SACRAMENTO – As leaders of Native American tribes from across California gathered at the State Capitol to celebrate Native American Day, Gov. Gavin Newsom Sept. 27 proclaimed Native American Day and announced the signing of several bills that advance tribal priorities.
The package of bills includes policies to improve laws for vulnerable Native American youth and increase access to social supports. AB 81 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland) strengthens protections in the federal Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA by codifying protections for Native American youth and their families into the California Welfare and Institutions Code, and AB 2795 by Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) reduces administrative barriers for CalWORKS and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF services in Indian Health Clinics.
The Governor also signed AB 1821 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), which will require elementary through high school education regarding the Mission and Gold Rush periods to include the treatment and perspectives of Native Americans, providing students a fuller picture of the state’s history.
SB 310 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) authorizes the California Natural Resources Agency and local air districts to form agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes to facilitate cultural burns in ancestral territories.
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