Community-based cancer education and survivorship support for Native Americans in Connecticut

Connecticut Native Americans are underserved in terms of cancer education and research to address their cancer health needs. Our project team used a community-based participatory model for mentoring and training community members as cancer educators and advocates. The first programs to address cancer needs of Connecticut Native communities are: Families Together; Is the Cancer Information Service Reaching Connecticut Native Americans? Understanding Cancer Information Seeking; and Colorectal Cancer Screening among Native Americans in Connecticut. These community-based projects received guidance from the Northeast Tribal Cancer Advisory Board with representatives from three tribal nations and the Indian Affairs Council of Connecticut. The programs developed have helped shape the future of cancer education for Native communities in Connecticut. This presentation will share our methodologies and results from three cancer education and survivorship projects. The projects include 1) epidemiology and anthropology data that serves as the foundation for all programming; 2) a cancer education training program for cancer survivors from Native communities; 3) community and health professional survey data on cancer information needs; and 4) summaries of community cancer education learning strategies, with a special focus on intergenerational learning approaches to cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivorship. The cornerstone of these projects includes Native voices and experiences from our talking/educational circles. These community-based projects have created a dialogue about cancer and cancer survivorship advocacy among Connecticut Native communities through mentorship and training of community members. These projects serve as models for other potential community-based programs in the Northeast and throughout the country.