MK-MDT Awarded Grant from MN Board on Aging

The mission of the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team is to engage Indigenous and rural communities in culturally meaningful research to improve dementia and brain health outcomes for all. We are honored to be one of the seven organizations awarded a grant from MN Board on Aging to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, promote early diagnosis and connect caregivers to resources. 

The goal of this grant is to maintain and expand the Honoring Elder Wisdom (HEW) conference, a two-day event centered on education and support around Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) for Native American people and those who serve them. The HEW conference is held every two years on Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe land; although it is held in the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging region, it aims to attract attendees from across MN. The next HEW conference is in April 2026.

Our objectives are to:

1. Engage attendees with a newly-offered evidence-based program (Virtual Dementia Tour)

2. Engage attendees with information about newly-developed culturally appropriate cognitive screening tools and how to talk with providers about memory concerns and screening

3. Increase reach and accessibility of the HEW conference by advertising to new audiences, including medical, nursing, and allied health students, and provide scholarships to students and Native American Elders to offset attendance costs. 

4. Continue past programming that provides education and resources for caregivers, community members, and healthcare providers interested in brain health and dementia in NA communities

The HEW conference addresses three of the MN Board on Aging’s focus categories: increase awareness of ADRD, promote the benefits of early identification, and connect family, friends, and neighbors who are caregiving with education, support, and resources. 

Click for more information about the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team.