Project Summary. The Akwesasne Research Center for Health (ARCH) project is submitted by
the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) of Akwesasne, NY in partnership with the Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center (RP) led by the RP Center for Indigenous Cancer Research (RP-
CICR) in Buffalo, NY. Establishing the ARCH will support the development of two research
projects and one student enhancement project, all co-developed and co-led by SRMT and RP.
The proposed Administrative Core will establish key personnel, supplies, and in-person or virtual
meetings to coordinate project timelines, deliverables, evaluation efforts, and community
engagement. The Environmental Health Research Project will engage RP environmental
scientists and state-of-the-art equipment to measure environmental health concerns in
Akwesasne landscapes and their relationships to the human condition. The liver wellness project
titled, LIVE (Live, Indigenous, Virtual, Enhancement), includes a culturally tailored liver health
promotion program to encourage traditional and healthy life ways through community-based
education and lifestyle modification. To support research interest amongst the younger generation
in Akwesasne, the ARCH proposal includes the St. Regis Mohawk Research Scholars Program.
This program engages high school and college students in a three-prong approach, 1.)
Community Engagement Conferences to create research and science career awareness and
recruit students to participate in afterschool and summer research opportunities; 2.) An After
School Health Science Club to provide students with working knowledge of public health, data
collection methods, statistical analysis approaches, health behavior and epidemiology principles;
and 3.) a Summer Program to provide high school and college students with immersive research
experiences integrated with core research projects of ARCH, and to apply principles and skill sets
to addressing cancer health disparities and environmental health issues specific to the SRMT.
Each project in the ARCH would be directed by the Principal Investigator from the SRMT Health
Division and coordinated by key personnel identified both at SRMT and RP's Center for
Indigenous Cancer Research. This direct partnership with the SRMT Health Division supports
RP's existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Health Service that agrees to
collaborate in the areas of cancer research; research; consultation/technical assistance focused
on cancer prevention; capacity building; and direct services in partnership with American Indian
and Alaska Native communities. The SRMT will activate this MoU to further guide the
development of the ARCH.