuse. The coalition we formed that day worked collaboratively with tribal, state and local agencies to prevent elder abuse and prosecute individuals who financially exploit or otherwise abuse Cherokee elders.  According to data from the U.S. Congress, more than 30 percent of financial scams are perpetrated on elders. Elder abuse is something we must address in Oklahoma. Often elders experiencing abuse or exploitation don’t know where to turn or how to seek help. Together, we can protect our elders and we can stop elder abuse.

One step in protecting elders and preventing this kind of abuse is to ensure we are all educated on how to identify abuse. We are teaching our elders tips to protect themselves and teaching friends, family and loved ones how to better ensure their beloved elders remain safe and protected. 

Keeping senior citizens active and engaged is important. Currently, we are working with Cherokee Nation Businesses to develop a plan to transport and host Cherokee elders at our various Cherokee Nation museums.

If you need information on services available to senior citizens, please call Cherokee Nation Human Services at (918) 453-5422. I encourage all Cherokees to review the programs and services the tribe offers that could be helpful.