
By: Tishmall Turner (Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians)
The Dream The Impossible Native Youth Conference (DTI) began in 2007 and has been held every year for 17 years. Today, it’s known as “DTI” in the community it serves. The conference is the largest Native youth event in California, serving the counties of San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino.
When DTI started, it wasn’t an acronym—it was a simple idea: to inspire Tribal youth to “Dream the Impossible.” The goal was to show them that no dream was too big and that anything they wanted to achieve was within reach. The conference was created to give young people the chance to learn from Native professionals about how others in their community achieved their dreams. It brings in some of the most important figures in Indian Country, people that the youth may not have the chance to meet in their everyday lives.
The conference has taken place in different locations throughout Southern California. The first DTI was held at Noli Indian High School on the Soboba Indian Reservation. It was an ideal place because it had classrooms, audio-visual equipment, recreation areas, a relationship with local caterers, plenty of parking, and most importantly, a safe space for youth to gather and learn.
All the speakers and presenters at the conference are Native Americans with unique experiences and achievements. They share their personal journeys, explaining how they got to where they are today. For some, their lives were difficult, but they use their stories to show the youth how they overcame challenges in Indian Country, turning their struggles into lessons for success.
The youth play an active role in shaping the conference. They help decide the topics they want to learn about, suggest activities and food choices, and even submit their own artwork for the DTI program and t-shirts.
The conference teaches important skills for managing stress and finding support when needed. While sensitive topics may come up, they are discussed in a way that is age-appropriate. The goal is to show youth how they can overcome challenges with hard work, community support, cultural knowledge, and help from their Tribes.
DTI also supports the goals of Tribal youth and education centers. These goals include mental health support, promoting healthy lifestyles, staying drug-free, and encouraging education. To help with this, the conference features a college and resource fair. It partners with various community organizations and institutions like the California Highway Patrol, Native Racing, California Community Colleges, and universities from California and beyond, including Northern Arizona University and the University of Oregon.
When DTI first started, the goal was to recruit 100 students. Now, the conference regularly attracts over 350 students, with some years seeing nearly 500 attendees. Initially, only students from Tribal Education and Youth Centers in San Diego and Riverside Counties were invited, but now the conference includes youth from Sherman Indian High School, Owens Valley, Quechan, and urban American Indian centers. More Tribes are investing in their youth’s education and supporting DTI as a way to help them succeed.
Over the years, DTI has been held at several locations, including the Soboba Indian Reservation, Pechanga Indian Reservation, Palomar Community College, California State University San Marcos, UC San Diego, and many others. This year, it was hosted at California State University San Bernardino. The keynote speaker was Assemblyman James Ramos, former Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. He shared his personal story about growing up on the San Manuel Indian Reservation and how he became an elected official. He talked about the importance of staying connected to Native roots and using that connection to make a positive difference in your tribal community.
At the conference, there were ten different workshops that the youth could choose from. These workshops covered a variety of topics, including cultural revitalization, leadership, education, sports, mental health, traditional foods, film production, auto mechanics, and a talking circle.
Tribes are supporting programs like DTI because they see the value in investing in their youth. Many Tribes are helping their members build personal wealth while also preserving their cultural identity. Today’s youth are thinking bigger than ever before. By giving them the tools and resources they need, we can help them “Dream The Impossible.”
