by Dwight K. Lomayesva, JD / AIR Programs Director and the Honorable Devon L. Lomayesva, Esq. Intertribal Court of Southern CA
Our story started here some 31 years ago, with bunch of Native students wanting to change the world.
Each of our paths were very different, as they should be…Although each of our stories may be different, our care for Indian Country has been and will always be, the same.
In our customs and traditions, we are a community and we all will rise together, or we will pause and wait for you.
When we started this journey, Native people had little choice within higher education. Simply, we did not go. Therefore, we did not have the opportunity to be lawyers, doctors, teachers, or other professionals. These professions have always been so needed in our communities and our Native people should be filling these jobs. Why? Because Native people understand of our communities as they are cousins, brothers, sisters and relations that have the highest stakes in having greater future for our Tribes.
In 1993, our goal was to motivate and prepare our students to achieve academic success in high school and pursue higher education .Minimally, our imagined success was if we influenced one person then we were able to say we had accomplished our goal.
Today, we have the opportunity to provide services to over 2500 students with students pursuing higher education at UCLA, Stanford, Penn, USC, University of Arizona, SDSU, UCSD, Brandeis University, UC Davis, NAU, Harvard, Columbia, MIT and many more. Students within our program have gone onto represent their Tribes within at least five of the regional reservations in San Diego County as Councilmembers serving their communities.
Our success comes directly through the implementation of methods we have developed through the years and the collaborative efforts established with our community. These methods have always included a focus on cultural and education working together to improve outcomes for Native youth and Tribal communities.
Today, we offer a new program as we recognize that juvenile incarceration has increased for Native Youth across the Nation. Native Youth have close to or the highest drug and alcohol rates and gang affiliation per capita. We must change our ideals on justice and look at a means to integrate our restorative justice within the western ideals of law. There is an alternative, where punitive punishment or incarceration is not placed on our Native children as a form of treatment. We have an opportunity to work with our Native youth, promote greater opportunity, and have a healthier community through a diversion plan through a Tribal Youth Court.
We are creating a model program that utilizes restorative justice ideals and community to work with our Native juvenile offenders through our youth peer court model. Our Native youth acting as a “peer decision makers” can assist in guiding our juvenile students who simply do wrong things and create wellness for them.
Yes, 31 years ago, we set out to provide our Native youth opportunities and choices to diversify the world to include our Native voices, our world view, and our experience.
We are proud to say that we are continuing our work with new programs as our Youth compete with the best in the United States with support from our Tribes, our communities and our AIR Programs. As for our initial goals, our Native youth now have meaningful choice and have earned these opportunities and we forward to these new leaders to take Indian Country towards a greater future.
We will honor our Native Youth at our Annual Awards and Fundraiser Banquet on Oct. 30th 2024. Please support our Native Youth through our fundraiser by going to our website at and contributing towards our ongoing efforts with our future leaders.
