Assembly Select Committee on Native American Affairs

All right, we're about ready to get started. Sergeant call the absent members. All right, we'd like to call the Select Committee on Native American Affairs to order here at Table Mountain on tribal education, culture, resilience, leadership, and trust.

And before we get started, there's an introduction from the tribal Chairwoman. Chairwoman Cordova, here's a mic here.

Check. Can you hear? All right. Good morning, everybody. Manahu, welcome. It's good to see you. I am Michelle Heredia-Cordova, and I have the honor of serving as the tribal Chairwoman for Table Mountain Rancheria. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the homelands of our Chukchansi/Mono people.

This morning, we have Vice Chairman from Tachi, Robert Jeff, who will be giving us the opening prayer.

It was on. You guys hear me? Oh, okay. Good morning, everybody. I just want to offer a quick prayer before we get started. Just want to thank everybody for making it here. And for those of the ones that haven't made it here, safe travels to them. Hopefully they make it here safe.

Oh, come to you in a good way today and give thanks for our lives, give thanks for our families. We give thanks for the people that prepared the food for us this morning.

We all want to give a big thanks for all the leadership in the house, whether it's tribal leadership or state leadership, to come together and try to get to know one another, to understand one another, to hear one another and have that genuine love for one another, to understand the troubles that we're all going through and know that we're all here living this life together.

And until we understand each other and know one another, you know, we're always going to be just getting in each other's way.

So I pray that we build that foundation as we have our state leaders here on tribal lands today to ask that they hear our voices, hear the anger, hear the joy, and hear all the emotion that comes from our people, our tribal people today. And with that, I want to offer up a spirit calling song.

Sing this song in a good way, calling the spirits from all over to come be with us, to be a part of us, to hear us.

Thank you all.

Well, thank you so much for welcoming us here into your territory and especially the traditional prayer song opening up this hearing here today. I want to acknowledge Assemblymember Ahrens, Assemblymember Harabedian, Assemblymember Valencia, and Assemblymember Arambula for being here on this select committee hearing, here on tribal lands, making sure that we're hearing the voices of California's first people.

Just a little run of order.

We will have our first panel will be on tribal communities and tribal students in the educational system, with Bella Garcia, who's a recent graduate of Clovis Unified School District, Morning Star Gali, founder and Executive Director, Indigenous Justice, and Janet K. Bill, Office of Native American Affairs, California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General.

Then our next panel will be Solutions and Actions for Native Students Michelle Cordova, Chairperson, Table Mountain Rancheria, Leo Sisku, Chairperson, Tachi Yokut Tribe, and Fred Beihn, Chairperson, North Fork Rancheria. We also will have on the panel Shine Nieto from Tule River. With that, we're here today because of a lot of issues.

We're at the end of our session at the State Legislature. We're down to our going into our last two weeks. This is our third week last third week. And so there will be a lot of bills coming through for concurrence.

But yet each and every one of the members that are up here today have stood side by side with us on pieces of legislation, making sure voices are being heard. And just recently, we had a floor ceremony where we honored the students that stood up for the right to wear regalia in schools in the State of California.

Even though we've passed three different pieces of legislation, we continue to have to pass more. And together with our allies and my colleagues here, we continue to do that, but also looking for solutions. What's the next step? That's what this panel is geared to do, bring us the attention of what is the next steps?

So as we go into and get ready for coming back in January, we have ideas of solving solutions in the State Legislature. With that, I open up the dais to members that would like to say a few words. Assemblymember Ahrens.

Thank you, Chair Ramos. I just wanted to say thank you so much for inviting me to be on this panel. I'm newly elected, just got elected this past November, and I represent the heart of Silicon Valley, and I'm looking forward to learning and being educated more on these pressing issues.

But I am particularly interested in learning more about the solutions for action for Native students, given that even in my school district, where I was graduating from and there were issues with regalia and Native students not being allowed to wear, wear proper attire from their tribes.

And so really looking forward to learning and bringing back what we're learning here today to focus on solutions for the new year. So thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this.

Thank you so much. Senator Harabedian.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's an honor to be here. And I just wanted to quickly say thank you for the warm welcome. Thank you to the Chairwoman for everything that she has done thus far to make this possible, and to Chair Ramos and his staff for this really, truly historic hearing on tribal land.

And I appreciate being a part of it. As my colleague said as well, it's really a blessing, and I feel humbled to be here. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Look forward to the discussion.

Thank you so much. Assemblymember Valencia.

Good morning, and thank you all for joining us here today. And I mean that with the utmost respect. And I want to first start by thanking the Chairwoman for her hospitality to her and her tribe's land.

It is an honor to be here with you all today, specifically to host this first-ever hearing on tribal land, which is historic. And I think we need to underscore that specific point.

And that is a testament of the work that Assemblymember James Ramos has put forth in the California Legislature to raise the voices of tribal communities in California's first people again. This is something that had never been done before. I am honored to be a part of this first, but it will not be the last.

And you can count on the voices up here to ensure that that takes place. And we look forward to the discussion and dialogue today. Thank you.

Assemblymember Arambula.

Well, good morning. It's great to see so many of you who I know. If I can begin by thanking Michelle Heredia-Cordova for the tremendous dinner that we had last night, and the cultural presentations.

It was great to hear Robert Jeff be able to speak, to hear Carlos speak, and my brother do his bird songs that are so essential and so needed. So much of what has transpired in my term in office over the last 10 years has been an evolution, thanks to our colleague in James Ramos.

It's been important for us to be able to have a voice in our state capitol and to hold these meetings in places that matter.

I enjoyed being at Chu Chansey a few years ago for the feather alert event that we had, and here today with the opportunity to be able to talk about how we can make improvements going forward.

But I will just put one issue front and center, one that the Chairwoman brought up to me earlier on this year that is still unresolved, and that is around our rivers. If you look right behind us, the gorge that leads into Millerton Lake leads into the San Joaquin River, which is the second-longest river in California.

A river that many of you know over centuries. A river that is in danger from a corporation that's looking at a hundred-year lease that's before our board of supervisors. I didn't want to miss a moment to uplift the opposition that the Chairwoman has.

And I share that position in figuring out how we can have our voices here in the Central Valley be heard. It's essential for our tribal nations to make sure that their voices are present during these discussions with our board of supervisors, and look forward to how together we're able to continue to make changes.

I've seen it with James in 2022, which led to us renaming Yokuts Valley. I saw it in our opposition to Measure B, the charter amendment that they had here. None of it can get done alone. It requires us to work together in collaboration. And I'm grateful for you and for James being here in this space today.

Thank you so much for that. And at the end of the panels, we will have public comment at the end of the session with that. We want to start with our first panel.

We'd like to bring up here to the table, Bella Garcia graduate, Clovis Unified School District, Morningstar Gali, Founder, Executive Director, Indigenous Justice, and Janet K. Bill, Office of Native American Affairs, California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. And the order will be Bella Garcia, first, Morningstar Gali, and Janet K. Bill.

Go ahead and start when you're ready.

Can you hear me? Manahu inanien, Bella Garcia. Hello. My name is Bella Garcia. I'm a member of North Fork Rancheria. First and foremost, I would like to thank Assemblymember James Ramos for inviting me to sit on this panel here today, as well as making sure that our young people have a voice at the table.

For the past two years of my life, I have consistently been fighting and advocating to wear tribal regalia during my graduation ceremony at Clovis High School. I attended an institution that continues to deny the existence of California's first people and continues to harm our young people by creating even stronger barriers within their systems.

Starting in the late 1800s, thousands of California Indian children were forcefully separated from their families and ancestral homelands through the boarding school system. The United States government relied on violent tactics in order to attempt forced assimilation on Native American children. Our children were forced to speak English, forced to cut their hair, and forced to forget their traditions.

While I was the only Native student in all of my classes and maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, serving as President of the Native American and Indigenous Peoples Club and one of only four Native seniors. I was faced with a tremendous amount of racism and discrimination within the Clovis Unified School District.

I was told by the learning director, vice principal, principal, and area superintendent of my district that I would be denied to graduate wearing tribal regalia.

Despite some community members encouraging me to comply with Clovis Unified's policy and continue to violate my rights as a Native student, I decided to be the only student to speak up at my school. Throughout the year, I felt so isolated, outcasted, alone, and even invisible.

Native American people currently have the highest rates of suicide within the State of California and on a national level. American Indian students currently have the lowest high school graduation rates in the State of California, as well as across the U.S.

Our children and young people deserve to be confident in their identity, safe in their environments, and deserve to have their voices heard even in these institutions. I am beyond proud to share with you all.

Because of the support from my family, Chairman Nieto from Tule River, Vice Chairman Jeff from Tachi Yokut, former Chairwoman of my tribe, Jackie Vinhas, Indigenous Justice, California Indian Legal Services, Fresno American Indian Health Project, California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and Assemblymember James Ramos, I was able to graduate wearing all of my tribal regalia which included a tribal stole, not one but two eagle feathers, a beaded graduation cap, a ribbon skirt, beaded earrings and beaded mocks.

Tribal regalia represents our identity as Native American people and shows our pride in our culture. I am so proud to be a Mona woman representing my family, tribe, community and and most importantly, honoring my ancestors. It is my responsibility as a young Native woman to continue to protect our youth and future generations to come.

And to all the tribal leaders who are present in this room or who are hearing, I encourage you to continue to empower, protect, and support our Native youth because they will be in your seats one day. It is long overdue that institutions acknowledge and collaborate with our tribes in order to ensure the future of our people.

I just want to thank Assemblymember James Ramos once again for inviting me to speak on this panel.

Thank you so much for your testimony. As now we move to Morning Star Gali.

Manahu, and thank you for the opportunity to be in front of you today. So I thought I can share some both personal and historical information.

In terms of personal, I'll share that at the age of three years old, I started reading. I was in a number of gifted and talented education programs, and at the age of 13 that that the treatment towards me in the California public Schools changed where I had a parent that was terminally ill, and they ended up passing away during my teenage years.

And so at the age of 13, I was expelled from junior high school. I was made an example of and understood at that young age of what racial profiling was, where every Native American child that was in that school was brought in for questioning, had their lockers searched.

My parents were told that I would never attend another public school in the State of California again. I was again expelled at the age of 15, when my father ultimately ended up passing away.

And so those were some of the challenges where I ultimately was able to test out with the California High School Proficiency Exam, start working full-time at the age of 17, and went on to take my GED so that I could enroll in private college.

I want to share also about my son, Uchi, who will be a senior this year. At the age of seven years old, in first grade, he was physically assaulted by his teacher. He was standing up with his long hair.

One of the only Indian boys in his school didn't put away his homework quickly enough when the bell rang, and his teacher came up and hit him in his arm, where there was a documented physical contusion in his arm, which led to the, which led to a national inquiry in terms of the racial discrimination where my children's friends were telling my children whose parents worked for the school district that their parents were saying that they could only have white friends, that it was white friends only. And this was just in the last 10 years.

And so those are just some of the personal reasons why we continue to do this work and why we continue to address the issues that our children face. Because these are my own children that have continued to face these challenges.

So I wanted to talk about the history and legacy that California's mission system and federal boarding schools, how they tried to erase us, that today's schools still carry those same structures that make Native students invisible. I say every day as a California Indian woman is a fight against invisibility. It's a fight against erasure.

That these structures persist in today's schools, where Native students are still too often treated as outsiders, instead of embraced as integral to California's story, as the miracles that they are. With the boarding school to prison pipeline that our kids are suspended, expelled, and arrested at higher rates.

They are pushed out of classrooms and into cages instead of being supported to learn and to lead. That these policies and practices push our youth out of the classroom and into the boarding school to prison pipeline, instead of creating safe and supportive learning environments. Native students don't drop out.

As we heard from Bella's experience, schools push them out by failing to make them feel safe, seen, and celebrated. That graduation regalia legislation is just one step towards real belonging. As affirmed in pending legislation with AB2337, this is one step towards affirming cultural identity.

But it must be paired with deeper investments in culturally responsive education with Native educators and student support services. That investment in culture and climate that we need more than symbolic change. We need real investment in Native educators, culturally grounded curriculum, and restorative justice that heals instead of punishes our tribal youth.

This means expanding Native studies curriculum, hiring Native educators and counselors, and creating restorative justice programs that heal instead of punish. As a vision for success, when Native students grow and thrive, all of California thrives.

Investing in Native student success is investing in the future of this state that we must continue to fight for policies that dismantle systemic racism in schools, uplift tribal sovereignty and education, and ensure that every Native student is not just surviving but thriving as they are fully recognized, honored, and celebrated at every milestone.

I want to thank Assemblymember James C. Ramos for the events that have taken place this week. They were extremely impactful in terms of the NAGPRA hearing that took place. The floor assembly, where we were able to celebrate Bella and so many of the other students and honorees in this past week.

We also held a mercury contamination summit at Big Valley Rancheria in Lakeport, California, where we held contamination, where there are studies that took place at the local, national, and international level in terms of gold grain and genocide. And we teach that in schools today. We bring that curriculum of how the ongoing toxic legacy of mercury contamination.

So I appreciate the comments about the river and the water issues. We held a tribal youth camp up at Bernie Falls, where we had over 30 youth that participated in ceremony, that went rafting, that went hiking.

And just to have all of the children there and the youth able to participate in their tribal activities and be together in a way that they're not able to feel supported on the outside. That's what we've been busy with this week, and we're just very appreciative of your time. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your testimony. As now we go to Janet K. Bill.

Thank you to the Honorable Assemblymember Ramos and the Select Committee on Native American affairs for inviting me to speak, and of course, to the Table Mountain Rancheria for hosting this historic hearing held on tribal lands. Appearing before you today is not just a moment in my own journey.

It reflects generations of our people who understood that education could be powerful, even though for many it was experienced in systems that did not honor who we are. For some in my family, school was not a place of safety or inspiration.

It was an institution of pain, a reminder of the atrocities committed against Native people in the name of education. Our history includes relatives who were shamed for tribal identity and who were told in word and in action that being Native was something to hide. Those experiences did not happen centuries ago in faraway boarding schools.

These injustices happened in public classrooms here in California, within living memory of our elders. My own journey began differently before I ever entered a public school. My first teacher was my mother in a tribal Head Start classroom on tribal lands, surrounded by tribal children with tribal culture fully integrated into the curriculum.

Those early years were more than preparation for kindergarten. They were my first experience of learning in an environment that reflected who I was, where our culture was affirmed, and where education was grounded in care and respect. That foundation gave me the confidence to see education as a pathway, not a barrier.

But when I graduated from the local public school district, I saw how many Native students around me did not have that same support. Resources were limited, cultural understanding was rare, and opportunities for higher education was uncertain. Even when I was applying to colleges, I was not encouraged to set my sights on elite universities.

Despite having strong grades, community service, and extensive extracurriculars, high school staff held low expectations of Native students and believed it was rare for us to pursue college at all. And once I was admitted to Stanford University, it was implied I was only admitted because I was Native. My presence simply checked a box for the university.

These experiences show how Native students are too often underestimated in high school and then undervalued once they reach higher education, both by administrators and their peers.

What carried me forward were the stories of my people, the encouragement of my family, and the determination to make the most of every classroom I entered to learn, to grow, and to speak with courage even when it was difficult to be heard.

That path took me from a small town high school to Stanford University, where I earned both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, and then to law school with a specialization in Indian law.

Along the way, I became an attorney, served on tribal council, and today have the privilege of serving as Director for the Office of Native American affairs at the California Department of Justice under the leadership of Attorney General Rob Bonta. Each step taught me not only the value of education but also the responsibility that comes with it.

Education gave me the tools to be an advocate, to speak with confidence in courtrooms, classrooms, and council chambers, and to stand up for our people, from our children to our elders, so that every generation is supported and protected. This is why tribal education is so vital. It does more than prepare us for jobs or degrees.

Education prepares us to be leaders and advocates, individuals who can bring forward priorities, defend sovereignty, and ensure the survival and strength of our nations. In my new role, I see every day how education, justice, and sovereignty are deeply connected.

Our office serves as a bridge, advising the Attorney General, fostering trust between the state and tribal governments, and creating space for Native leadership in shaping policy and justice throughout California.

True progress comes when we bring forward our perspectives and expertise, with education serving as one of many tools that build capacity, foster leadership, and empower advocacy across Indian country.

When we support tribal education, we are not only helping individual students succeed, we are strengthening our communities, preserving our culture, and preparing the next generation to walk into every space, from classrooms to council chambers, from courtrooms to legislative hearings, ready to advocate and drive meaningful change.

My journey from a tribal Head Start classroom with my mother as my first teacher, to Stanford, to tribal council, and now serving in the Attorney General's Office is proof that Native students can thrive at the highest levels when we are supported,

The question is not whether Native students are ready to succeed, but whether we will ensure that equity and inclusion that makes success no longer the exception, but the rule. Mitch Gais, thank you for the honor of sharing my story.

I stand ready to answer any questions the committee may have and to serve as a resource in advancing tribal education and the success of our tribal communities. Thank you.

Well, thank you so much for your testimony and so much for all of your testimony here at this Select Committee hearing here at Table Mountain. We'll open it up to the dais. Any questions, comments? Assemblymember Harabedian.

Thank you to all three of you for the testimony and just for how truthful and honest you were. And, and, you know, I could, I may ask each of you a question, but I'll start with Ms. Morning Star Gali about the restorative justice programs that you were calling for.

And I would just like to hear a little bit more about what do you think specifically we could do at the state level to make that a reality.

Thank you for asking that question. We have an 85% recidivism rate for Native American men in the State of California. So one of the programs that we have through Indigenous justice is called Returning Relatives, where we support currently and formerly incarcerated tribal Members in returning back to their communities.

And we say that, you know, as we head our villages that everyone has a role within their communities. Tonight at Wilton Rancheria, we are hosting an event at 6:30 p.m. for returning relatives in supporting them to be able to share their own stories and, you know, and the impacts in terms of what can be done.

At the state level, we have an organization called the Native American Spiritual Leaders of California. And so through Native American, through NALSOC, Native American Spiritual Leaders of California serve on the board, and we ensure that there are ceremonial practices that are able to be held half of the spiritual positions.

My father was hired on as the first spiritual advisor through the California Department of Corrections in the mid-90s and before he passed, ensured that there were these programs that were instituted in terms of rehabilitation and in terms of being able to have that cultural support and integration and so being able to support utilizing an inside, outside approach and supporting tribal members that they have access to ceremony while they're on the inside and supporting them on the outside, where we provide services such as we provide what's called supportive services, where we ensure that everyone has, you know, their basic needs met in terms of food, shelter and housing.

Thank you for that. Very helpful. And I do think that your point about representation, you know, we want our educators to look like us to know our culture. And I think that's a big point as well. And I think to Ms. Bill and Ms. Garcia, maybe you both can speak to this a bit about.

And obviously in your son's experience, what do we need to do to, I think, incentivize, and we had a hearing last week about even at the highest levels of education here in the state, the UC system, really getting more tribal leaders, natives within leadership there to lead repatriation programs, which currently, you know, we're falling far short on doing that.

But what do you think we can do to make your journey and future students' journeys a lot better from a, I think representation standpoint, because I don't think a lot of you, beyond your mother being your first teacher in that first head start program.

How do we get more Natives into these positions of power and especially as our educators, because I think that will help solve a lot of the issues on the ground level, and make everyone.

I think when we talk about equity and trying to address some of these issues, I think the positions of power are really important to see our community members there. So how do we do that? How do we incentivize? How do we make and create a pipeline so that these positions are actually filled by folks from your communities?

Sorry, I was debating on who's going first. I've never been on the other side of things, right? I've been a student my whole life, and I just graduated late May.

And so, being a Title Six student my whole life, I went to my first Indian-Ed meeting in September of last year and had no idea that Indian-Ed students are actually invited to Indian-Ed meetings, which is something that is not. There's no outreach there. There's nobody telling Native students, hey, you should come to these meetings.

Hey, you should speak about any issues there. There is no communication, at least at the, you know, the school, in the school district that I was in, I definitely think that that's a problem there, too.

As well as the Title Six Committee and those, those women and those people who are in power there, too, I also reached out to multiple, multiple times regarding issues that I was facing at my school, which wasn't just pertaining to graduation, but my focus was graduation.

And that our Native students don't only matter when it's Native American Heritage Month, when it's Indigenous Peoples Day, when they're graduating, right? They matter every single day of every single, every year. And so, unfortunately, these people that I had to deal with in the, in the school that I was in, in the school district that I was in, would oftentimes tokenize me for being the only Native American student.

And there were several occasions, occasions that my cousin and I were asked several times if we would go out of our way for these non-Indian people just to represent.

That way they can check their boxes and say, yep, we did this because it's Native American, whatever. And so oftentimes I think I needed. I needed someone to come in, right? I needed an adult to be in the room because they weren't going to listen to me.

I was 16 at the time when I started the fight with my school and my school district. And I'm 18 now. But two years ago, and even now, they. They still wouldn't listen to me. And throughout the whole year, that's why I had said that I, I had felt invisible because, I mean, who is Bella Garcia, right?

Oh, she just, she says she's California Indian, but they don't even recognize California Indian people. So it was just like that. I didn't matter. So if there was somebody who was in those meetings with me, or who would attend, or somebody who would. Even the Title Six people, they don't come out to schools.

They don't, they don't have any outreach with Native students. Clovis Unified this past year had 574, I believe, enrolled Title Six students and never, from what I know, never reached out to any that were on my campus at my high school.

And that was my junior and my senior year that I had really started doing a lot of the groundwork for graduating wearing tribal regalia. And, you know, being one of only one of four Native seniors was really, really difficult.

And even only having four seniors at my high school, unfortunately, I could not rely on the title, the Title Six Indian-Ed Committee, for one, and then two, those women who, that's their job. You know, their job is supplementary services to look after Title Six students like myself and then the other seniors who graduated from my school.

So I definitely think that if we were able to fix that somehow, that would definitely close that gap.

I think what you're hearing from all of our stories is just finding that place of belonging, ensuring that we are seeing people like us in those positions.

If you can hear from my story, I made it a point to say my first start was on tribal lands with tribal children, with a fully integrated cultural curriculum that really set the foundation for the rest of my education.

I was very fortunate that I also went to Stanford University, which has a strong Native American community, with the Stanford American Indian Organization. So I was very supportive there.

And then at law school, I went to Arizona State University, which has, once again, an amazing Indian legal program who continued to ensure that anytime I was going through struggles or I needed assistance or I needed to make connections, they were there to help me. They were there to support me. But again, that is almost the exception.

That is not the rule. So, ensuring that as state legislators, that you're really focusing on creating those pipelines, as you called them, for us, not only to make it through the education system, but then to find a job after. So those are some of the things.

Follow up.

I just wanted to add quickly that we partner with San Francisco Unified School District Indian Education Program, and the director's position was cut this year. She's no longer there. And so it's been integrated in with all of the.

There was lots of ethnic studies programming, and those positions were cut through the new leadership changes with the city and county governments. And so that's been a challenge that we are still continuing to work with and support Indian education for San Francisco. We've taken the students to Alcatraz Island.

We've done our own kind of education programs where we're supporting the ethnic studies teachers. But there's definitely issues around funding cuts.

Thank you so much. Assemblymember Arambula.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There was a theme that was present through each one of your testimonies here today. Bella, you said that as the only child, you felt alone and invisible. Morning Star, you talked about that fight against invisibility. And Janet, you talked about our history. Being that Native is something that needs to be hidden.

At some point, you found that grit, that determination that you spoke about, Janet, in every single.

Termination led you towards success, Janet. And it's leading me back to something that Bella, you said I want to make sure is echoed and is heard. You spoke about how you will be in these seats one day.

To those of you who are on the dais, who I've already asked to run for elected office, for those of you who I will ask to run for elected office or on that dais, we don't have enough women leaders. We don't need to be invisible any longer.

You need to own your truths in every single room that you go into. And I wanted to make sure you heard from those of us who are sitting here now how valuable it is, how necessary it is, and how with determination you will get here. I will take a moment if I can, Mr. Chair.

I want to talk to Fred Bean, who is from North Fork. I learned something yesterday being in the Legislature. I practiced medicine for 10 years and it was. I won't out who in this room was in need of medical attention.

But they spoke about a natural remedy, one that I needed to hear and one that we can all benefit from as we are building and establishing the first public medical school here in the Central Valley at UC Merced that begins in 2027.

I'm looking to many of you to work in collaboration with those institutions to make sure that we're studying, that we're engineering, and that we're becoming entrepreneurs.

You should be figuring out how the remedies that have been present on your nations for centuries, we're able to now turn around with us in those medical schools, being able to develop and to work on them. Finally, I will just mention the incredible work that's being done here at Fresno State.

Since we're talking about education and the need for us to do repatriation, We've been working very closely, Chairman, with Saul Jimenez Sandoval, and we will be held accountable to make sure that we do all that's necessary to work with each one of these tribal nations. Thank you all.

Thank you so much. Assemblymember Valencia.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and so much. Appreciate the testimony that you've all provided to us today. I have a long standing relationship with education. I was never the most successful student growing up. I focused on sports, which is what actually allowed me to stay focused on schooling and had me graduate.

My wife is an elementary school principal back home in the district I represent in central Orange County. My mother worked for almost 30 years for the Anaheim Elementary School District with children with special needs. So you could imagine the conversations around education in our family.

And it is disheartening to hear that my experience and expectation through the stories and perspectives of individuals in my family who are contributing to education are not reflected in your experiences. And that just goes to show the gap that exists still to this day in our education system, right?

The lack of fairness, the lack of inclusivity that was shared, and most importantly, in my opinion, the inaccuracy in education. We often hear the saying that education is knowledge and power, right. But without it being fair, without it being inclusive and accurate, it could be misused.

And I think we have to have a very candid conversation about this particular direction that we're moving in. And we may have to pause, we may have to take a lateral step, readjust to ensure that moving forward, these voices are included and we provide the resources necessary to support the path forward. So, again, thank you for that.

It means a lot.

Thank you so much. Assemblymember Ahrens.

Thank you. Mr. Chair. I was very struck by the testimony today, and just to quote, I believe it was, Janet, that many of the examples given in our school system was not a place for safety or inspiration.

And I think the State of California, more recently in the Legislature for the past few decades, have attempted to write a lot of wrongs in our history and a focus on equity and a focus on cultural understanding.

And a lot of that has been addressed through new programs and offices and to address those gaps and our experiences of our youth. And I'm wondering, Janet, or anyone else on the panel could sort of speak to, you know, the sort of solutions that you're finding in your work that work best.

I know a lot of the conversations we talk about are addressing the historic divestment of education, the divestment of programs that we do know work.

And given your expertise in and your respective fields, I'm wondering if you can speak to the things that you do see working on the ground and perhaps the things that maybe you see in programs or policies that you have experienced, because so much of our policy making is the policies, but there's also implementation issues and funding issues.

A lot of it comes back to funding. But I'm wondering if you can sort of speak to, in your experience, what do you see that's actually working that we should be doubling down on?

And what do you think perhaps we need to be taking another look at that may be well intentioned, but isn't quite working the way in which policymakers have originally intended as we look to find solutions to help our students in California?

Thank you for the question. One thing I would say that is working is of course, our tribal leaders and our tribal communities here in the room. I'm sure my fellow panelists will speak to that as well. But again, us knowing where we need to be and how we can shape our future leaders is monumental in that movement.

So making sure that we are at the table, we are in those decisions. When you're thinking about different legislations and passing them, does this also speak to tribal communities? How is this helping the tribal communities? If you're having tribal advisors, if you're having Native American students be interns or externs in your organizations, that goes a long way.

One of the things I do see, and I'm sure it'll be talked about more is Fresno State University.

We have Kelly Carrillo here, and I know she's on a panel later on, so I won't speak too much to that, but making sure that our voices are being heard at that top leadership, not only in our universities, but beyond. So that is definitely something to ensure that we're continuing to do.

One of the things I would ask is when you are doing different legislations between, you know, the state, tribal, federal, local levels, whatever governments there are, try to refrain from asking tribes to waive our sovereignty, that seems to be a big issue, is continuing to ask for that waiver.

So I would just say that that would be something that could even make legislation and make our initiatives progress even further. And the last thing I would say is making sure that we are having access to data. Some Native Americans are Native white, African American and other descents.

And oftentimes it is the more broader category that we are classified as Non Native American. So again, when we talk about data, just like missing and murdered indigenous persons, there is data caps.

Because of my focus has been pertaining and regarding graduation and wearing tribal regalia. One of the not only was I constantly told by multiple admin at my school of the constant threat of, you know, don't even fill out the paper, you're going to be denied numerous, numerous times.

And so this paper that actually comes out is what Clovis Unified. My family calls it the Indian paper. But Clovis Unified has an adornment paper. And this past year, working with them, along with Indigenous justice and California Indian Legal Services, where I had my attorney, they delayed that form.

And so the closer and closer we got to graduation, that form wasn't out. And it's that form that either tells you you're approved or you're denied. And not only are there issues with that form, with language Such as when our women wear our basket caps.

Our basket caps have to be the same color as their cap and gown. When our baskets don't come naturally blue and white and burgundy and gold. So I had met with my admin and had told them that I had issues with their language that they had chosen.

And they informed me that they were doing their research about California Indian people. And their research was simply using Google, not reaching out to any of the local tribes, Chairman, chairwomen, or going to any museums that we had here.

Not only is this form a huge barrier for Native students and their families that they have to fill out, but it also limits students to only two items per graduate. Because I graduated wearing a tribal stool, a beaded graduation cap, and two eagle feathers. That was something I had to write down on this form.

It's that language that frightened me, unfortunately, because I didn't have two items because my family was gifting me more than two items. As our family should be proud of all of our graduates for graduating from these institutions.

It would be amazing to see all the superintendents from all the schools throughout California to have a conference of some sort or pertaining specifically not only to tribal regalia around graduation, but Indian education. The vice principal, the learning Director, the principal, the area Superintendent of my school didn't even know what Indian education was.

Not only denying the existence of our people or Native American people in General, but denying issues that our communities face in the Central Valley and across California and across Indian country, such as missing murdered Indigenous women and people. Admin at my school denied that.

Denying that residential boarding schools didn't exist and that I was in fact making up history in my head. I think that would be very beneficial because the admin at my school who were supposed to be educators were simply uneducated.

I'll just add quickly that the work that we do through Indigenous justice is providing those that support through protective factors. And so culture is one of those protective factors of the opportunity for the youth to engage.

We one of the events that we held this past weekend with the tribal youth camp where they're able to meet with our elders, where they're able to participate in ceremony and dance and just, you know, be in a space where they can really just be themselves. And they were. Had all of their activities, cultural activities, and.

And have that support provided through Indigenous Justice. We have a guaranteed income pilot project for survivors of violence.

And so this supports women and children with this is partnered with the city and County of San Francisco through the Department on the Status of Women, which again, that was a one year pilot project that we had to end this past spring.

But that really was impactful in terms of being providing $1,000 to 10 survivors of violence as they were able to, you know, were in all different places in terms of their recovery, healing, but also the reunification with their children was a huge issue.

The removing and renaming of the S word here in with Yokuts Valley, that has been, you know, in terms of having those next steps of those traditional place names were stolen from us.

And so being able to, you know, having that as the step of removing the S word, but renaming those places with their traditional place names is so important. And then I'll just share lastly that, you know, the education piece as preventable measures and so the children being able to have that pride instilled of who they are.

My youngest child is legally blind and legally deaf. The opportunity for her to be able to dance at the state capitol, to be invited by Assemblymember Ramos and participate in the cultural practices to have our youth come from up north.

Just this year, in all five high schools in our tribal region, we have the Pit river tribal symbol now on the back of the helmet for during the football games. And so, you know, the pride that that's instilled in the visibility, you know, it's one small gesture that shows, you know, and.

And helps to educate, you know, the onus is always on us in terms of providing that education, but. But to educate everyone within our region that this is our tribal territory. So I'll stop there.

Thank you so much for that testimony. Chair Ramos, I just want to say thank you for that further clarification. And I just think that this is. It's so horrifying that. And we are talking about in 2025, that there are institutions and people that represent our education, institutions who are still trying to exert power over Native people.

And the fact that we're hearing testimony today that in times of these graduations, which should be milestones, which we should be celebrating, which we purport to do, that there are people exerting power over number of items you should be wearing at celebrations, and proper color that should be had.

And I'm really sorry to see that we have to have these conversations because these types of policies should have absolutely no place in our government, in our local school systems.

And I really appreciate you all shining light on this really critical issue because really, ultimately what it comes down to is people still wanting to exert power over Native people. And I really want to just shine Light on that. So thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

Well, thank you so much for that and for your testimony and for the questions.

Comments, certainly through your testimony, hearing a sense of belonging, a sense of belonging when growing up, but also a sense of belonging now still in 2025, making sure that our young people have a voice and know that their voice does resonate throughout the State of California in the state chambers.

Being able to stand up for your rights has strengthened many in this room in the State of California to stand up for their rights when they're being questioned.

And certainly call to action, call to action from the tribal community to see yourselves in these seats, to see yourselves as the decision makers of decisions that are being made in the State of California. And one of the questions was asked, how do you see things moving forward? What's the next step?

And it is having the Native people driving the narrative that drastically impacts the Native community. I think that's something that continuing needs to be happening throughout the area. But it also is moving beyond tribal governments into the mainstream of the State of California, into positions like these, positions within the Attorney General's Office that we see ourselves there.

Certainly brought up the quota system. That is something that continues to live with a lot of us growing up through the educational system. But know that we earned our right every step of the way because it wasn't just the educational system checking off a box.

We had to still survive in that arena, working 13 times, 110 times harder than those that were studying right next to us to earn our degrees in the educational system. And for us, it's not just an individual moving forward. We carry the weight of our people to continue to open those doors for our people.

So when we talk about a quota system, they use it against us. But when we strive, we do have to work 110 times harder than colleagues and those studying side by side with us. So my hat's off to you for being those champions here in Indian country and to talk a little bit about the educational system itself.

When you look into the policies that have been ingrained in the educational system in the State of California, they still carry policies, policies of assimilation towards our people, where our language, our customs, was not something that was accepted by the educational system.

Policies that still drive the educational system that were created back in time still have those remnants. That's what we're truly up against, changing all those policies around to be inclusive of California Indian people. After all, they do teach in the grade system about the history of the State of California.

But it's time that our voices be the ones driving that narrative. It's time to have hearings like this and to pass pieces of legislation and to educate our colleagues that those policies of the past that have instilled separation, assimilation is something that's not going to be tolerated in the Legislature.

Moving forward here in this day and age with the most diversified Legislature in the State of California and in the nation, we'll be able to stand together by hearing these things going against those policies, policies that were not created to include us, but policies that were created to exclude us. That's what we're truly talking about.

And as we move forward with pieces of legislation, we're in our third piece of legislation now. We'll continue to move forward as long as we're in the state Legislature.

But again, rising that youthful voice, rising the tribal leaders voice, who, who is going to be the next one sitting on this dais to hold these Select Committee hearings in Indian country? It's time that we continue to move forward and see ourselves driving the narrative in the State of California. Thank you so much for your testimony.

As now we will transition to our next panel, solutions and actions for Native Students. Michelle Heredia Cordova, Chairperson, Table Mountain Rancheria. Leo Sisku, Chairperson, Tachi Yokut Tribe. Fred Bean, Chairperson, North Fork Rancheria and Chairman, Shai Neto, Chair, Tule river.

Well. Thank you so much. And we'll start with Chairperson Hiridia Cordova.

Thank you, Assemblyman Ramos. All right, excuse me. You know, sitting here listening to the thunder and, you know, to the rain this morning, and you know, for us, that's a, that's a good sign. That's a blessing.

And I think it tells me that our ancestors are present here with us today for this historic moment, hosting this education hearing here on tribal lands. And so I also want to thank you for making this possible.

So I just want to start by saying that the words that I share today, I share in a good way, and I share these words not only as a tribal Chairwoman, but as a mother and a grandmother and sitting here listening to the testimony of the panelists before us and, and to some of the points made, that it does kind of blow the mind to think that we are in the year 2025 and we are still having some of these conversations, facing some of these same issues.

And so when I was thinking about what I wanted to say today, I got to thinking about my grandson. He recently graduated from preschool and thinking about he's beginning his educational journey and for the young ones like him, what that looks like for him.

And I'm hoping that we can get to making some changes with policy where his educational journey is going to look very different from what my educational journey was like. From what your educational journey was like. And so I think a part of that is getting back to connecting with why we teach.

In the era of rapid technology and constant change, it is easy to lose sight of why we teach. At its heart, education is not about raising test scores or filling in worksheets. It is about motivating our children, helping them by guiding their natural curiosity to learn, create, and invent.

In Native traditions, we teach through song, story, and ceremony. We teach balance within oneself, with the natural world and with society. These teachings, combined with the guidance of teachers and mentors, nurture resilient and emotionally mature young people who can navigate challenges, rise after failure, and grow into caring Members of their communities.

When we braid these traditions together with modern tools like technology, every resource, whether it's a book, a laptop, or an elder story, becomes a pathway to raising the next generation grounded in respect, empathy, and responsibility. I would also like to see a world where we reimagine how we teach.

Because the current public school model was designed for a different era with long blocks of one size fits all instruction that no longer match the needs of today's students or tomorrow's workforce. I would like to see us imagine a system that is personalized, not standardized, experiential, not memorized, innovative, but still human at its core.

Across the country, pilot programs are already proving what is possible. And California can lead by scaling these innovations statewide.

Learning by doing through experiential projects, collaboration across disciplines so students problem solve together more purposeful school days prioritizing quality over quantity, personalized instruction supported by technology, meeting diverse learning styles and personalized instruction, excuse me, restorative discipline policies focusing on support, not punishment, especially when it comes to our Native youth.

And we heard earlier, you know, about how representation matters. And as tribal governments in California, we know our Native students thrive when they see their identities, histories, and contributions reflected in classrooms and curriculum.

To achieve this, schools must teach accurate local tribal history in partnership with local tribes include contemporary Native contributions in science, the arts, governance, and environmental stewardship actively recruit Native teachers, counselors, and administrators establish mentorship pipelines for Native youth pursuing education careers create cultural advisory boards with true decision making authority display Native art flags and acknowledgments of tribal lands and visible spaces and stock libraries with works by Native authors and scholars.

For representation is not simply inclusion, it is restoration. It restores truth Belonging and visibility for Native youth while deepening all students understanding of the original peoples of their region. I would also like to have an education system that balances technology with a natural world.

As Native people, we are taught to live in balance with the earth, with each other, and with all living things. Today's children are growing up in a world dominated by screens and algorithms, and our responsibility is to keep them grounded.

This means requiring outdoor education in K12, integrating land based learning and environmental stewardship, and partnering with tribes to share traditional ecological knowledge. It can be as simple as teaching lessons in gardens, parks or forests, planting and tending gardens to learn biology, food, sovereignty and responsibility.

Taking field trips to rivers, tribal museums or tribal lands to learn through touch, observation and experience. In the era of AI, staying rooted in the natural world is more important than ever.

In closing, I would like to say that as sovereign tribal governments, we have a seat at the table and we want to help build a better table that reflects our shared history and our shared future. One where Native youth are not merely surviving the education system, but thriving within it. And when Native youth thrive, all children benefit.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for your testimony. Now we'll move to Chairman Siskiyou.

Good morning. My name is Leo Sisku. I'm a Member of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Techaokut tribe and I have the distinct honor to serve as the tribe's Chairman in listening to some of the testimony that we hear today in the previous panel.

Like many of us here sitting in this room, our first teachers were our parents and whoever was in the home. And as Native people, we were taught a certain way. And fast forward, getting going, going to school. The stereotype that is given on Native people is opportunity for us as tribal leaders to educate the educators.

You know, and I mean this in the most respectful way, you know, I know that there's a job that has to be done, but there is not a one size fits all for Native students and non Native students. So we would like to. We're looking for solutions here.

Educate the educators, you know, encourage educators to reflect on their own biases and challenge what the stereotypes are, what they believe for us to be Native Americans and ask questions.

And listening to Bella Garcia speak, you know, your heart swells with pride when you see a young person come up here and speak to a panel to challenge a school district.

Now, and I listen in listening to her testimony, is there the paperwork that she has to fill out for feathers, for a beaded cap to, you know, something that matters to her? I would my question to the school districts, Clovis Unified in particular.

Is there paperwork where every student has to fill out for a specific denomination of jewelry they wear? That would be the question I would have to them. Is there documentation or any sort of documentation that is needed for all students that want to wear something that they value immensely?

You know, the jewelry that represents specific dominations, like I said. But it takes a lot of courage for someone like that and for her to speak up. Someone is listening, Someone is always watching.

And I believe that someone that sees her stand up to the school district, I think that's a big inspiration for other students to know that it's okay. But us, as tribal leaders, we are not going to go away. The solution for us would be to create a space for a positive identity with the kids that can relate.

Not just native kids, but all kids. Because only thing that we ask is equality, and equality is really big. When young students want to find that circle. You don't want that circle broken by racism, because Clovis Unified, that is exactly what it is. And the other solution for us would be promote partnerships with tribes.

You know, there's many, many tribes in these districts, and our students that are there that participate in specific programs. The only time that we get a phone call is when some. One of our native kids is doing something wrong. Well, give us a call when they're doing something right. But in the.

On a personal view, My personal viewpoint is like when, as tribal leaders, you know, we're in a space where we have tribes carry a lot of weight. We have the representation of our people. But we have a local school, Central unified school, not too far from our rancheria. Vice Chairman.

Robert, Jeff and I, we went to the school because we had some. We had some issues going on in the Rancheria that may have affected the kids in a negative way. So we went and had lunch with the kids, and you should have seen. Yeah, you should have seen the eyes light up in these native kids.

The kids that our Chairman and our Vice Chairman are here because they know that we matter. I think that's the important point, that when we talk to our youth, you know, sometimes it's, you know, you don't do what I do, do what I say. That's the environment that I grew up in.

But at some point, you know, when is that enough? You know, times change. You know, we were conditioned to be a certain way.

But, you know, when us as parents and grandparents, we want to teach our kids something different, not straying away from the culture, but the culture is actually what builds our foundation, not to stray away from that, but just to add on to.

To what our ancestors did for us, where our parents, grandparents, great grandparents did for us, and to continue to add on to it, because education is a very positive tool. But in this aspect, in many ways, it wasn't being used. Bella had to educate herself how to deal with people that don't understand our culture.

And I think that made her a much better person, understand that this world can be very, very cruel. But at the same time, it didn't allow her. She didn't allow herself to, you know, to fail, you know, because many of us, you know, we're going to fail in life.

And, you know, she got knocked down and she picked herself up with the support of her community, with us, you know, Chairman Nido, Vice Chairman Jeff spoke up for her, but at the end of the day, she does the hard work, you know, and again, the kids that are represented, you know, want to let them know, whoever's listening, whoever's watching, we have all of you, you know, we're not going to stop until the job is done.

And the Legislator and Mr. Ramos, thank you for bringing this to light. And it's very disheartening at times when we have to talk about the same issue over and over again and continue to be ignored. You know, when is enough enough? And then, you know, I heard the funding.

You know, many of us that have the resources available, you know, these schools don't ask us for money if you're not going to treat our kids right, plain and simple. And the thing is that when stuff like this happens, we need to increase us as Native people, our representation within these schools.

My mom taught for a number of years. My grandmother volunteered at school, so education was really big in the household. I think that has to resonate with our kids. You know, it doesn't necessarily have to be mom and dad. You know, there's, you know, they have to be represented in some way.

You know, just because I'm Chairman, that doesn't mean just because I have a title, I can't help anybody. You know, that's. It's just a title. But I have a means to speak up for all Native kids in my community, because this isn't just going on here in the State of California, it's going on nationwide.

And to know that, you know, we have representation in the state capitol and to have those partnerships, and those partnerships need to keep on going because, you know, there's a lot of pressure on Mr. Ramos being the only Native American up there, but all of you who sit with him side by side and representing, you know, representing us as native people.

So who knows, we may have this hearing, you know, thank you again. Thank you again for, you know, bringing our young ones to light. And thank you for having this hearing today on the a historical day. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Chairman Sisco. Now we'll move to Chairman Fred Bean, North Fork Rancheria.

There we go. Well, first I'd like to say thank you to Chairwoman Cordova for hosting and welcoming on us, welcoming us on Table Mountain Rancheria lands, and thank you to the Assembly Members for having us today. Yeah.

On solutions, I think it's very important for all the tribal leaders to be engaged at all levels, to show up, to have good communication. It starts with our little ones and it mostly starts at home.

We need to teach the little ones accountability, responsibility, discipline, and then move that on into the school and make sure it's being taught there. And unfortunately, you know, we have to have these meetings with faculty and things like that. We try to stay engaged with elementary, high school, college.

You know, for myself, I attend all the Indian ed meetings locally for our elementary school and high school.

And I try to stay up with meetings with the superintendents and the Fresno State President Sandoval. Many of us tribal leaders meet with him, and we try to keep that loop closed between elementary, high school, college, so we can see, you know, and be engaged and ask questions and see where each one can help transition from elementary to high school, high school to college.

And ask questions and get aware, be engaged, find out about all the different programs that can help our kids. You know, a good program like Bridge to College, with Johnny Baltierra, that's heavily supported by President Sandoval at Fresno State. I noticed he was a key speaker at one of his dinners.

And that's a program where he helps high school kids transition from high school to college.

You know, they tour college campuses, they see what the lifestyle is like, because that's a gap, you know, and it's things like that that us tribal leaders need to, you know, be engaged and see where we can help find, you know, the open—ways to open the doors—and open opportunities to these kids, you know, and it's, and it's much further than just the education system.

You know, we need to make sure that these kids are, you know, trade schools in the industry, becoming supervisors, managers, you know, supervisors, managers, provide leadership skills, right?

That's what we're looking for, is to teach these young ones to be leaders, to be in positions like yours, positions like ours. And the supervising, managing, you know, being entrepreneurs, that teaches them leadership skills, right? And then sports, you know, and not only playing sports, but being coaches, you know, that teaches them to be managers.

And these are all the things that can make them well rounded and bring them experience to be leaders, you know, in the world today and be leaders of tribes and make it to places like you guys are sitting where we can make change, you know, changes that can help Indian country.

And so, I wanted to touch a little bit on the importance of Bella's case. You know, Bella took great courage to speak up, and it's very important for you to know how important it is to us out here when the young ones like that are going to speak up and how important it is to support them.

You know, back in January, early January, when I first learned of it, I was actually on my way to Sacramento, to some meetings up in Sacramento with the Native American Heritage Commission, and then later to the back to session thing that you guys know about.

And when I heard about what was going on, I cut my meeting short, skipped the back to session, raced back to Clovis so that I can see firsthand, hear what was happening, see what was happening, and immediately sent notes to the rest of our Tribal Council to say, you know, we need to take action.

You know, this kid's standing up, and we got it—we got to do something. We got to back her—we got to back her up. And so, we had that discussion on our very next agenda at our Tribal Council meeting.

From that meeting, we sent a request to have our legal team draft a letter to the Superintendent at the school. And then, we felt not just sending the letter, but to take it in person.

So, I went to the meeting in February to the Superintendent's meeting to read it and deliver it to her directly so that we didn't want to just send it in the mail.

We wanted it to be delivered with conviction so that they understood, you know, we can look them in the face and let them see how we feel about it. And so, we were able to deliver it directly to her and to the entire Board and, you know, to the public.

And so, from that, after the meeting with the Associate Superintendent, him and I had a discussion out on the front steps for a couple of hours about what the plan was to move forward with that.

And he described to me this concept of this document that was discussed today about, you know, the form that they were going to have to fill out.

And the concept, you know, I was okay with the concept because the concept brought a process to the table that could be recognized, identified, and make sure that things are being done properly.

And then, the idea was not just for natives, but for all nationalities, all races, because there's no way that a school faculty can know everybody's culture. They're not going to know the difference between different tribes and different nationalities, so I thought the concept was good, but I felt like it needed some shoring up.

And then also, there's a history here, you know, are they really going to follow through? And so, he assured me that they were going to put this together, plan some trainings to their people, to their faculty. And so, you know, I checked up on it to see how it was going.

And then, Jay Peterson from California Indian Legal Services called me one day to see how things were going and then he was putting a meeting together with the district's legal team to talk about it, so I let him know what was in play and what they said they were going to do.

And so, then he canceled the meeting to see how it would play out because both of us were a little bit leery that, you know, they've had a history of not following through and not helping our kids. So, in the end, you know, he said that—Mark Hammond was his name.

He said that at the end of March, he was hoping to have it completed by the end of March and actually provide training to all their faculty on how the process was going to work. Now, they came out with the form and they did follow through. The first week of April, they got it out.

You know, Bella had the opportunity to fill it out. And, and yeah, as it was stated, it did say two pieces of adornment. But, you know, I talked to Mark and said, you know, we just can't have that. I mean, it's not for the school to decide, you know, colors, regalia, adornment, that kind of thing.

And so, I think more pieces were allowed.

And I had some brief discussion with Mr. Ramos about, you know, adding to that, adding more verbiage, adding more language, and maybe, maybe having that concept, that form in place, but maybe also having somewhere in there that the tribe of the student confirms and signs off that that is proper regalia, that that is proper culture for that tribe and that student.

But bottom line, not allow the school system to determine, the school system to say, you know, it's really on us, and, and I just wanted to talk about that whole process of what we went through because our Tribal Council felt that it was a serious matter.

In the past, some things kind of get skipped over because the student may not have the courage like Bella did to stand up. And so, it gets smoothed over and we don't hear about it, but she chose to stand up, and we felt that it was very important to take action immediately, help her, stand behind her.

And we, we also want to say thank you to Chairman Nieto, you know, and, and all the community that supported her. Mr. Ramos. I mean, this is, this is a big thing. It's a very big thing. But we want to make sure that we have an opportunity to get in litigation to have, have that shored up a little bit better.

Again, like I mentioned, I think the concept is good. Shows some checks and balance, but it can't be the school's—it can't be the school's say on how our culture is and what we do as Indian people. Thank you.

Thank you for your testimony there and thank you to the chairs. And certainly, now we move to Chairman Nieto from Tule River, who's a good friend of mine.

Thank you, guys, for being here. Thank you, Assemblyman, and taking time out for us Valley indents to be here in the house of Table Mountain. And, you know, Shishulu behind us. Thank everybody outside that's here. You know, I just gotta say, you know...that means good morning. You know, hiyuk means hello.

...Shine Nieto from Tule River. You know, I don't, I don't know—like I said, It's 2025, and we're still in the same boat. I mean, I could tell my story from when I went to high school, but why, when we're already here?

I mean, we could go over and over on all the stories of me and my brother, Chantill Mountain, getting thrown down by the Clovis police and shackled up like we was NWA back in the day. You know, so we have stories from Porterville to here to wherever. I mean, it's never—hasn't changed, you know.

And, you know, Bella, one day I was sitting at home after I got through with all our council stuff, and I was scrolling through social media like I usually do, just flicking everything up. And then, I don't know why it stopped on her thing, but it's—someone was sharing her story.

So, I reached out to her after I read a little bit about it. Kind of made me angry. So, you know, I didn't turn green. I like to be the red hulk. So, I hit her up and messaged her and asked her, you know, if she wanted me to help her.

Told her who I was, told her the allies that I have, like Sir Ramos and Tony Thurman, you know, and she talked back and let me know that she needed help and that, you know, she had people helping her, you know, but.

So, I got our Lobbyist, Pam Lopez, to get Ramos and Thurman and all of us together. And I tried to get Liz Hutchins, but, you know, sometimes Liz Hutchins is out of smoke signals for technology nowadays. She's a pretty strong woman. And I wanted Bella to meet strong women, so I reached out to her.

Of course, my aunt from here is gone, so couldn't let her know. But I wanted to reach out to Liz, but Liz didn't answer, so I had to reach out to Bobby. You know, he's not a strong woman, but he's a cool bro and he's a leader, so I reached out to him and he got on the call. You know, I was down in 29 Palms at this time, driving back at 2 o'clock in the morning.

Then, Jay from Seals, I don't know why that guy's awake at that time, but he called me up and asked me if he could be on the Zoom also. So, that's how it all started with us. And, you know, if I didn't see her standing up for herself, you know, I probably would never, never hit her up.

You know, things happen for a reason. But with that being said, you know, that's what really happened, you know, and, and then Kelly bringing me to meet the President of Fresno State. You know, me and her talked about it. She's another strong woman that I like to be around.

You know, there's a lot of strong women like Jackie. And you know, we go on and on about the women that are strong that I know, you know, but they're good people.

And anyways, I talked to Tony a couple times about all this stuff on the side, you know, and I was asking him, you know, a couple solutions that I had in my head, you know, like, you know, our kids don't like us to take their phones, their power wires to their playstations when they get in trouble because I don't spank my kids.

You know what I mean? I never spank my kids. So, you know what I mean? But I take things from them that I know they like the most, you know, so I think that hurts them more than a spanking. So, I was telling Tony, like, you know, I mean, you know, these are laws already.

You know, this, this has been a law. It hasn't changed. You know, Cynthia Gomez was with Governor Brown at the time when, when she was trying to pass this. He didn't want to pass it. Then, after he left, it passed. And, you know, that's the story where it starts.

She's Tule River, by the way, too, so, you know, means—and she was up there doing this stuff, doing this fight before. So, that's the other reason why I stepped out. I don't want to leave her name out when I talk because you know, this is where it all comes from.

And anyways, I was telling Tony that, you know, these laws, man, they're breaking the law. You know, if we break the law, we get fined. Now by speed, I gotta pay. I don't want to tell you how much my ticket is now, but, because they add up.

But, you know, it's a lot, you know, but these guys never get suspended from school, from, from their positions. They never get fined. They never have to pay nothing. They just keep getting to treat our kids and whatever minority kids or even, even though probably the little white kid that don't pay attention to them, they get to treat them, you know, however they want to.

And so, you know, there's never no punishment for them. They never have to, they never have to have punishment like our kids, you know, they never have to—whatever they say goes, you know what I mean?

They called Bella, you know, told her she was Maria. She can be called Maria because she looks like a Maria, not a Bella, you know, so that stuff makes me, you know, I don't want to get all...because Ramos gets scared of me when I start talking...

So, you know, that stuff makes me want to do stuff to people, you mean, because I still am... I'm not. I mean, maybe the Chairman, but I'm from Tule River, man, and so, you know, that stuff don't take easy with me, you know.

So, you know, so I think these people need to be fined or lose their jobs or some kind of consequences have to happen for them because they're never going to stop because nothing happens to the kid that you don't do nothing to.

There's no consequences, no punishment, you know, so I think that, you know, finding them or giving them some days off or even firing them, you know what I mean? Because, you know, we shouldn't have to educate the educators, you know what I mean?

They should be asking us or they should be telling us if we can come to their institutions and let them know, you know, how we feel as tribal people, how we've been treated as tribal people, so it can stop, because you can't—without no awareness, there's no stopping nothing. And without no punishment, no consequences.

There's no stopping nothing. So, that's what I was talking to Tony about. You mean about maybe, you know, you guys, as lawmakers, you know, and as legislators, to maybe put that in some word, and then, you know, make them pay. But they should, they should have to pay anyways without that. But, like, you know, they don't.

They don't care about these laws, you mean, because no one does nothing to them. You know, you guys made them. And they're strong, but they're not strong when it comes to their rooms because they think that, you know, they don't—they don't have to abide to them.

When we was on that—when we was on that call, that Zoom call, you know, they wouldn't even let Bella speak because they said that she wasn't—she's a student—and it's against the law for her to speak.

So, I kept putting on mute and letting her tell me what she had to say, then unmute, and then I'd make it in my own words and then slam them a little bit, and they'd act like Ramos and Tony wasn't their boss, you know what I mean? That's how bad they felt. That lady said she felt attacked.

How do you think Bella felt since her—since her freshman year—you know what I mean? And this lady feels attacked for 30 minutes on a Zoom call, you know, and then, and then she tried to bail out of it, you know?

And the crazy part about it is that they sold out tribal leaders that told them that it was okay, you know, well, not to name anybody, but we heard it, Ramos, you know, and so that's where it's wrong, too, is like, you know what I mean? Us as leaders, when we're helping somebody, we should all be there, you know.

The NRA's there making moves, you know, they're strong. They get to keep their guns. They get to keep—which I like my gun, too, at home, because, you know, never know when mountain lions are going to be around or have to practice the Second Amendment, but, you know, they're strong, you know what I mean?

The problem with us is that, you know, like Ramos, he goes through the bashing all the time, you know what I mean? From other tribes, you know, he's only run up there with you guys in Sacramento, you know, trying to do all these things that he does, you mean? That's why I stand by him. Whether he's, whether he's—whether he's wrong for Tule River or not, I still got to stand by him because he's the only one I know up there, you know, he's the only one that's me.

He's the only one that's same as me, you know, we're the same people, even though we come from different areas, but that's how I see in the country until someone don't want to be from the same place I want to be from.

You know, but I trust Bigfoot and I trust the other people up there, you know what I mean? So, you know, I'm just glad that you guys are here today to hear us in our own lands. I mean, come from—come from down the way a little bit from the mountains, you know what I mean?

The mountains of Kutilman. So, you know, that's all I want to say too much is that I think these guys need to be punished. There should be some consequences for them. That's the only way they're going to learn.

You know, sometimes you got to take the belt out and spank them, you know, but you guys got the belt. You know, we don't.

So, you know, I appreciate you guys, and I don't want to take up too much more time, but, you know, thank Bella and others that are stronger, because if she didn't do this, then the next Bella that ain't strong enough to, to speak.

I always tell her, no one's gonna hear her, you know, so, you know, she stood up and others jumped on there with her. And, you know, they could say that they was there in the beginning with her, but she was all alone when I found her. So, I'm glad that we got somebody to be around her. Ramos, thank you, man. I appreciate you, sir.

Thank you so much for that testimony. And surely it is, as you were scrolling through and Facebook stopped at Bella's issue, certainly we were also in a position during this time to lend help and support. So, it all worked together. Now, where do we go, right? Where do we move forward?

How do we take these issues and continue to drive that voice of Indian people? And so, I want to thank you all for your testimonies here as now we open it up to the dais for any questions. Any questions? Assemblymember Harabedian.

Just quickly, and I appreciate everyone again, for being here, all the testimony, and very enlightening for me. I guess my one question is there was a lot of different perspectives. There were some themes that ran through every one of your, your comments.

But taking a step back and to Chairman Ramos's point about one voice or the voice of the Native American population throughout California, have we ever considered getting tribal leaders across the board here together to actually put forward a plan of action? And that's why we're here.

And maybe this is the first step of what reforms or what steps, specifically on education, that you would like to universally see. Every tribe is going to be different. Every family is going to be different. Every student is different. We understand that. All of you made that point, I think very clearly.

But I think that there are going to be some themes and some commonalities that each of the tribes and each leader here could agree on. And whether that's three points, whether that's five points, whether that's 10 points, I think that helps us push legislation. So, have we considered doing that?

And maybe this is something that Chairman Ramos has discussed with you, but I'd be curious as to whether there's an appetite to do that and whether you think that's doable.

I think it's... Excuse me, can you hear me? I think it's very much doable. But I think the... You know, I agree with Chairman Nieto. There has to be consequences. Because this is not the only issue that us Natives have to deal with. You know, the ignorance is not an excuse at this point because every issue that seems to be a Native issue always seems to be swept under the rug.

But the plan of action should be equality. And what that looks like for each tribe, you know, that may look a little bit different. But for us, equality as human beings should be of the utmost importance to anyone, whether it be a school district or a person walking down the street. The plan of action should be us for to communicate with each other.

Now, there's 109 federally recognized tribes here in California, and sometimes we can't even agree amongst our own family members. But the plan of action should be the equality of the conversations that we need to have. Because when you have entities like this do this to our youth, in this case Clovis Unified, and we're not on the same page, it does create a division. It does create a divide and conquer type of atmosphere for them.

But I think to Chairman Nieto's point, there should be consequences. And I think that's where, like how he said, I like the analogy. You guys have the belt. You know, I think that, I mean, I do 100% agree with that analogy. Because it is in law and it's in 2025, and we're having the same conversations we had, you know, 30-40 years ago.

So the communication needs to be a little bit better. But the partnerships that we have with you is of the utmost importance. And to have the, we're almost. And the Members here to have that conversation and put into law what that looks like. Tribes, again, need to be heavily involved in that process.

Thank you for your question. So, yeah, I think it would be great to have a board. I think we, you know, as you pointed out, we're all... We're all different. We all have different issues that impact us, but we do have commonalities.

And I do think it would be great if we created some regional boards that come together and then they work directly with Sacramento. Because the decisions that are made in Sacramento impact all of us, federally recognized and unrecognized a lot. And it would be good to have representation from the different areas there.

So that is definitely something that Table Mountain would be in support of. We'd like to be there. We'd like to work with, talking about, you know, not just creating the legislation, but enforcement of that legislation and holding people truly accountable when they, when they wrong.

Well, thank you so much for that. Assembly Member Arambula.

Thank you. And that's a perfect segue. If I can, I will start. I, too, loved hearing the thunder and rain. Those of us who are here in the Central Valley always know it's a blessing that there are drops of God that we have here in our community. And I was really struck with your testimony.

First, if I can say I'm struggling a little bit, that you have a grandchild who's a preschooler. Having young children myself, I know it to be true, but I just... I'm struggling a little bit knowing you just a little bit right now.

I do want to talk about the responsibility that you spoke about to keep us grounded and to keep us balanced. So many of us who are parents right now with young kids who are on devices know how difficult it is. And you spoke about environmental stewardship. You spoke about restoring truth and belonging.

To follow up on a theme that was present during each of the testimonies from the gentleman. From Leo, we heard the same issue. And over and over again from Fred. Are they going to follow through? And from Shine, these laws, they are breaking the laws.

I wish to speak about Assembly Bill 559, which was signed into law in 2021, a law that is to place a Native American representative onto our San Joaquin Conservancy Board that has not been filled in years. Representation does matter. Our ability to be present on that board, to have our voice heard, was carried, was voted by the Legislature, was signed into law by this Governor. And that position, after many years, now needs to be filled.

However we're able to have and to tell that story, our ability to talk about environmental stewardship, our ability to teach that future generation to get them out of classrooms, to get them onto the river. Someplace that we've enjoyed for centuries, that our community needs to learn about by feeling, is absolutely necessary.

And a voice from our community to be a representative on that board was why we worked so hard to get that law signed, but now we're struggling to have it implemented. That I'm looking for a little bit of help from my colleagues to make sure that the Governor hears this message as loudly as I'm trying to speak, that we need to make sure that those positions are filled.

In regards to what Bella said, I will speak about the fact that we have an upcoming election, and election for our Fresno County Superintendent that oversees the 32 school districts that we have here in Fresno County.

What opportunity do we have to get before them to ask them the tough questions before they get into those seats of power? How do we ensure that they ultimately will respect what was decided upon, what transpired at Clovis, and use that as a model across our entire county?

So you're not then fighting 30 something battles with each one of these superintendents who might feel a bit differently. Finally, if I can, in terms of solutions and wanting to put forward an idea. I would like to also work with you, Assembly Member Ramos, and the Friends of the UC to host a meeting here in the Central Valley at UC Merced.

As we are building that medical education complex, how do we make sure that there are representations on the faculty? How do we make sure that we're learning from our tribal nations for generations of providers? Because I'll tell you, having practiced medicine, being culturally and linguistically competent not only is important, it builds trust and it addresses disparities.

And the data speaks about what we know to be happening on too many of our tribal nations. And it's incumbent on us to hold spaces where we can have those types of conversations. And I look forward to inviting many of you and partnering with you so we can have just those types of conversations.

Thank you so much.

I did just want to comment, Assemblyman, that I did in fact apply for the position to sit on the board for the San Joaquin Conservancy. As a matter of fact, I applied twice, so I'm not exactly sure what happened with my application. So if anybody could maybe follow up and then follow back up with me, that would be great.

What board is that? San Joaquin River Conservancy. And you applied twice and you weren't responded to?

Yeah, I applied twice online and I even mailed in the packet, as it states on the website, you know, when you apply. So I did indeed apply for the position. So maybe it just got lost along the way.

We'll look into it. Thank you so much, Assembly Member Arambula. Assembly Member Valencia.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and grateful to our tribal leaders here today expressing their perspectives on such a sensitive topic. A couple of points that I would like to highlight and maybe some ideas to float in terms of addressing some of the concerns and issues that we've had here for so long.

To start off with the education component, we are aware that across the State of California there is a teacher shortage. And we are currently in the process of evaluating a better plan forward because of that shortage that currently exists.

And I think there is an opportunity for us to also include a specific program, a pipeline that is relatable to the topics discussed here today regarding California's First People as a measure to be used forward in enhancing that particular topic through California's youth, not only specific to California First People's youth.

On another point, Chairman Sisco, appreciate you bringing up the Religious Freedom Act and the fact that there are different ways of measuring what qualifies and what doesn't. Right. And I think that is something that we all have to take a hard look at as well and understand that the definitions of what that is vary from culture and background. Right. And I think accepting that is what's most important. So appreciate you bringing up that point.

And lastly, Chairman Nieto, I'm encouraged to hear that the current Superintendent of Instruction is a partner and informed of the current issues. But I also think moving forward, these issues and topics need to be integrated into the platform of that specific office to ensure that in perpetuity these issues are at the forefront of discussions. And there will be a lot of changes in that space here in the near future. And I will be an advocate to ensure that that is a part of the plan moving forward. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your comments and questions. Certainly with the leadership in the panel that's here. Chairwoman, you talked about the educational system, a better educational system to motivate our kids. And it was said here on the panel from one of the speakers that we always try to make it a better place for our youth, for our grandkids, for those moving forward.

But it's time that we start to make the educational system a better experience than what we experienced going through it. And seeing Bella and hearing the testimony here and those that had to get involved shows that educational systems have come a long way, but yet their treatment towards our people hasn't changed very much along the way itself.

Again, we need to look at that. And every one of us on this dais, we do try to make it a better place for our loved ones, the next that goes into these positions or even in life. But are we actually taking that into perspective on all of the aspects of life? Right.

Not just a better job, a better opportunity, a better home, those types of things, but a better educational system than what we went through. I remember when I was in the local school district, we were in elementary school and we had to walk from the reservation down the wash and go into the schools.

And one of the teachers asked us, they played a drum song and then they asked, who's Indian? We raised our hand and they said, well, Interpret the song. We said, well, that's not our tradition. We don't know that. And rather than being open about it, they said, well, sit down. You must not be Indian enough.

And so the statement that's making it a better experience for us than when we went through school is really resonating with me. Because have we did enough to change that experience? And my colleagues here with us and many in the Legislature continue to be the most diversified caucus in the nation.

But yet, are we really making it a better place and raising to the level of our Native American people, of California Indians First People and the challenges that still go on today? And it was said that it's one thing to honor on the floor, which we did a great deal in honoring people, but we should be honoring California's First People every day of the year. Every day we wake up on this land that we're on here today.

Every land that we wake up to, every land that we represent, is traditionally someone's territory. So are we doing enough to move forward and make it a better place for California Indian people than what it was when the state was created? And we know the history there, and we're not going to go too far into that.

But that's a challenge that I think we're taking back to the Legislature and in all the different roles and different committees that we sit on, keeping that instilled in us. And there should be those that are causing contemporary trauma to our youth by denying them the right to wear regalia, by questioning their authority, by changing their names to something that's more appropriate.

And that goes back to the assimilation policies. And yet the individuals have strived and created and passed the tests of the educational system in order to graduate. They passed all those things to get there. Should there be discipline? Discipline to those that are causing traumatic mental anguish.

Other areas, we know in the workplace, and we've all seen bills that come through on different workplace and different things where people are held accountable. Maybe it's something that we start to look at. We also, and my colleague, Assembly Member Valencia brought it up.

If others are being afforded the opportunity to wear their regalia, traditional regalia, without even being questioned, with no forms being having to sign, why are Native American people in the State of California not offered that same opportunity?

Maybe it is time that we go back and relook at here in the State of California statute legislation that reaffirms Religious Freedom Act for all for Native American people and include them in that that's embedded in the State of California. I think that's something that we should take back from this hearing and moving forward.

And it is true that, you know, when these things started coming our way, and, you know, a lot of Chairs here know that when issues come to us and we're engaged in it from the beginning, we're able to have a better outcome of some of the policies that come through the state Legislature.

This particular issue came to us because of the friendships that we've had and seeing what's going on in Indian Country. And we were able to tackle that, and we did move forward on statute that's going to be in front of the Governor here in the next couple weeks. But is it always going to take that? What happens?

And I have to challenge the Legislature. It has been happening. It shouldn't have took one of us to get elected from the California Indian community to start to bring more awareness around these issues. And so we have to challenge the Legislature in all the different positions that we are. Certainly we got friends and allies here. But we sit on different committees, committees that direct policy on the State of California.

And I think part of that, which I'm leaving, everywhere. Not only education, but within water, within the insurance, within all these different areas that we're involved in, are we making it a better place for California's First People? That's the question that we should take back with us in the different policies in the days coming forward.

I want to thank you for your testimony moving forward and bringing a lot of these issues to light as now we'll move to public comment. Public comment. You have the right to speak at the podium here two minutes, and then we'll cut you off.

Good morning. Good... Is it on? There we go. Good morning. My name is Loretta Tuell, and I am Nez Perce from Idaho. That's where I grew up, on an Indian reservation in Idaho. But today I am one of the many million people, tribal folks who live in California, and I am a California urban Indian. And I now live on the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation lands, homelands of Assemblyman Ramos in Redlands.

I always tease and say it's the Red Lands. It's our tribal lands in Southern California. But in my very long career in federal Indian law and policy, one of the jobs I served on was the majority staff director and chief counsel of the Indian Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C. And when I first got to Washington, they had just changed the name from the Select Committee on Indian Affairs to the full Committee on Indian Affairs.

So I want to inspire you, Chairman Ramos, and you other Members of the Assembly to seek to move beyond select. Select, it's amazing that this is the framework and the foundation, but we need to be a full committee with the same rights and responsibilities as others.

Because it's not generally inherently known to the Members of the whole delegation in California, be it on the Senate side or Assembly side, that they have a constitutional duty to Indian Country. That we are not just DEI, diversity, equity, inclusion. We are embodying that, but we have a political status.

We are in the Constitution. That makes us different. That's why you can have a committee on Native American affairs here in California. And I, I really believe that you have to start thinking about succession from yourselves. James Ramos has built the foundation, and you have been there to help build it.

But I will tell you, having served in the Congress with Members on both the House and Senate, that we don't have a lot of Native Americans. So what we look for is to educate each Member about their role and responsibility. Because we can't always have a James Ramos in the Assembly or in your Senate.

But we need to have people who understand that that's their duty to do it as well. And I applaud you for being here because you are building the foundation that I hope will grow to really change the outlook here for the million plus Native Americans who live in this state.

And we deserve to have a voice not only through the tribal nations of 109, but me as a citizen here in this state. And I bring my sovereignty with me. And the tribes only help amplify that state. And I thank you for having this hearing today, this historic hearing, and I look forward to seeing you being a full committee on Native American affairs. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Any other public comment? State your name.

Jacquie Van Huss. I am the Director of Strategic Growth for the National Boys and Girls Clubs of America Native Services. I'm proud to say we have 17 tribal boys and Girls Clubs in the State of California. And I'm the former chairperson and tribal citizen of North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians.

So I prepared this to start. Our education system needs to understand that with California tribal governments there is a vast tapestry of governmental structures. There's no single model. Each tribe's government reflects its unique history, traditions, and cultural values. Some tribes maintain traditional forms of governance rooted in ancient customs and practices.

Others have adopted modern structures incorporating elements of Western style democracy. The diversity is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of Native American cultures. Understanding this diversity is key to comprehending the complexities of Native American Indigenous tribal communities and our youth.

It is essential to avoid generalizations when school districts, LEAs, local education agencies, and the state Department of Education, and staff at our local school districts are consulting with tribes or working with our tribal communities. We all have faced numerous challenges, many of which are a legacy of historical injustices and trauma and ongoing systemic inequities.

Many that continue today, which you have heard from Bella Garcia as an example with the Clovis Unified School District, specifically Clovis High School, and her wearing of regalia at her high school graduation. I previously had assisted her sister Gia two years prior to Bella at the same high school.

The same issue, the same law was in effect at that time, at the same school denying and requiring the same form, requiring pictures, the measurements of that eagle feather prior to approving this item as an adornment to be worn on Gia's cap. Then this last school year, here came Bella's same situation. But this time, we together as a community, face that with more rigor, more voices.

It became a community effort, as you heard today on the panels, a loud community effort. And with the Indigenous Justice CILS, Chairman Nieto of Tule River, Vice Chairman Jeff of Tachi, and the push by California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond, and the lead of our wonderful, supportive Native Assembly Member James Ramos, Bella was successful. She braved being outcast.

She braved being called, quote, that Indian girl. She persevered and she has set a path ahead for other Native students with our ancestors behind her, supporting her every step of the way. And I'd like to say, Bella, I am so very, extremely proud of you. And again, like what Chairman from Tachi said, we all need to reinforce the laws that are standing today.

And I think we shared that with Superintendent Thurmond on that Zoom call that there has to be teeth behind that. There has to be consequences. Like Chairman Nieto said, there is no consequences. And we've heard that time and time again, is that the schools just stand there, they do what they want to do.

And Assembly Member Ramos, you heard this time and time again. So we have the regalia, and I thank you for strengthening that. And I know it's going to come before the Governor soon. But we also have AB 821 that the Governor signed into law this year about mandating the inclusion of Native American history and perspectives into the public education system. And we need to have that reinforced as well.

And lastly, I want to say to those tribal leaders that are in the room that are in tribal leadership, roles you guys need to continue to be effective in your leadership within when you're addressing these crucial issues, these complex issues for our Native youth. Read, become knowledgeable, continue to understand the issues, and please talk to your youth. Don't just talk to the school districts.

Don't just talk to the Superintendent and make decisions on behalf of our youth without talking to the youth. Don't conform and tell the youth, oh, go ahead and just do what they're saying. Don't rock the boat. Don't cause any problems. Because you're doing a disservice and an injustice to our Native youth. So listen to them. Because yes, our Native youth are our future generations, but they are our right now.

Thank you for your comments.

I am Choinumni Tribe. My people are east of the mountain. We are a non-federally recognized tribe and we don't hold the status of federal status. Which means that everything you're hearing in here regarding education, regarding our riverways, waterways, everything, we don't have that voice and status. I wish over 25 plus years ago when I was fighting the same battle that that young woman was, there were people like you in the government.

I know what that ridicule was about. I know what that feels like. My brother and I, we were the only three Indian students in Sanger Unified School District for a lot of years. My mother was an advocate, outspoken for Indian education for a long time, worked with the Indian agent way back in those times when they had Indian agent to have a voice for our people. My education came strong.

My voice is strong. I'm direct and I'm straightforward. But as I listened to this panel, I listen and heard the same things I've been hearing for a lot of years. You talk about solutions. Here is your solution. In the State of California you say there are only 109 federally recognized tribes. There are more Indian tribes with more voting power, taxpayers.

All of these men and women that work jobs every day of their life and paying to the federal government, those are the Indians that have power. Those are the Indians that have voices because they pay taxes. They want to vote and have a voice in this government. But because we are not federally recognized, we can't. My tribal people, I don't care if we aren't federally recognized. We still make sure we have a voice. We don't give up. Our tribe beat a multibillion dollar corporation.

We're the ones that fought for Walhallish here in Fresno County and we beat them because they wanted to mine our sacred mountain. We didn't get a whole lot of support. Because when you go against county, federal government, and all these multimillion dollar corporations and you're not federally recognized, they ain't going to listen to you. But we, they listen to us. We took ours in a different direction.

We brought in non-native people, engineers, retired astrophysics scientists who knew our plight, who came out of the woodwork to help us nationwide. We took on all our citizens, environmental groups, and they helped us with all that strong voice of and we nailed them as taxpayers in our community. We beat that project and they can't mine our project. Not until the day the last of our tribal people are gone and won't fight for it. But it can happen.

I heard tribal Chairman talk about this mining project that for 100 years. Do you know what that looks like? What they're going to do to your land? You guys better really be ready for it. Because once they mine that in the State of California, you want to look at what a diamond mining project looks like?

Look at those that are done in Africa. They dig for miles. Your water rights, you will have no water. We know this because we educated ourselves. But my solution that I offer here today for education, for water rights, for the right of all the Indian people. I'm glad Ramos, you said it. Have we done right for our Indian people in the State of California? No, government has not done right.

What I say here today in the State of California recognize all the Indian people that are from these lands as state recognized tribal people. We may not have that federal status, but at least give us the California state recognition in our state. At least that gives us a starting ground. Because you know, federal recognition process is a 15 to 20 year project. Depends on who's in your government.

We know we won't get that because of the regime that's now. We watch the politics, we know what's going on too. But those in California would be a solution because then we'd have... You talked about voting power. That's where it starts. We as Indian people had to educate ourselves because we know that the voting power in our communities mean a lot. It means a lot in funding.

It means a lot of having voice in our state. And as far as the water rights and getting that involved in that. Just so you know, here in Fresno County, our Board of Supervisors, that's old, old good old boys club. There's only one now current supervisor on there that is trying to be a voice for us, Mr. Chavez. He's brand new, but at least he's trying to help opening his voice for our Indian people here in Fresno County.

But there's a start there for us. When you look at the true facts of what we as non-recognized people have to fight for, we have to fight triple hard. This situation with this young lady, that happened to us so many times. It happened to me so many times. I've had to live with it all my life, but it never stopped me. And it won't stop her because she got a harsh education. And that's an education that lives with you till the day you're born. That's what makes drives me.

But in hearing testimony and the concerns, there is a greater power for our send in people in the State of California if everybody was recognized in your state as Native people. My people are east of here. We have a land base. We still have our, we still operate with our tribal communities.

We have our tribal burial grounds there. We have a park named. It's endless. Choinumni people, when that name comes up, say hey, you guys are the ones who beat those, that corporation. Yeah, that was us. How'd you do it? We've had people from all over contact us. How did you guys beat them? Well, we took the voice of the people, the voice of the voters with us when we did that.

And that's one of the solutions. And it's also a solution for the education because if in, if we had that state status here in, just even in Fresno County, we'd have a stronger voice when we go up in the unified school districts. And that's my spiel. But thank you for listening to me and thank you for taking my directness because I don't hold back. Been at this too long to let that happen. And thank you.

Thank you so much for your comments. Any other public comment?

Good morning. My name is Brenda D Lavell. I am a proud tribal member of Table Mountain Rancheria under the leadership of Michelle Heredia-Cordova, doing an amazing job for our tribe. I listened to all of the speakers, to all of the tribal representatives. I am emotional because, Bella, I'm so proud of you. My daughter too was...

My three daughters were students and victims of the Clovis Unified School District path on allowing abuse of Native American children. I too in elementary school, at Aubrey Elementary School, was called a squaw. That happened to end in a little tussle with the gentleman. The young man who called me that never called me that again.

Turned out we were best friends throughout Aubrey Elementary into Sierra High School. Those types of daily wars our children face. My oldest daughter had opportunity to play softball in Hawaii, but because a coach at Clovis High School spoke down to her and told her, you will not be able to play softball in college because you're a big girl.

And they don't take big girls. My daughter's 6ft 1, but when they needed a good hit or they needed a pitcher to close the game, they called her in. My second daughter was hurt at school, snapped her foot in softball practice. Did they call me and tell me my daughter was hurt? No.

I got a phone call from a parent that was there, and they said, hey, Brenda, are you by the school? No. What happened? I'm on my way. I'm just leaving work. What's wrong? Oh, some girl got hurt here. So I go and I'm like, why are you calling me? Call the athletic director. Call the principal.

Get the young lady some help. Didn't even tell me it was my daughter that got hurt. Oh, we thought she could handle it. She was okay. She wasn't crying. I get there. Four toes snapped because the coach yelled at her and told her she had a slide at home.

My youngest daughter, who now attends University of Montana in Missoula. I will tell you, Fresno State can learn a few things from them because they're under NCAA. She plays softball there. The Native American program there has such a high respect as far as tutoring the children under NCAA.

When she gets her tutoring, they said, you should have her go to the Native American Tutoring Center because they have the best. And they are Native American tutors, or they go out and they recruit the best for their kids. And, Bella, you know the battle you guys face being told our young women that played softball, you're not going to amount to anybody. Who is going to want to marry you?

Because you guys don't. You guys don't hustle. Excuse me. Well, my daughter told me that. I'm like, sis, do you want me to go say something? She's like, no, it's okay, mom. All right. And I said, take this with a grain of salt because you will face many people like this in your life. Take it as a learning lesson and turn it around and pursue your education.

Be that strong young lady so that when you face this again in life, because you will, whether it's in life or in jobs, you'll know how to handle it. Now, educating the educator, that needs to happen because they are exercising what they were taught. This is how their parents talked about Natives. This is how their family talks about it. And they just happened to get their education to carry a good job.

Now to sit in these high positions to silently exercise those private segregations. We talk about and we hear in movies, we hear in books now about boarding schools, how they're going away, they have gone away. Talking about how children were treated back in the 1800s, early 1900s. It's happening here now in 2025.

They just took the title of boarding school off and put it as unified school districts. And we have to recognize it. We have to stand for our children. The tribal leaders here, past tribal leaders that sit in this room, community members, we have to stay strong for our children. We have to help our young adults.

We have to help talk with our parents because maybe they didn't have the support in the back and they don't when they were growing up, and they don't know how to talk to their children. It's okay to have children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, that exceed your personal education level.

Because I see Janet, I remember Janet when she was a little baby. Her mother played softball like no other, and I played with her. And then to see her, from that little kid in a stroller, grow up to be that strong young woman that she is, and standing up and having a voice, it's for them. Sorry.

That makes me feel confident, stronger in knowing that my grandkids, my children still who are pursuing their education, have leadership like you, Janet, Bella, fighting. Because it's still going to continue. It's a silent monster. I used to call it when my kids were in high school, it's a cancer. And how do you get rid of that cancer?

You cut it out. You find the medication, which is mental health, clarity, cultural support, leadership support, and you cut it out of your life. You find a way to fix it, and you move forward. Assemblyman Ramos and the team that you have put together for us today. Gentlemen, you carry a shield and you carry a sword.

That is the protection for us as a people. The crack of the gavel, the power of the pen. Your voice is a protection mechanism for us as Native American Indians. We have to have that. We have to have somebody here that's going to pick up that shield, pick up that sword.

And one day sit in your seats, educate us. Help educate our tribal leaders. Because we are all going to do what we can for our people. And seeing the tribal leadership here come together, that's so important because society still wants to divide and conquer us. Do they want to be our friends?

Do they want to collaborate with us on business? For those that have tribal casinos and the dollars coming in. Oh, now they want to be our best friends. But we have to set our boundaries. We have to protect our sovereignty. We have to support our tribal leadership that sits here.

And as Michelle and I spoke previously when she became our leader, our tribal chairperson, you lose sleep. And you lose sleep not because you're worried about other things. You're losing sleep because you're trying to figure out what can I do to protect and support my people. And I've worked with a lot of the gentlemen up here. I just want to say, Shine, you knew my brother when he was at Turtle Lodge.

And he had a rough life and he is no longer with us. But I will tell you, you made a huge impact on him because you helped him turn away from alcohol and drugs. And that's what it takes in here is leadership to step forward and take care of our kids. Bella helping, she is one among many. And I look forward to seeing Bella possibly someday sitting in a tribal leadership role or up here on your panel.

And I just want to say thank you for being here today. Thank you for hearing our voices. And my prayers are for you to have strong leadership for yourself, for this state, and for your family. Because what you do today, as I said earlier, is a reflection of what your children and your grandchildren will see in you and how they move forward in life. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. Any other public comment? Yeah, if you have public comment, you can line up against the... I shouldn't say, but you can line up behind the podium.

Good afternoon. My name is Delaine Bill. I'm Mono Wukchumni Yokuts of the Bear Clan. My give names Wachiya. I'm full blooded, last one in my family and the only one left in my family. I have one aunt and one uncle left. I'm here to talk about the children, but yet we've already heard just testimony from older children, including yourself.

I work with men and women at Fresno American Indian Health Project with drug and alcohol support and cultural position there. Dealing with all kind of cultural of all native people that come through this valley of California here. We all know what the schools are like. I'm sure you guys know what you guys grew up in in your hometown or your grammar schools.

You know, how many native people did you know? How many native friends did you have? Did you ever talk down to anybody? You know, we've all been through that. Our grandmas and grandpas have been through that. All our aunts and uncles, we know that history. You guys do too. I've been through a lot of meetings with a lot of parents, a lot of children, and we're always repeating our stories.

We're always, you know, getting an agenda that we go over the same things every time. And I always tell them that we're always talking to the wrong people. And that's what I found out at Clovis also. We have a parent, they have parent committee. Then we take it to an advisor, and that advisor tells the Superintendent, whoever they go to at a higher level of what we said. But not in our words, in their words.

So again, you guys are going to put all these words together and then give some kind of speech or quote to another, some other people that you have to talk to in your words or our words, our emotions, our feelings, our anger, our pain, our goals, our visions. That's how this works I'm finding out. I'm an uneducated man.

I just turned 60. I can only remember back to 1968, maybe 67. That's my history. Where is your history? You knew what was going on in those days. You knew what your parents were like. You knew what your parents were saying. You knew how they acted to other people, how they acted to other ethnic groups. You know, this racism is still here, and we still deal with it each and every day.

Just because I grew up to be a man now, but yet I was a child seeing all these things. And now I'm an older man, seeing these children still go through these positions that they are in behind closed doors. Hearing it from parents when their children come home and the children tells them the truth of what happened to them and what teachers told them these things and how they told them behind closed doors.

You imagine being a little boy, a little girl, and looking up at a big ugly man or a big ugly white woman or whatever, whoever she is, and they're pointing their finger at you and bawling you out for something you don't even understand. You know, and I heard accountability.

If it's not accountable for those teachers to do that, well, then who is in charge of those teachers? Who are putting these people in place of these higher powers to deal with our children? They're the ones that should be getting fired. They're the ones that should have that accountability of assigning these people these jobs.

And yet these teachers are still in there today starting a new year off with some new Native children, and they're probably saying, oh, here we go again. And I'm glad that Bella's gone. That is going on today. And not only in Clovis. I'm from Dunlap, where they used to call that little town Squaw Valley.

My people are buried there throughout all that land. Some of our cousins through all these leaders here have people buried throughout these foothills and valleys. That American, Native American affairs. That's a big statement. But that's the first time I ever seen it or even knew it would exist because I'm non-federally recognized. But I'm just one person.

There's hundreds of out there in this valley and these mountains. Our brothers and all these people here, these leaders, they don't talk for us. They don't have to. They have to take care of their own business. But like my cousin said, we have no voice. We're not allowed in these doors. We're not allowed.

Sites. Four servers, Caltrans, but the throughout, all gone. Now my grandma was from here. Rose Williams and some others took some elders out of that, out of that Millerton Lake before it was flooded. You know, my family and our people have been in this since the start.

And now it's my turn to step in and talk for these little children that are not full blooded, that are not half blooded, they're not quarter, so blood doesn't count. To quote them. All I ask is you keep that Native American affairs as his name.

But one day it's going to be indigenous Native American affairs and the funding is going to be taken away from all the Native people that we know here. And that's what I've heard in the schools also. They're combining other ethnic groups to take that money and that funding to use in different areas in schools.

So now the little Native kids don't get their full benefits of that money coming in. So where is accountability of those leaders in those districts of breaking the law of using that money in different areas? Now they're putting their own titles on things.

So, you know, again, you know, in your own words, what are you going to say to the people that you're going to try to make understand that these Native people down here have an. Issue. Have a problem. But it's not our problem, it's not our issue.

It's the schools, these leaders and all these other people that are in higher spots, their responsibilities. But yet we go out to this community and we go through Clovis World, man, we fear our lives. We tell our children, don't go to Clovis, you might get beat up by the police. We know that from experience.

And now we're the bad Indians. zero, there goes those Indians that get that big uproar in Clovis. Have you ever been to a graduation in Clovis? You know how many white people come in there with their flags and their American colors and all these things and they show their power.

So a lot of Native people didn't go to those graduations because they don't want to fear and get in something that they don't want to. So, you know, you have a lot to think about from all these areas and all the tribal leaders and all those parents, we do too.

But the voice is not getting to where it's supposed to be and the funding is not getting where we need it in our recognition.

I say bring it to all Native people through California like it was supposed to be in the beginning so we can all stand up for ourselves and not worry about our stability of helping our elders or our youth. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments. We do have another panel after, but go ahead.

Hyuk, Kelly Carillo, Tule River Tribal Member I know we have limited time, so I'm just going to say three quick points that I wanted to mention regarding education and the panelists. Thank you, tribal leaders, for speaking on behalf of the students and education and concerns.

The first one I just want to mention is that there's a lot of issues that have been going on, and I think if you speak to private, probably 99% of American Indian people throughout the State of California, you're gonna hear these stories from ourselves, from our parents and from our grandparents or examples of all of our generations that have gone on.

The second point I want to say relates to that and not much new or different has changed. The only thing with these issues, the only thing is that Assemblymember Ramos has a platform to bring these issues forward. But in the communities, we've been living with these and experiencing these throughout our generations.

The third point I just want to say regarding the tribal regalia and Bella Garcia, first of all, I want to thank you again, Bella, for having the courage and being an example for our youth.

And I just want to make a statement that it's unfortunate that she had to spend her senior year advocating for herself for a law that's already in place, for a right that is already in place. We've experienced this numerous times with family Members and community Members throughout the valley.

And I did want to make a statement on the eagle feathers. When eagle feathers or any feathers are given, those are given as a gift and they're given to acknowledge a milestone and something that we've accomplished. And maybe at graduation that could be the only time they've ever the first time they've received an eagle.

So to fill out a form or to figure out what they're going to use for graduation can be impossible and even disrespectful to foresee what they're going to be given from their family or their tribe or their community as a gift. Just want to say that. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

My name is Jeremy Bill Amono. I'm Gushola Hokoma, Wakasachi and Tachi. I live up in Dunlap. Just want to say thank you for the time here. I went to school up in Dunlap, which is about 90% white, and I was one of the only few Native kids up there in that school.

I went to Reedley High school, which is about 80% Hispanic, and then other ethnorities. Only four of us there who are Native. Then I went and got my degree from UC Davis and I went and got my master's from UC Berkeley. And I work at fihp, Fresno American Indian Health Project as a health promotion manager.

And I say all that to say this, that I am not individually made. I am community made. There's no way I would have got through all that and done any of that without the support from my community, my family and people who came before me.

My dad, he cut Wood all the way up until I was 55 years old. My mom was a nurse. And so all I know was hard work ethic. But I understand that it's very difficult to move through these systems. The systems I speak about is educational systems.

As a Native student, as a Native person and trying to belong there, I heard these words, equity, inclusion, belonging and safety. And that's not always the case in these systems, in these schools, and it's not always there and it's not always talked about.

And I want to commend Bella for speaking up again, because I know what it's like to sit in those rooms and be talked down to by non Native people who don't understand your ways or don't understand why you were late to school because you had to deal with an inebriated parent, or don't know why you don't have certain things that other people have.

So I appreciate the courage and commend that with Bell and other people who've done it before her. I just want to say, because I know time's important. What stood out to me here and hopefully what makes a movement and progress is with policy.

I know policy is important, but also the implementation of that policy and way we, you know how Chairman Shine here said, you know the word he used, the belt. But I'm going to use accountability so where we can hold these people, these educators, accountable for their actions.

Because it's very, there's going to be a lot to put on these young Native people for them to educate people who are supposed to educate them at these institutions. It's not their job to do that.

So hopefully, within these policies, implementation of these, we could have people who are at their educational level teach them and help them with, you know, the cultural competency that's needed in these institutions. Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Hilly. Hilly Hoishnim. Kathy Corey. My name is Kathy Corey and first of all, I want to thank you for this rare opportunity to actually address people within the state government that can make a difference.

And I also want to thank the panels here for speaking because I think that the stories here are so important for the future of our California Indian people.

I am Chancey and I am here to say that there is a huge population of California Indians within California that include not only the unrecognized tribes, but those disenrolled from their tribes as well, which I am disenrolled.

I think that I am here to ask you, and not really ask you, but implore you to take a broader scope of the picture of California Indian people in our state because there are many that have no representations from federally recognized tribes that have been virtually left out of the conversation.

And this goes for many, many people here in California. I am also an educator. I work for the State of California as a teacher in Department of Developmental Services for 35 years. I'm retired.

And I'm also, although I'm not here in that capacity, I'm also a Member of the California Truth and Healing Council on the Status and Identity Committee, which we are working very hard to submit a report to the Governor's office on the broader status and identity issues that people have in our state. And I'd like to.

I think K through 12 education has been covered really well. I would like to speak a little bit about the college age kids and the future of our kids because the State of California does provide scholarship monies to federally recognized tribal Members.

However, people from unrecognized tribes where people are disenrolled are at a unique disadvantage in not being covered with those tribal scholarships. I think it's a big credit to Grayton for having provided a new program where people are actually able to get scholarships even though they are not from federally recognized tribes or are DIS enrolled.

However, I think that's really an obligation of the State of California to provide those scholarships to all California Indian people.

And I really want to commend the elder that spoke in regard to, you know, her concerns because those are concerns of tens of thousands of California Indians that do not come from federally recognized tribes or are DIS enrolled.

So I'm asking you, and really imploring you today to take a look at those issues and really provide truth and healing for all California Indian people because we are a very broad category and we have suffered the same horrific treatment and suffer from generational trauma and we all deserve to have an equal education.

So I really, I really am thankful for you for being here today and have a good day.

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you.

Hi, Ashley Rojas, Policy Director with Indigenous Justice. And I'll be as brief as I can be to your question earlier today around policy solutions to address school culture and climate. There are a number of existing mechanisms and opportunities to enhance those mechanisms.

And we don't talk about this because, like, education is in one line and, you know, our MMIP crisis is in another line and mass incarceration is in another line. But this is a full circle.

And when our young people are not safe and supported and seen and celebrated in school systems, it makes them more vulnerable to substance use and mental health issues and domestic violence. And to be put on that pathway to both being MMIP as well as being incarcerated.

So Graves or cages when we don't keep our kids well in our communities.

And so when we're talking about these solutions, there's something called the California Youth Miranda law that mandates that minors under the age of 17 have an intervention at point of contact with law enforcement to provide them the resources and support that they need to not further, you know, self criminalize or face any unnecessary consequences.

And so when we talk about the need for restorative justice climates on school campuses, it's about cultures and climates that are affirming of who students are, which a lot of folks have spoke to, the need for belonging. But we also have to have pathways for recovery and support that are culturally responsive.

And so this means that our school districts need to have better tribal consultation, more tribal representation on campus, so our students are offered cultural interventions and not just legal consequences.

There are lots of rights that young people have in the State of California, but there are not a lot of mechanisms to ensure that our young people are taught their rights. And tribal youth, in particular, from UNDRIP to federal to state to ed code, have a number of additional protections.

And there needs to be some process where school districts are accountable to informing young people and their families about the rights that their students have, because otherwise they wander through these schools having their rights violated until they realize that they have the right to push back against those violations.

And so we need to educate people about their rights so that they know how to engage with the systems that are accountable to them. Thank you.

Thank you, Ashley. Just quickly, I have local tribal relatives that were not able to be here in person today and asked for me to share their public comment. This is my aunt, Shirley Guevara serves as Vice Chair for Dunlap Band of Mono.

My cousin, Tuia Garcia is Dunlap Band of Mono and also has her son will be A senior this year, she stated that Dunlap Elementary School is. Is still teaching mission curriculum by building missions with popsicle sticks as if that's our history. We are constantly fighting for our people and our youth.

And we have to fight even harder when we are non federally recognized. When her son Ocha was in fifth grade, this was just six years ago, he drew a picture of a priest and Indians. When asked what it meant, he was told, he stated the priest was whipping the Indians, but because the Indians were lazy.

This is what is being taught at a school built on ancestral Dunlap Mono lands. As parents and community Members, it is up to us to advocate for our people. We are the ones who know what our community needs are and we cannot wait for others to tell our stories or to fight our battles.

The panel earlier, there should have been representation from NFR from non federally recognized tribes as well. It begins with all of us working together. Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your comments.

Good morning, Robert Jeff, Vice Chairman of the San Rose Ranch reattached Yokuts tribe. Just want to thank you guys all for being here. Ramos, thank you for putting together a Select Committee on Native American affairs. But what I want to touch on, you know, thinking about education and what, what us Native people have to go through.

One of the first things that struck me as I was going through the education system as a young man and as a young Native boy was always having to pledge allegiance to a flag that had brought so much pain to my people.

So for me as a young boy to have to every day stand up in class, put my hand on my heart and pledge allegiance to this flag brought a lot of pain to me, brought a lot of hurt to my heart. I didn't understand why I was forced to do this.

And as a rebellious little kid, I always was, you know, I was getting in trouble because this is one of the things I didn't want to do every morning.

So I'd just sit there until a teacher would come up behind me and grab my ear hard as he could, lift me up and tell me to get up and pledge allegiance, you know, and having to talk to my parents about this and try to have them educate me on a situation where my dad's going to teach me how to be angry and hateful, but my mom's going to teach me to try to be.

Try to be civil and try to give this way of life a chance. So I always had that balancing act that I had to do because my dad was really. He was angry for A lot of the stuff that happened to our people, my mom was always. She was always working.

She was an educator as well with the early education center, as well as being a tribal leader as I got older.

But just trying to balance out them, too, you know, was hard for me to understand where my place is supposed to be in this big world that was growing around us, not really giving us the respect that we felt like we deserved as Native people. Because when we.

When we were taken care and we were being stewards of this land and taking care of our people, you know, we didn't have clean. We didn't have dirty rivers, we didn't have dirty air, we didn't have prisons, we didn't have homelessness.

All that stuff that you see today, you know, as we sit here stating that we're the greatest country in the world, but yet we still have all these issues happening.

You know, when I want to teach my kids to want to go to school, get a higher education, now I'm asking them to possibly go to a school that are housing some of our ancestors, and they don't even want to give our ancestors back or send them back on their journey where they should have been.

No, we're asking our kids to go learn from people that don't believe protecting that river is of any importance, or protecting that air, or protecting life in General, because it seems like we're always after that big almighty dollar, and we forget about life. And us as tribal people, we know that life is everything.

Our family, our communities are everything. One of the hardest things for us to do as Native people is get off the reservation, away from our family, away from our comfort, away from the people that we know that's going to be there to protect us.

And we got to trust that the people that we go out and try to get educated from is going to teach us what we need to know so we can come back and help our people. But that's not always the case.

So for us as Native people, you know, looking at state leaders like yourselves, you know, there's so much issues that we're dealing with consistently that, like, you guys heard from the room, it just gets swept under the rug.

A lot of things don't like to get talked about up at the capitol because it raises a lot of issues and people's buddies might be affected by some of the concerns that are being raised. And I say that because it's. Water is the big issue.

Water is one of those things that, you know, our state leaders don't like to really Discuss it, or they don't really want to get into the weeds of why we're having some of the issues that we're having. Subsidence, flooding, you know, air quality, water quality, you know, are over appropriated rivers. You know, everybody wanted.

Everybody wants their allocations till it's time for a flood year. Now everybody don't want it. zero, no, don't flood my land. No, that water don't belong to me now. You know, send it that way. You know, these are some of the issues that we're dealing with.

And we don't even like to say flooding because it was a natural occurrence that needed to happen to cleanse the land. So when in 2023, when the floods were coming down now, people were. People were. They were hurt. They were devastated. They were going to lose some money. And you know what we're doing?

We were saying our prayers harder, singing our songs louder, you know, saying our forgiveness for not continually trying to protect what we know needs to be protected, our way of life. Sometimes I feel like we're just trying to be good Americans today and.

And not trying to be good Native Americans anymore, because that's what is being pushed upon us. Be good Americans. Be good Californians. Be good Kings county residents. But when are you guys going to look at us and say, hey, you guys need to be good tachi, good tule, good chickchanzes. Because that's who we are.

But when you go to our sacred places, in and around anywhere they've been altered now, you guys are. You guys are. I mean, when you look at the valley, that's one of the most altered landscapes in all of the world. And people are benefiting that at the. You know, with our health at risk.

One thing I want to end with is that one of my missions is to try to clean up the environment, be a good steward of the land. Because one thing my mom always wanted to do before she passed was move away from the valley because the valley's air was too bad for her.

She couldn't even live, you know, where her own people lived for thousands of years. My mom wanted to move away. And that hurts me today, you know, because somebody else's way of life is affecting my people's way of life.

And sometimes I want to just, you know, tell our state leaders and our federal leaders, like, okay, we failed. We can't be good Americans, you guys. Way of life don't work for us. And what are you guys going to do then when we call that emergency?

But I want to thank you guys for being here and hearing us out. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Looks like it's our last public comment.

This is going to be tough being the last one. I will be very short and sweet. Hilly. Hilly. Hiyoh Nim Pam, Coronado, a tribal elder of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansee Indians. I'm here today as a retired educator of 30 years working for the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.

And in my role, I was the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice System campus, the juvenile hall. We oversaw a school program in the county jail. As our numbers are overrepresented in this system, I implore you to not overlook our tribal people who find themselves incarcerated even at the juvenile justice system as well.

Also, I'm advocating for additional funding for the American Indian programs of all, especially Indian education. We are sorely underfunded. So as you're looking for, and if we could not always base it on pupil count, we know why our numbers are low. They shouldn't be in our nation and in California, but we know why they are.

And funding opportunities tend to come based on pupil count. We'd like to see many earmarked for especially those of us in the Central Sierra foothills and the Central Valley. We tend to get overlooked is when funding. I mean, I know I'm not alone in this. So we'd like to have dedicated funding.

Also accountability for our school districts ensuring that they are following the Title six.

I'm not even certain where we are with oversight and accountability, especially with all of this stuff going on with the Department of Ed being closed and what's happening with the federal funds and now who's going to oversee that they're properly being used and supporting our population?

I think stronger legislative language when it comes to creating legislation working within the school district system. I understand we look for words such as May versus Shell. Shell goes a long way in ED code. So just having that strength and perseverance to fight for the proper wording so that the best intentions are carried out.

And I think that is what I had in my notes. Thank you very much for being here today in the Central Sierra foothills. And thank you, Table Mountain Rancheria, for hosting us here today.

Thank you so much. And seeing no other public comment. We want to thank all the testimony that was given here today during the Select Committee on Native American affairs here at Table Mountain and to all the testimony that was there.

Certainly we took a lot of notes and talking about future legislation in the coming years in January, but I want to thank you all for that and to all the public speakers.

We allowed those public speakers to speak longer than two minutes because it truly is, and I was mentioning to my colleagues that we should be going out into the Indian community more often to hear the voices of the people.

And by giving you an opportunity to state your public comment on record, has allowed you to have that voice in the state legislative process and letting people know the true issues that are facing all California Indian people here in the State of California. With that, the Select Committee is adjourned.