By
Sunnie Clahchischiligi
The American Association of Retired Persons, AARP, launched its Indian Elder Navigator, a Web site that provides Indian elders living in Oklahoma with information on food programs, housing and health services provided by their specific tribes, according to a press release.
So far the Web site list links to Oklahoma Indian nutrition sites and programs for 26 tribes, including the Osage Nation. It also lists Federal food distribution centers for only five tribes in the state, but the list is said to continue to grow.
The Web site address is http://www.aarp.org/okindiannavigator.
According to the release, the Website is designed to be a “resource center where tribes can list their contact information and resources on such topics as housing, transportation and health care.”
In the release AARP Executive Council Member and former Governor of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe John Edwards, said the Web site is intended to make things easier for the older Native Americans in Oklahoma.
“We hope that this new website will be a place where Indian elders from any Oklahoma Indian Tribe can go to find the service that best fits their needs,” Edwards said. “We envision it as a ‘living room’ of information for tribal elders.”
The initiative came after AARP and the AARP Foundation found from recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data that in Oklahoma, 6.8 percent of seniors are food insecure which makes older Oklahomans 25 percent more likely to be food insecure than the national average – many of whom are Indian elders.
In the release, AARP officials hope to work with tribal leaders and program directors from all federally recognized tribes in Oklahoma to add and update information to the AARP Indian Elder Navigator Web site. Tribal leaders and officials are asked to contact Craig Davis from AARP atcedavis@aarp.org to add and update information for the Web site.
Anyone else with additional resources for the Web site can email AARP at ok@aarp.org.
Original Publish Date: 2011-12-19 00:00:00
