Hugh Burnam

Biography:

My name is Hugh Burnam (Mohawk, Wolf Clan). My professional training is focused on providing equitable educational programming and conducting ethical research alongside Indigenous communities. As a graduate student, I examined the complexities of Indigenous identity and nationhood in K-12 and higher education. For my PhD dissertation, I served as the PI where I conducted a study on the experiences of Haudenosaunee men in higher education. A large focus of the work was about honoring Indigenous sovereignty in research, supporting Indigenous students, and building community relationships on and off campus.

At Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, I work alongside colleagues in Department of Indigenous Cancer Health, to support education programming for their ARCH Mohawk internship program for high school and undergraduate students. We work to recognize the sovereignty of Indigenous nations, which informs our educational program and research associated with it. Serving as the lead, The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe of Akwesasne works with our department at Roswell on the Native American Research Center for Health (NARCH) grant, to provide health research, research career enhancement, and research infrastructure enhancement activities. Together we provided Mohawk high school students and college students a summer internship opportunity to advance their knowledge in STEAM fields. The goal of the project is to encourage Haudenosaunee youth to explore pathways in STEAM and healthcare fields to give back to their home communities.

I also work with other institutions and programs to partner with Indigenous nations, providing access to health services and educational programming. I have an interest in exploring Indigenous sovereignty, and examining possibilities to advance Indigenous presence and visibility in STEAM fields.