In a recent poetry session on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation near Duluth, Minnesota, tribal elders engaged in a creative exercise designed to stimulate memory and emotional expression. The session, facilitated by Jeanne Warttman, involved sharing thoughts and reflections through poetry, fostering connection among participants living with dementia, reports BritPanorama.
Among the participants was 88-year-old Les Northrup Sr., who shared a poignant memory of breaking his arm as a child while balancing on a branch. “When I was 12 years old, I got up on a tree and stood up on a branch, and it didn’t hold my weight. I broke my arm,” he recounted. This moment of storytelling serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving personal histories.
The poetry sessions, organized by researchers from the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team at the University of Minnesota, aim to create a therapeutic environment where dementia patients and their caregivers can express themselves. Part therapy and part historical exploration, the initiative draws from Indigenous traditions to promote cognitive engagement and strengthen community ties.
Antonio Paniagua Guzman, the principal investigator of the project, believes that these sessions can help participants reclaim their identities. The project was launched with funding from the Alzheimer’s Association, highlighting the growing recognition of arts-based interventions in addressing cognitive decline.
Participants like Allie Tibbetts, another facilitator, emphasize the cultural significance of storytelling within the Ojibwe community as a means of teaching and sharing. “Storytelling, with the Ojibwe people, is how we’ve always done things,” Tibbetts explained, reinforcing the connection between narrative and cultural preservation.
Besides fostering individual expression, the program also addresses systemic barriers faced by American Indian and Alaska Native elders, who experience higher rates of cognitive impairment and lower life expectancy compared to other U.S. populations. Effective interventions such as these are critical for enhancing the quality of life in these communities.
Roger Smith, a community-based researcher and former tribal council member, highlighted the potential for poetry to bring joy and connection among elders. “It’s not going to cure dementia. But for that short period of time, it brings joy to them,” he said, reflecting on the positive impact of shared memories during the sessions.
The culmination of this creative process resulted in a group poem that resonated deeply with the participants, encapsulating collective emotions and experiences. The initiative not only aims to create social engagement but will also compile the poems into a book, preserving the voices of the community for future generations.
The ongoing partnership between the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team and the Fond du Lac Band underscores the importance of collaborative approaches that respect and celebrate Indigenous knowledge and traditions, acknowledging the vital role of elders as storytellers and cultural keepers.
