Briki Cajandig

Håfa Adai! My name is Briki Cajandig. I’m an Indigiqueer person of CHamoru, Filipinx, Chinese-Panamanian and Irish descent. I’m pursuing a PhD in the Department of Native American Studies, with a Designated Emphasis in Science in Technology Studies or Environmental Humanities. My passion for philosophy, sociology and public health has shaped an intersectional perspective that continues to drive my understanding of the world. Growing up in a mutli-racial household while caring for a sister who lived with severe disabilities painted a critical picture of Westernized healthcare systems and the constant marginalization communities confront. These experiences, both lived and academic, have profoundly informed my aspirations throughout my career and amplified how imperative Indigenous care systems are for survival. I navigate multiple identities that often exist on the peripheries of Western education, therefore feel a strong responsibility to challenge and transform educational institutions with my presence. As a settler in the Kingdom of Hawai’i during my collegiate experiences, living in Oceania guided me towards the reclamation process of my Pacific Islander identity. My work alongside Pasifika and Native nations continually inform me of the duties I have in utilizing my privileges for the livelihood of historically marginalized communities. My background in public health, community organizing, and Indigenous epistemology has deepened my commitment to serving the communities with whom I have lived and worked alongside. Prior to graduate school, I led programs in mental health and well being amongst elders, youth and families within the Urban Native communities of the Bay Area. I am determined to honor those who came before me that inherently provided the determination to represent our collective legacy through my commitment to community-engaged research and activism.