Soboba Tribal TANF program members had the opportunity to experience the 2025 National UNITY Conference in San Diego, June 27-July 1. Four adults accompanied the 17 youths, including Senior Program Specialist Annalisa Tucker.
She said the conference shows Native youth the importance of being an activist and how important it is to not allow society to put you in a box or limit you to a certain category.
“Uniting together as one people is how we can achieve and create the change we all need,” she said, adding that she hopes the attendees learned the importance of speaking up for themselves and their people.
The United National Indian Tribal Youth’s mission is to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native youth, and to help build a strong, unified, and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement. This year’s theme was Voice of H.O.P.E., which stands for Native youth engaging in Heartfelt conversations, Open dialogue, Promoting resources and Encouraging change.
A logo contest, inviting designs that reflect the richness of local Native cultures, was held and the winning concept came from 15-year-old Reese Mitchell of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, whose artwork helped inspire a final design that pays tribute to Kumeyaay culture and the conference theme. UNITY partnered with the Local Planning Committee and OXDX Clothing—a renowned Indigenous fashion label founded by Diné artist and UNITY alum Jared Kee Yazzie—to bring Reese’s vision to life.
The youth-led annual event drew more than 2,500 Native youth from around the country to participate in days filled with general sessions, regional caucuses, workshops, a career/education fair, and fun evening activities that provided hands-on leadership development activities.
Soboba Tribal TANF’s Andrew Salgado, 18, has attended the conference in the past and enjoyed joining several of the workshops that focused on physical, mental and social development.
“I learned that climate change is melting the ice and affecting different peoples’ reservations,” he said. “I learned how to communicate with other people with a better approach.”
A highlight of the conference for him was participating in the UNITY Intertribal Social Dance held on the final night, June 30.
The first full day of workshops focused on college and career readiness topics, such as “Against the Odds: Turning Struggles into Strength and Dreams into Reality” presented by Jason Amador. The workshop was designed to equip youth with the mindset, daily habits, and self-belief needed to overcome adversity and pursue their goals with purpose.
“My favorite part was meeting new people and building stronger connections with those around me,” said Christopher Lagunas, 14. I also really appreciated seeing the opportunities that the future holds for me through events like UNITY.”
Christopher was also pleased with all he gained from attending the national conference for the first time. “I learned how to communicate with others in a more appropriate way and with a better mindset,” he said. “I also learned that it’s important to embrace and accept others and their customs and traditions.
There were several workshops that were popular among many of the Soboba TANF youth. One of those that was well attended was “Girls Flag Football, 2028 Olympic Sport” presented by Keith Vasquez. His purpose was to introduce Native Americans/Indigenous youth to the fastest growing sport in the United States.
Zachary Guacheno, 18, enjoyed the workshops because of the learning opportunities. He also appreciated discovering the different ways of helping his tribe. “You can advocate for yourself and your community,” is something he said he will share with others.
A fun workshop that focused on health and wellness was the candy jar making session with Ashley Johnston. “You'll decorate your own jar and fill it with your favorite sweets, because self-care should always be sweet and simple,” she said.
Mazie Countryman presented “Sagebrush & Bingo: Native Plants of Fort Hall” where youth learned as they played Native plant bingo and won prizes while deepening their connection to the land.
Hearing about culture games, such as “Creator's Game: Building a Pathway to the Future” presented by Edison Red Nest III, were also enjoyed by the youth. The workshop was used to discuss the origins of Creator’s Game and how it can be used to better themselves. Also covered was how Lacrosse is being utilized to send Native youth to college.
The newly inducted class of Earth Ambassadors offered a workshop session covering various topics related to culture and environmental stewardship.
Nowaniiki Resvaloso, 14, attended UNITY for the second time with Soboba Tribal TANF. He said he learned the difference between Native cultures and how to communicate with others. He enjoyed all the workshops he attended and learned new things from each of them.
“The world is changing fast because the ozone layer is getting warmer so it’s causing the ice in Alaska to melt,” he said.
Nayeli Brittian, 12, was attending the UNITY conference for the first time and looks forward to sharing some important messages with family, friends and classmates. “I would tell them about every time you think you can’t do something, try anyway,” she said. “I learned that to pursue your dreams you need to actually try.”
The Talent Night on June 29 at 7 p.m. was a favorite and memorable event for her.
David Marquez also enjoyed the Talent Night show. The 17-year-old said he was interested to learn how climate change can be prevented or treated. “I also learned how to communicate ideas with others,” he said.
Agustin Salgado, 15, was also attending for the first time. “I learned about the importance of collaboration,” he said. “One important takeaway was the emphasis on community engagement and collaboration across diverse groups.”
Although the conference was filled with many valuable workshops and exciting activities, the group was able to venture off to Mission Bay beach and enjoy some beach time. “We also visited the San Diego Air & Space Museum as well as the San Diego Natural History Museum at Balboa Park,” Tucker said.
For more information, www.sobobatanf.org.
Photos courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
