In this article, a Native Americanist anthropologist whoseresearch focuses on elders, and a gerontologist who specializes inAmerican Indians, draw on their respective studies – the formerprimarily quantitative and the latter primarily qualitative – toilluminate the nature of ethnic identity among American Indian elderly.The regional focus is the Upper Great Lakes (primarily Michigan) and thetribal/cultural group under consideration is the Anishinaabeg (Chippewa,Ottawa, Potawatomi). The analysis is centered on a key concept – cohort – considered by the authors to be crucial to the understandingof American Indian elderly. In addition to integrating quantitative andqualitative findings, an historical framework is utilized to assist ininterpreting the results. It is suggested that Anishinaabe elders,despite some superficial appearances to the contrary, are by no meansfully assimilated into mainstream American culture; their ethnicidentity is not necessarily stereotypically `traditional,' but it isnonetheless quintessentially American Indian. Researchers will be betterable to appreciate such subtleties by taking into consideration the waysin which various stages in the life course intersect with specifichistorical periods (cohort), as well as by drawing on both qualitativeand quantitative studies in pursuing their investigations.