Background and Expertise
Originally from the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska, Jordan Lewis is Aleut and Sugpiaq and has lived on the Oregon coast in the winter and in Alaska during the summer. Lewis began with a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and went on to earn a master’s degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis before returning to UAF to complete a PhD in community psychology. Lewis now serves as the Director for the Center on Aging at the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.
From a young age, Lewis was drawn to learn more from Elders in his community, seeing them as a vital part of his identity. As his academic journey progressed, he dove deeper into research and explored the perspectives Elders have on aging and how they identify with it throughout time. This research first started out as a dissertation and later evolved into an 18 year long project.
This mural painted in Dillingham, AK has an important message shared with us by the Elders we have visited over the year. Knowing your history not only helps you prevent similar mistakes, but teaches you family history, culture, values, and reminds you that you have strength and resiliency passed down from your Elders and ancestors. Photo credit: Jordan Lewis.
Dataset Highlight
It all began with one central question: What does successful aging mean to Alaska Native Elders? Through 162 interviews, Lewis and his research team were able to identify key characteristics, or values, behind successful aging defined by Elders: self-defined physical health, balanced emotional well-being, family and community engagement, spirituality and religion, Native ways of life, and intergenerational sharing, or generativity.
Each interview of the study highlighted the nuances in Elders’ lives and how their experiences with growing older in a good way differed from what western studies define as healthy aging. For most, aging was deeply grounded in their lived experiences and more outwardly focused on family, community, and culture, unlike the individualistic focus of Western notions of aging. For example, Lewis noted that engaging in their Native ways of life, such as migrating between rural and urban areas for funerals, potlatches, and fishing, or sharing their wisdom and knowledge to others is important. The more Elders are able to participate in these activities, the more they are able to maintain their cultural identity, have a sense of purpose, and feel they are aging like their Elders, which they say means they are aging in a good way, or aging successfully.
The Arctic Data Center hosts datasets describing the outcomes from this 18-year long study, including:
- Jordan Lewis. (2025). Investigating Alaska Native Successful Aging through Elder-Centered, Community-Based Participatory Research (2021-2024). Arctic Data Center. doi:10.18739/A2TD9N98X.
- Jordan Lewis. (2021). Alaska Native Successful Aging, Northwest, Anchorage, Aleutian Pribilof Islands, 2016-2021. Arctic Data Center. doi:10.18739/A2TT4FV2Z.
Methods and Technology
Attending community events, health fairs, and other gatherings is one way to engage with the community, enjoy your time meeting everyone, as well as share your work with the community. It is important for our team to spend time in the community first to create connections and build rapport and then step into the role of researcher – we do not want to come across as only there to collect Elders’ knowledge and leave. Photo credit: Jordan Lewis.
At the request of the communities, Lewis and his team were invited to conduct one-on-one interviews across rural and urban regions of Alaska using a talk story approach to gather Elders’ stories on successful aging. A central pillar to this study is community engagement, ensuring the Elders of the community and their Elder Advisory Committee have both voice and agency in the process.
After each interview, a preliminary analysis is shared with the community to solicit feedback and ensure it is truly reflective of the Elders’ experiences. This also helps eliminate any biases in our analyses and/or negative portrayals of the community or region, and is one of the tenets of the community-based participatory research approach. With the approval of the Elders and the Elder Advisory Committee, Lewis’ team finalizes a qualitative analysis, then returns it to the community who will decide how it’ll be used. Lewis points out that in some cases, these interviews have been stored in a tribal council’s oral history library, allowing younger generations and the wider community to have access to their Elders’ wisdom and stories.
The use of talk story has proven to be an effective approach for these interviews, offering flexibility for both the research team and the interviewees. As Lewis points out, it reduces the pressure on Elders to answer every question in detail and allows the process to flow more naturally, staying in the moment. Ultimately, this approach decolonizes standard research practices to adapt methods to what feels comfortable and more appropriate to Elders.
Red salmon, one of the staples of the Alaska Native diet, is important for diets, but also the livelihood and identity of Alaska Native people. Every region, community, and family, has their own ways of preparing and cooking salmon and is tasty. Photo credit: Jordan Lewis.
Working and Living in the Arctic
Lewis points out there are many logistical challenges when conducting research in the Arctic, from bad weather to planes not arriving on schedule. Yet more significantly, he’s experienced troubles with timelines, Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes, turnover in tribal council leadership, and the complexities of transcribing interviews in a native language.
Beyond logistics, Lewis emphasizes how much of living in the Arctic requires adaptability. The environment is subject to climate change, ground subsidence, migration, and other challenges that require resilience. To be better prepared for these changes in the Arctic, Lewis suggests having more basic education on disaster preparedness, such as emergency kits for older adults, people with dementia, and their caregivers. By raising more awareness, communities could be better equipped to sustain themselves, and protect their Elders, amid environmental changes.
The Future of Arctic Research
In this image, an aircraft is flying over the winding rivers of Northwest and Western Alaska – air travel is common in Alaska and is one way to enjoy Alaska’s natural beauty, and reflect on the vastness and grandeur of the land and reflect on the Elders’ knowledge and wisdom of how to live and thrive on the land. Photo credit: Jordan Lewis.
The involvement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a larger role in research, and Lewis sees its potential in the future of Arctic research. However, for his research, Lewis emphasizes the need for improved visual audio and recording systems that could make it easier to interview Elders in remote locations. He envisions a setup where a simple prompt could be sent out, allowing participants to record their responses with the push of a button. As access to technology improves in the Arctic, Lewis believes developing and promoting such tools could benefit other researchers working in similar contexts.
Unfamiliar to some, there is a video game called Never Alone based on a traditional Iñupiaq tale of a little girl Nuna and her Arctic fox in Alaska. Developed with the knowledge and input of nearly 40 Alaska Native elders, the game was successful in helping children and others learn more about the rich history and culture of the region. Lewis highlighted this as a powerful example of storytelling work developed in collaboration between communities and game developers to show how Arctic histories can be shared in ways that are both engaging and accessible for all. Beyond serving as an educational tool, the game helps strengthen intergenerational relationships and helps reconnect culture and community.
Encouraging Future Scientists
“Be ready to have fun,” said Lewis. The pressure to get it right often drifts us away from having fun in the process and learning from our mistakes, which Lewis urges to embrace. He emphasizes the importance in finding and nurturing connections, and when you’re unsure on where to start, Lewis points to the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a great resource to connect you to others. Not only that, but their encouragement to go beyond and do more than we thought we could do is transformative for future scientists.
The most rewarding aspect of his career has been the relationships built along the way and the mentorship component between his students and postdocs, as well as the incredible mentorship received from the Elders who have shared their lives with him over the years. Reflective of their research, Lewis shares the philosophy that being supportive and staying engaged with people is important. And if you have no network, his advice is simple, “Start one!”
How Useful is the Arctic Data Center for Researchers?
The Arctic Data Center, serving as the central location for all NSF Arctic data products, has been great as the data is in one spot. However, Lewis recommends the data must get into the hands of people outside of the researcher community. Additional context and awareness behind the data would help reach broader audiences. For example, thinking about the best ways to use data to spread information on the importance of health in the Arctic.
As the Arctic Data Center continues to grow, we’re working to improve accessibility and usability for a wider range of users. Through our data portal service, we aim to support practical applications beyond research such as, but not limited to decision-making, policy development, and their everyday lives. Learn more about our data portals and explore the ones currently available in our catalog.
Written by Angie Garcia
Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator