Roswell Partnership Provides Medical Pathway for Akwesasne Youth
Sep 29, 2023
AKWESASNE -- The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council was pleased to learn about the ongoing success of the Tribe’s partnership with the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and its Center for Indigenous Cancer Research (CICR). Having reached the halfway point of its four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, the partnership continues to provide pathways for Akwesasne youth into the field of cancer research and community health.
Joining representatives of Roswell Park in providing an update to the Tribal Council was SRMT Health Services Director Michael Cook, who shared, “This continues to be a great partnership and an amazing opportunity for our youth to explore and pursue their interests in health. To see many of our students put their hearts into their work with Roswell is very encouraging for our community’s future.”
Utilizing the NIH grant, the partnership established the Akwesasne Research Centers for Health (ARCH) in 2021 to honor the value of Indigenous knowledge in addressing health issues. It has allowed Akwesasne youth in high school and college to conduct medical research aimed at reducing the impact of cancer on Indigenous communities, including Akwesasne. The student’s research was conducted in collaboration with CICR’s team of renowned research scientists.
The Akwesasne Research Centers for Health offers three separate components in coordination with the Tribe’s Health Services and Education Division: Mohawk Youth Health Ambassador Afterschool Program, a twenty-week session offered at the Ronthahiiohsthà:ke Clubhouse for high school juniors enrolled at Salmon River or Massena Central Schools; ARCH High School Summer Research Internship, a three-week program at Roswell Park for high school juniors to explore the field of medical research; and ARCH College Summer Research Internship, a ten-week session for college students to work in a specialty area of cancer research.
Since 2021; the Afterschool Program has engaged 31 high school juniors interested in pursuing a medical career, with 25 students continuing their pursuit during the summer internships. At the same time, four post-secondary students participated in the College Summer Research Internship. All students that participated in the summer programs received stipends and stayed in dormitories in downtown Buffalo, NY at Canisius College.
This past summer, high school students were also mentored by three Mohawk college students who were hired as Residence Advisors. These young people offered mentorship and guidance during their three-week internship experience. “A significant part of this program was the building of interpersonal relationships with not just their peers, but also the team at Roswell that included their mentors and the CICR team. Being away from their home community can be challenging and this experience helped them all gain more confidence,’ shared Stephanie Cook, SRMT Education Division Director.
Participation in ARCH is helping to solidify a student’s desire to keep studying medicine, with nearly 36% identifying as a “scientist” by the conclusion of the summer internship. It helped validate the decision of St. Joseph’s University graduate Jake Maresca (’23) to become a nurse, stating “I’m going to apply for the nursing PhD program. I’m hoping to get a job at Roswell Park as a nurse and I’ll be able to continue my research I’ve been working on this summer. When all these opportunities kind of lay right in front of you, I think it’s a good idea to take them.”
For St. Lawrence University student Dakota Lazore-Swan (’24) it has provided an opportunity to co-author a medical research paper for a peer-reviewed publication. Working with Rodney Haring, PhD, Director of the CICR and William Maybee, CICR Outreach Coordinator, on a project called ROOTS; the research paper looks at Indigenizing colorectal cancer screening. Lazore-Swan notes that, “Native American men in particular are more likely to get diagnosed in later stages of cancer, so we’re trying to encourage more people to get screened. Having my name on a paper will go a long way for sure. I’ll continue to prepare for medical school. I think I’d like to be a doctor in radiology.”
Students who participated in ARCH’s Mohawk Youth Health Ambassador Afterschool Program have been invited to share their experience at the Monthly Tribal Meeting scheduled for Saturday, October 14, 2023. Joined by CIRC representatives, their presentation will help launch the next round of applications for interested Mohawk high school juniors who reside on either the U.S. or Canadian-side of the Akwesasne Territory.
For more information about any component of the Akwesasne Research Centers for Health (ARCH), please contact SRMT Education Division Director Stephanie Cook by calling (518) 358-2272 or email Stephaniei.Cook@srmt-nsn.gov.
PHOTO CAPTION: A partnership with the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is continuing to provide opportunities for Akwesasne students to explore a career in the health field through the Akwesasne Research Centers for Health (ARCH). Pictured are Salmon River and Massena Central School students who graduated from ARCH’s summer internship program: Allison Lazore, Ieniente Tabor, Illeana Smoke-Johnson, Iohseriio Tabor, Jake Cook, Jianna Lazore, Maddison Goolden, Michael Smoke, Riley Thomas, Sadie Mitchell and Walker Cook; along with Residence Advisors Jacelyn Lazore, Rakwirahes Pembleton, and Kakwiranoron Thompson who mentored and supervised the students.
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The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.