Integrating Indigenous Values into Cancer Patient Advocacy and Research
The Indigenous Cancer Health Equity Initiative (ICHE-i) is a new effort within the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium (Cancer Consortium). Through Indigenous knowledge and value systems, ICHE-i utilizes relationality, sustainability, and holistic approaches to engage and support the Cancer Consortium’s research capacity to cultivate tribal, academic, research partnerships, center Tribal Sovereignty, and increase Indigenous patient advocacy for cancer health equity among tribes and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) in Washington State.
Priority Areas:
Through community engagement with Indigenous researchers, students, and community members, ICHE-i identified the following priority areas to initiate Indigenous cancer health equity within the Cancer Consortium:
- Build research capacity among the Cancer Consortium to cultivate tribal, academic, and research partnerships with tribes, the Indian Health Service system, and UIOs.
- Increase Indigenous patient advocacy to improve systems level coordination of cancer care.
- Convene a biennial Tribal Cancer Health Summit for Washington State tribes and UIOs to discuss cancer, cancer priorities, and collaborative actions.
- Initiate workforce development efforts to increase Indigenous representation within the Cancer Consortium faculty and staff.
Initiating Indigenous Cancer Health Equity 2023
Learn more about the outreach and engagement the ICHE-i is doing.