The San Diego American Indian Health Center is easy to see from the street in Bankers Hill, with beautiful Native American artwork on the face of the building.
But right next door is another part of the organization that's harder to find — their youth outreach center.
It's been providing critical programming for decades and bridging the gap between generations in San Diego’s native community.
“We are considered 'urban Indians' because we all live in the urban area of San Diego. There are 18 reservations that surround San Diego but they are Kumeyaay,” said 89-year-old Randy Edmonds.
The elder said the youth center is a space for Native Americans of all nations to connect with their roots.
He and his family belong to the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma. His son Larry helps lead some of the youth programs.
“(We're) having them learn their language. We get them involved in art. We have some classes in beading, moccasins, talking circles,” Larry said. “A lot of Natives will come in and get involved in a circle and talk about the things that they go through, and how we can help them in their lives.”
Larry's daughter, and Randy’s granddaughter, Melanie Edmonds, works at the American Indian Health Center just across the street.
“It's nice when people come in and say 'I didn't even know you were here.' And we were like ‘we've been here for a while!’” Melanie said. “I think that it’s unfortunate that a lot of people just don't know what we're here, and don't know that we have the resources that they can really use.”
The three generations of Edmonds said the youth center programs are often fun, but some take a more serious tone.
Those activities look to address intergenerational trauma in Native American communities.
“I had a boarding school experience. What they actually wanted us to do was to be cleansed of our 'Indianness,'” elder Randy said.
After his boarding school experience, he was part of a relocation program, which is what brought him to Southern California.
Randy said many urban Native Americans in the U.S. have similar family histories.
“The intent of that relocation program was to assimilate the Native American into mainstream society. And that was basically to make him white,” he said.
Their work at the youth center includes passing down stories like Randy’s and upholding traditions.
They also team up with their health center to provide specially tailored mental and behavioral health services.
“Maybe when I was growing up I was afraid to show who I was, because you don't know if you're going to get made fun of, you just don't know the outcome of it,” Melanie said.
The 28-year-old said being around other people like herself, and sharing their stories, helped her to grow.
“Working in Native communities has really helped me become a little more confident in being Native American," Melanie said. "I do feel like there needs to be a lot more awareness to people who are Native and want to get to know their culture.”
The youth center programs also connect people more deeply to a higher power.
“It's really a connection of community – to me through prayer – and just having services for them and just having a place for them to go that they feel safe,” Larry said.
One thing all the programs at the youth center have in common: They are sharing traditions with younger generations, despite the odds in an ever evolving world.
“We're still alive, we haven't gone anywhere. Our language is strong, our culture is strong, our spirituality is strong,” Randy said. “And we want to pass that on to make sure that we’re not remembered in the history books like so many people are.”
The organization is hosting their 35th annual “gathering of the people”' at a Balboa Park pow wow Mother’s Day weekend.
Like at their youth center, they invite all people – whether native or non-native, or living on a reservation or in a city – to join.
