Current:Home > MarketsNew law requires California schools to teach about historical mistreatment of Native Americans-LoTradeCoin
New law requires California schools to teach about historical mistreatment of Native Americans
View Date:2024-12-23 20:16:14
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — For Johnny Hernandez Jr., vice chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in Southern California, it was difficult as a kid growing up around San Bernardino to hear two different accounts of the histories of Indigenous peoples in the state.
One account came from his elders and was based on their lived experiences, and another came from his teachers at school and glossed over decades of mistreatment Native American people faced.
“You have your family, but then you have the people you’re supposed to respect — teachers and the administration,” he said. “As a kid — I’ll speak for myself — it is confusing to … know who’s telling the truth.”
Now a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday requires public schools teaching elementary, middle or high school students about Spanish colonization and the California gold rush to include instruction on the mistreatment and contributions of Native Americans during during those periods. The state Department of Education must consult with tribes when it updates its history and social studies curriculum framework after Jan. 1, 2025, under the law.
“This is a critical step to right some of the educational wrongs,” Hernandez said before the bill was signed.
Newsom signed the measure Friday on California Native American Day, a holiday first designated in the 1990s to honor the culture and history of Indigenous peoples in the state. California is home to 109 federally recognized Indigenous tribes, the second-most in the nation behind Alaska.
“I’m proud of the progress California has made to reckon with the dark chapters of our past, and we’re committed to continuing this important work to promote equity, inclusion and accountability for Native peoples,” Newsom said in statement. “As we celebrate the many tribal communities in California today, we recommit to working with tribal partners to better address their unique needs and strengthen California for all.”
Newsom, who issued a state apology in 2019 for the historical violence against and mistreatment of Native Americans, also signed another 10 measures Friday to further support tribal needs.
Democratic Assemblymember James C. Ramos, the first Native American state lawmaker in California who authored the curriculum bill, said it would build on legislation the state passed in 2022 encouraging school districts to work with tribes to incorporate their history into curricula.
“For far too long California’s First People and their history have been ignored or misrepresented,” he said in a statement last month. “Classroom instruction about the Mission and Gold Rush periods fails to include the loss of life, enslavement, starvation, illness and violence inflicted upon California Native American people during those times. These historical omissions from the curriculum are misleading.”
___
Sophie Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
veryGood! (5)
Related
- NFL MVP rankings: Does Steelers QB Russell Wilson deserve any consideration?
- Toyota Tacoma transmission problems identified in 2024 model, company admits
- Alec Baldwin movie 'Rust' set to premiere 3 years after on-set shooting
- Pete Rose takes photo with Reds legends, signs autographs day before his death
- 4 arrested in California car insurance scam: 'Clearly a human in a bear suit'
- Brittany Cartwright Claps Back at Jax Taylor’s Response About Being Legally Married
- 1000-Lb. Sisters’ Amy Slaton Breaks Down in Tears Over Michael Halterman Split
- Lana Del Rey Shows Off Stunning Wedding Ring After Marrying Gator Guide Jeremy Dufrene
- Brush fire erupts in Brooklyn's iconic Prospect Park amid prolonged drought
- Chad Ochocinco, Steelers legend James Harrison to fight in MMA bout before Super Bowl
Ranking
- Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
- Helene will likely cause thousands of deaths over decades, study suggests
- Black bear found dead on Tennessee highway next to pancakes
- The Latest: Harris campaigns in Wisconsin and Trump in Michigan in battle for ‘blue wall’ states
- Jared Goff stats: Lions QB throws career-high 5 INTs in SNF win over Texans
- Opinion: Mauricio Pochettino's first USMNT roster may be disappointing, but it makes sense
- Watch Layla the bat dog retrieve her last bat after 6 years of service
- 7 dead, 1 injured in fiery North Carolina highway crash
Recommendation
-
Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
-
'Deadpool and Wolverine' becomes 'best first-day seller' of 2024 with digital release
-
Big game hunters face federal wildlife charges for expeditions that killed mountain lions
-
Video shows mules bringing resources to Helene victims in areas unreachable by vehicles
-
4 charged in Detroit street shooting that left 2 dead, 5 wounded
-
Helene will likely cause thousands of deaths over decades, study suggests
-
Tesla issues 5th recall for the new Cybertruck within a year, the latest due to rearview camera
-
Pizza Hut giving away 1 million Personal Pan Pizzas in October: How to get one