Abstract IA12: Collaborators to the Sovereigns: Learning from history to make new chapters in research with American Indians and Alaska Natives

Abstract

Abstract Purpose/Objective(s): Cancer death rates in the US have declined. However, this trend is not true for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) where rates have remained unchanged. Further, AI/ANs have experienced the poorest five-year cancer survival rates of all racial and ethnic groups. The presentation will touch upon the historical traumas and contemporary resiliencies which have had influences on health behaviors, lifestyles, and the investigations of disparities among AI/AN Peoples and communities. The objectives will include 1) the movement of tribes exerting research sovereignty; 2) sharing the state of the science about bio-ethics in the landscapes of Indigenous Peoples; and 3) how cancer centers and academic institutions are becoming effective partners in the research process. Newsworthy exemplars of research in Indian Country will be shared. Materials/Methods: This multifaceted presentation will share 1) research sovereignty through a tribal protocol and recommendations from the US Health and Human Services, AI/AN Research Advisory Council; 2) experiences gained from work with cancer and bio-ethics projects with an AI/AN urban population; 3) how legal cases such as Havasupai vs. Arizona State University have shaped new chapters in research with AI/AN Nations and lastly, 4) a showcase of challenges and resiliencies of Native Nations and their response to various types of health disparity research. Summary: The literature discussed provides a foundation for understanding cancer and health disparity research from a historical perspective that should inform future practices. This includes the importance of building relationships, community based participation, tribally driven research agendas, the sharing of sovereign philosophies, and the highlighting of resiliencies. Conclusions: The development of respectful relationships is important to solidify trust in AI/AN communities where researchers intend to collaborate. This is especially true in sensitive research fields such as genetics, bio-specimen, and cancer and health disparity clinical trials. Community based participatory research should be implemented from the beginning with the community in an effort to jointly build research agendas that are both scientifically novel and beneficial to AI/AN landscapes. Citation Format: Rodney C. Haring. Collaborators to the Sovereigns: Learning from history to make new chapters in research with American Indians and Alaska Natives. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Seventh AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 9-12, 2014; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2015;24(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA12.