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We have two exciting excursions coming up in the next few days. Tomorrow, Friday, August 6th, we're going on a mini-trip to gather sage. After gathering and drying, we will bundle the leaves to be gifted to participants of the Strength for the Journey retreat. Information on past Strength for the Journey retreats can be found here. Next Sunday, August 15th, members can sign up to join us on a field trip to a martial arts tournament in the South Bay. Seats in the van are limited, so if you want to ride with the Youth Center, please sign up. Feel free to meet us at the tournament, too! Information on the event can be found here.
**UPDATE**: We won't be gathering sage today, as the location we planned on gathering from is in the process of replenishing, and the other location is all the way in Julian! So we'll update you all for the rescheduled trip...
AMY!!! :DDD To my most second favorite person ever!! haha jk. Anyways I just wanted to say I am going to MISSYOUSOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!! :( I going to miss that awesome smile, laugh, and personality you brought to the Center; we needed someone like you to brighten up everyone's day. I loved spending time with you at the Youth Center, the beach, and at PRIDE. I wish you the best of luck in college and I hope to see you again one day as Dr. AMY haha. I wish you could stay longer but one day I will visit you in OHIO! You just watch haha.
:). You better not forget me because I will NEVER forget you BESTIE!! Thanks for everything and now that you are leaving it's not going to be the same (tear drop). By the way Raina says that you rock and she won't forget you either :). LOVE YOU LOTS AND FOREVER!!!!! :DDD *~heart~* p.s You better facebook MEH!!!
The San Diego American Indian Health Center's 7th Annual Culture Camp brought 25 youth participants and Youth Center staff all around San Diego County in three days of exploration, learning, and exhilarating activity. Despite record levels of heat, participants had enormous amounts of bonding time to create joyous, lasting memories.
On Day 1, we learned how to silk screen from Elvis Hauser, artist and owner of Skins Gear Native Owned Silk Screening. Participants learned how to silk screen bandanas, tote bags and pillow cases. While waiting to silk screen, participants custom painted their own hats and shoes. After silk screening and lunch at Chipotle, participants went to Solid Rock gym in Old Town for indoor rock climbing. Before the rock climbing lesson, participants discussed how certain outdoor rock structures are sacred to tribes and how it's important to respect these sites, such as De-ek Wadapush (Cave Rock) in Nevada for the Washoe, Tsé Bitʼaʼí (Shiprock) in New Mexico for the Navajo, and Mato Tipila (Devil's Tower) in Wyoming for the Lakota. Pictures from Day 1 can be found here.
On Day 2, we went "hiking" on Junipero Serra Trail at Mission Trails Regional Park (pictured above). Participants went off the Trail to view Kumeyaay grinding rocks and Mission Dam, built by the Kumeyaay in 1813 to bring water to Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The Visitors Center also treated participants to a free movie about the Park. After lunch at Souplantation, participants stayed in East County to go cosmic bowling at Parkway Bowl in El Cajon. Pictures from Day 2 can be found here.
Water defined Day 3, when we spent the whole day at Mission Bay. First, participants learned how to kayak, a word that comes from the Inuit qajaq (ᖃᔭᖅ in Inuktitut), meaning "hunter's boat." Participants took kayaking out of its original context of hunting in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic, and instead leisurely meandered around the beautiful waters of Mission Bay. After two hours of kayaking, participants played in the Bay and ate Subway on the beach. We then learned how to make a drum from instructor Steve Garcia. Pictures from Day 3 can be found here.
On July 13, 2009, the San Diego American Indian Health/Youth Center opened its doors, becoming the first urban Native youth center in San Diego County. One year later, we're still open and still providing for the urban Native community in and around America's Finest City! Today, we celebrated our birthday with both "business as usual" and some special gifts. We were then treated to SPAM and potatoes with homemade tortillas, compliments of Youth Counselor Erica Charley and SDAIHYC Consultant Ellery Charley (along with help from Dr. Cain and Bella). We also discovered we have an ice cream machine, which made its inaugural batch of chocolate chip/graham cracker/vanilla ice cream, joined with freshly baked vegan brownies. Thank you to everyone for helping the Center grow in the last year; here's to another year of camaraderie, learning, and fun!
KELLEN!!! We are all going to miss you soooooo much!! I am going to especially miss that athleticism and competitiveness you bring to the Youth Center. I know we have had our differences of opinions from time to time, but in the end we both had a huge laugh and smile :). I especially want to thank you for all the filming opportunities & advice you have given me all the times when I really needed it. I never knew I would even be on YouTube... & you know what, you were the one that brought me out of my shyness & go out there and be in front of the camera and be a star :D. Also If we ever need a lawyer we know who to call ha ha. Anyways good luck with your new journey into life. We hope you enjoy it as much as you can. And you better visit, me especially!!! I'll be ready for more competitions!! :D LOVE YOU MANN!!!
On Wednesday, June 30, Youth Center members and staff were treated to a special banquet catered by Souplantation, marking the completion of the Health Champions program. We were treated to a variety of creations from their menu, including Won Ton Chicken Happiness salad, Vegetarian Harvest soup, baked potatoes, Garlic Asiago Focaccia, cornbread, cookies, iced tea and raspberry lemonade (nutrition facts can be viewed on their website here). To learn more about the Health Champions program, organized by the Rady Children's Hospital Center for Healthier Communities for Children, click here.
From June 21-22, Youth Center members and staff participated in a Youth Fitness Camp, which focused on American Indian Games and the Mount Pathways Challenge from the Physical Activity Kit (PAK), a partnership between the Indian Health Service - Health Promotion Disease Prevention Initiative and the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center. Each day, participants engaged in exercises in the form of "boot camp"-style challenge trails and modified traditional games from the Chumash, Navajo, Kwakwaka'wakw, Haudenosaunee and other tribes. Click here for pictures from Day 2 of the camp (Day 1 pics will be posted soon!). Also check out our YouTube page for vids of the attempted "Balloon Walk" and snippets from Day 1's "Fitness Jeopardy!" game.
We had a wonderful time at ReNEW with good food, good people, and good fun...hope yall did too. Click here and visit the 2010 ReNEW Celebration album to check out some of our pics from the event. Feel free to share any you have with us, as well!
Two days from now, ReNEW: Revitalizing Native Energy & Wellness, A Community Celebration of Health & Fitness is kicking off! Come eat, come play, come dance and most important of all, come and have fun with family, friends, and new friends (fun like Youth Counselor Erica Charley and Bella, spinning at the SDSU Powwow in the photo at right). For more information on ReNEW, see the post below.
We have two exciting excursions coming up in the next few days. Tomorrow, Friday, August 6th, we're going on a mini-trip to gather sage. After gathering and drying, we will bundle the leaves to be gifted to participants of the Strength for the Journey retreat. Information on past Strength for the Journey retreats can be found here. Next Sunday, August 15th, members can sign up to join us on a field trip to a martial arts tournament in the South Bay. Seats in the van are limited, so if you want to ride with the Youth Center, please sign up. Feel free to meet us at the tournament, too! Information on the event can be found here.
