California Schools Now Required To Teach About Mistreatment Of Native Americans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — For Johnny Hernandez Jr., vice chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in Southern California, it was difficult as a kid growing up around San Bernardino to hear two different accounts of the histories of Indigenous peoples in the state.

One account came from his elders and was based on their lived experiences, and another came from his teachers at school and glossed over decades of mistreatment Native American people faced.

“You have your family, but then you have the people you’re supposed to respect — teachers and the administration,” he said. “As a kid — I’ll speak for myself — it is confusing to … know who’s telling the truth.”

Now a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday requires public schools teaching elementary, middle or high school students about Spanish colonization and the California gold rush to include instruction on the mistreatment and contributions of Native Americans during during those periods. The state Department of Education must consult with tribes when it updates its history and social studies curriculum framework after Jan. 1, 2025, under the law.

“This is a critical step to right some of the educational wrongs,” Hernandez said before the bill was signed.

Newsom signed the measure Friday on California Native American Day, a holiday first designated in the 1990s to honor the culture and history of Indigenous peoples in the state. California is home to 109 federally recognized Indigenous tribes, the second-most in the nation behind Alaska.

“I’m proud of the progress California has made to reckon with the dark chapters of our past, and we’re committed to continuing this important work to promote equity, inclusion and accountability for