Minnesota Native Elder Games

MN Native Elder Games

The MN Native Elder Games organization will focus on redefining the quality of life and healthy aging for Native elders in Minnesota through wellbeing education, fitness/physical activity, prevention, and healthy fun competition.   Our vision is to establish a Native Elders team and program at each of the 11 reservations in Minnesota and have an annual/bi-annual Native Elders Games Day where they can socialize, compete against each other and more importantly, have fun. 

We will accomplish this by increasing the opportunities for the elders (defined as age 50 yrs. and older) to engage in physical activity and participate in interactive learning sessions conducted by a master certified fitness specialist.  Implementation of the classes will increase awareness of the importance of making healthy food selections, increasing physical activity and the relationship between exercise and chronic illnesses.

Workshops on Native Elder Games events such as archery.   We would like to have an expert share their knowledge of the sport and how a person can participate in the sport.   Other workshops would be held for any event the elders would like to learn about.  Workshops would also be held to inform elders of the benefits of physical activity and educational information about many chronic illnesses that afflict our elders.

We will have our Program Specialist travel to each reservation to share information about the program which would accommodate our elder population.  Elder participants will be advised to have yearly physical and health checkups.  

We hope by providing events to look forward to and participate in that the elders will work on their physical activity on their own time.

Our priority is for the elder to have fun, learn about their limitations and their goals, then participate in events, and progress from workshop to Native Elder Games Days, then to the yearly MN Senior Games, and to the bi-yearly National Senior Games.

We will encourage and assist with each reservation to have their own Native Elder Games team that will compete in a Native Elder Games Day and other Senior Games events.