First "President's Challenge" medals awarded!

Congratulations to Jesse for being the first Youth Center member to be awarded President's Challenge medals!  Jesse accumulated 52237 points, the most of any Youth Center member or staff!  Logging our activity on President's Challenge is a part of our health & fitness programming here at the Youth Center, which members named "The Wolfpack."  For more information on The Wolfpack, click here.  To log your activity, go to the President's Challenge website.  If you aren't a part of our group yet, just put "89158" and the Group ID Number and your name as the Group Member ID.

Earthquake Preparedness Training

Today, Professor of Geology at Mesa College Don Barrie came to the Youth Center and provided members and staff with Earthquake Preparedness Training.  The training included a demonstration of why houses/other structures built entirely out of stone are not "earthquake safe."  In the picture at left, Eliseo and Spike swing a hammer at a piece of quartzite, showing how disruption to a larger stone structure would cause it to break up and crumble.  Participants also learned about what to include in an earthquake kit, including (but limited to): food/water, hygiene items, medication, cash, sleeping bags, fire extinguisher, writing utensils, and tools.  The training ended with an earthquake "simulation," where participants followed the three rules: Drop, Cover, and Hold On!

Join us for the 2010 AIDS Walk!

The San Diego American Indian Health Center is forming a team for the 2010 AIDS Walk & Run, "the largest one-day HIV/AIDS fundraiser in San Diego County," and we would like you to join us!  The event is on Sunday, September 26th at 8AM.  We will meet before the event at the Youth Center, and we will pay the registration fee for the youth.  Of course, any friends and family who would like to join us are welcome to!  Please let us know if you would like to be a part of the team!  We will also be participating in the fundraising aspect of the Walk, so please let us know if you would like to help raise money by either donating or getting sponsors.  There are two options for the event: a 5K walk or a 10K run...tell us which one you'd like to do so we don't stick you in the wrong group!  For more information on the 2010 AIDS Walk & Run, go here.

Sage gathering and martial arts field trip-ing

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...

Daniella's post to her second favorite person...EVER! (& Raina)

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!!!

Culture Camp 2010 a HOT Success!

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.

Happy Birthday Youth Center!

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!

Daniella's post to her favorite person...EVER!.

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!!!

Souplantation caters Health Champions banquet.

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.