Ami Admire, executive director of ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan—a San Diego County-based, Native American-led nonprofit preserving Indigenous customs and communities—gets to the point when asked about the impact her organization is having: “We’re giving our children a voice. We’re teaching them that it’s okay to speak your language, it’s okay to celebrate your culture, it’s important to know who you are.”
“We are,” she continued, “teaching them how to become leaders.”
‘ataaxum Pomkwaan, pronounced Ah-tAH-hoom pome-qwan, translates to ‘For the People’ in English. Founded in 1998, ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan’s mission is explicitly framed around historical repair: the organization describes its work as honoring Native grandparents who survived government-sanctioned genocide, with an obligation to serve their descendants.
Ami said the impacts can be life-changing.
“We have young people who have been with us since the third grade and are now in their 20s and contributing as cultural bearers and educators,” she said. “We have youth who have moved and they still keep in touch with us, asking questions about our language and our history.”
Now, through a grant from San Diego Foundation (SDF), ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan is expanding the reach of its Native Youth Stewardship Series, which serves Native youth across San Diego County’s reservation communities, including Rincon, Pala, Santa Ysabel, San Pasqual, and Los Coyotes. The goal: strengthen cultural identity, bolster a sense of belonging and improve school climates.
The grant is funded through SDF’s Growth, Education and Mentorship for Student Scholars (GEMS) initiative, which supports expanded learning programs for middle school students during a period when attendance declines, disciplinary actions increase and long-term academic outcomes are shaped.
“Through GEMS, we’re investing in proven community programs that help students stay engaged in school, build trusted relationships and prepare for the academic rigor and life milestones that will shape their future,” said Mark Stuart, SDF’s president and CEO, when the grant was announced in 2025.
This summer, dozens of students took part in ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan’s funded project, We Are Sacred: Advancing Educational Equity for Native Indigenous Youth, in collaboration with its partners, which included a Returning to Our Homelands/Healing Landscapes restoration day at Buena Vista Lagoon, and a trip to Oklahoma City to attend the UNITY/United National Indian Tribal Youth’s 50th Annual National Conference. The conference welcomed a new generation of Indigenous youth, including those from the communities ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan serves, who walked away with a deeper understanding of themselves, their people and their culture.
Eshash Cloninger, an 18-year-old member of the Rincon tribe living in Escondido, praised the GEMS-funded initiative in guiding her to become more involved with school and more connected to her roots. She’s planning to enroll in college, inspired by a recent college and career fair that was among the projects in which she participated. “We need to become more than what so many people outside of our community expect of us to become,” Eshash said.
‘ataaxum Pomkwaan has been inspirational in other ways, too. A couple of years ago, Eshash and other ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan youth were invited to speak with school administrators who wanted to learn more about effectively addressing microaggressions on campus. That was followed by trainings and conferences in Oakland and Sacramento focused on student advocacy development.
A Record of Success
At one area middle school, ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan helped Indigenous students transform a sparsely attended Native Club into a more active, inclusive space for connection and leadership. Participation grew as students organized visibility efforts, including Indigenous Peoples’ Day and California Native American Day assemblies, while workshops offered opportunities to explore systems of oppression and learn self-regulation and grounding techniques. The number of suspensions fell. The number of fights tapered. Academic performance improved.
Said Ami: “While there are many Native youth and families who are thriving in academia, the arts, athletics and as cultural bearers, it is our obligation to serve those who may not be thriving.”
It Takes a Village
Among ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan’s healing programs is the We Are Sacred: Gathering of Native Americans, an annual three-day gathering for young adults to embrace their culture and tradition.
Said one past participant: “It’s really just opened my eyes to see how great people in the community can be, like how strong love can be, and how it can be a medicine. I never believed in any of that before, but it’s really changing my ways.”
In addition to SDF, the organization has garnered support from a range of philanthropic organizations, such as the Prebys Foundation, Elevate Youth California, Sierra Health Foundation, the California Endowment, the California Wellness Foundation, Audubon California, Buena Vista Audubon Society, and California Coastal Conservancy.
“Our work would not be possible without our dedicated ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan team, the youth we serve, and the support of organizations like San Diego Foundation,” said ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan organizer Andrea Gaspar.
