In working to address Native American cancer health disparities, it is imperative to build partnerships with tribal communities to increase their trust in the potential benefits of cancer research efforts. The Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention was established in 2002 and the Partnership’s approach is to expand capacity for culturally-sensitive and community-relevant research on cancer and to continue to develop respectful collaborations that empower sovereign Native American communities to define, implement, and achieve their goals for cancer health equity.