Last month, our youth spent a day at the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' annual Jr. Ranger Expo in Indian Canyons. The Expo celebrates the tribe’s lands with hands-on learning for young explorers, and our kids took part in just about all of it. They took in traditional bird songs and dance, hiked the trails of Andreas Canyon, and learned about the plants and animals that call the desert home. The nature-inspired crafts and the desert animals were the clear favorites.

For Marbella and her girls, one of the best moments of the day came on the trail, though it started on the drive in. The girls noticed something yellow covering the mountains and asked their Friend what it was. Dry grass, Marbella told them. Then Diana had another question. Could people actually go up mountains?

Yes, Marbella said. People hike them all the time.

When they got to Indian Canyons, the first thing they did was set out on the Andreas Canyon trail. The girls loved every minute of it, and they were thrilled to finally see that dry grass up close. Partway up, Diana turned to Marbella.

“Mi sueño se está haciendo realidad,” she said. My dream is coming true.

Marbella asked her which dream. Diana told her she had always wanted to hike a mountain.

We’re grateful to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians for welcoming our youth onto their tribal lands, and for an Expo that gave Diana the chance to answer her own question.