Indigenous perspectives on healthy aging in the Yukon

The Canadian Frailty Network commissioned this study to gather feedback on the AVOID Frailty model from Indigenous Elders and older adults in the Yukon. Grounded in Indigenous research methodologies, Two-Eyed Seeing, and guided by an Elder co-author this study involved guide conversations to engage 42 participants aged 55 and older across four Yukon communities. Participants raised Activity, Interaction, and Diet spontaneously as central to healthy aging, while Vaccinate and Optimize medications typically required prompting. However, participants reframed these domains in relational and place-based terms, locating wellness in connection to land, traditional foods, intergenerational responsibility, and community. The AVOID model's emphasis on disease prevention and individual behaviour change does not account for the collective, relational, and cultural dimensions that shape Indigenous health and wellness. A strengths-based adaptation, grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being, is needed.