After Gavin Newsom proclaimed September 23 as Native American Day in California, the governor signed several bills to support the state's Native communities to promote equity, inclusion and responsibility throughout the territory.
In a ceremony joined by Native American tribal leaders from across California, the Governor signed AB 1314 by Assemblyman James C. Ramos to help address the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Native people in communities across the country.
Under AB 1314, local law enforcement agencies will be able to request that the California Highway Patrol activate an emergency Pluma Alert, similar to an Amber or Silver Alert, to assist in search efforts for a Native person who has been reported missing under suspicious circumstances.
“As we highlight the rich history and contributions of California’s diverse tribal communities today, the state is recommitting to building on the progress we’ve made to right historic wrongs and help empower Native communities,” Governor Newsom said.
She added that these measures continue to boost efforts including a new emergency alert system that will provide additional critical tools needed to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous peoples.
“AB 1314 will help us get the word out sooner when a person is missing or in danger, asking the public for help in getting tips and leads as quickly as possible when quick action is critical,” Assemblyman Ramos said at the time.
“I thank the Governor for signing this vital measure – creating an alert system was one of the key recommendations from tribal leaders to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis,” she added.
The state has allocated $12 million over three years to fund tribal-led programs to help address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people on tribal lands.
This investment, the Newsom administration said, built on last year's $5 million investment to fund training and guidance for law enforcement agencies and tribal governments to improve public safety on tribal lands and study the challenges related to reporting and identifying missing and murdered Indigenous people, particularly women and girls.
Newsom also signed into law AB 1936 by Assemblymember Ramos, which redesignates the University of California Hastings College of the Law as the San Francisco School of Law and promotes restorative justice efforts for the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Yuki people, whose ancestors suffered mass murders and other atrocities funded and supported by the college’s founder, Serranus Hastings, in the mid-19th century.
AB 1936 also outlines several restorative justice initiatives the university intends to undertake, such as renaming the law library with a Native language name, annually reading a statement of the atrocities Hastings committed against the Yuki people, and providing collaborative opportunities for Round Valley tribal students to gain experience in debate and writing, among other efforts.
Under Assemblymember Ramos’ AB 2022, the racist and sexist term “squaw” will be removed from all geographic features and place names in the state, and a process will be created to review petitions to change offensive or derogatory place names.
This comes on the heels of federal action this month to complete the removal of this slur from nearly 650 geographic features across the country, including several name changes proposed by California based on extensive tribal input.
Governor Newsom also signed AB 1703 by Assemblymember Ramos, the California Indian Education Act, which encourages local educational agencies and charter schools to form California Indian Education Task Forces in partnership with local tribes to develop curriculum materials that highlight the unique history, culture, and governance of tribes in their region.
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