From Inclusion To Sovereignty: Decolonizing Gerontology Through Indigenous Frameworks

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Indigenous Studies
• Decolonial Studies

Background:

• Dominant Euro-Western gerontology models often frame aging as decline and individual burden.
• These paradigms frequently marginalize Indigenous and racialized Elders' experiences and knowledge systems.
• There is a need for culturally relevant and community-driven approaches to aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore Indigenous and community-led frameworks that challenge traditional gerontological paradigms.
• To highlight models redefining aging through relational ethics, land-based knowledge, and Elder leadership.
• To define decolonizing gerontology as a shift towards relational, cultural, and land-anchored understandings of Elderhood.

Main Methods:

• A narrative review synthesizing literature from participatory, community-led approaches.
• Analysis guided by a critical Indigenous-informed lens, focusing on ethical relationships and cultural continuity.
• Inclusion of five diverse case studies from Canada, Australia, India, Alaska, and transnational Indigenous contexts.

Main Results:

• Shared themes across case studies include prominent Elder leadership, land-based healing practices, and knowledge sovereignty.
• Culturally rooted definitions of wellness emerged, contrasting with biomedical notions of decline.
• Indigenous and community-led models reframe aging as socially connected, spiritually grounded, and collectively governed.

Conclusions:

• Indigenous and community-led frameworks offer distinct alternatives to dominant aging models.
• These approaches promote interdependence, relational resilience, and community accountability.
• Decolonizing gerontology necessitates a paradigm shift towards equity-based aging research, policy, and care.