November is Native American Heritage Month.
It’s a time to celebrate the culture, history, and tenacity of Native Americans.
It’s also a time to reflect upon the atrocities and abuses Indigenous people suffered at the hands of colonizers, the effects of which reverberate to this day.
On Friday, Nov. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed the commencement of Native American Heritage Month in California.
In his decree, he pointed to the devastating legacy of federal boarding schools, twelve of which were located in California. Historical records show at least two of those boarding schools were located in the North State, at Fort Bidwell in Modoc County and in Greenville, Plumas County.
President Biden issued a formal apology for the federal government’s role in boarding schools for Native American children on October 25, 2024. It was the first official apology by a United States president for federal boarding schools to Indigenous Americans.
Gov. Newsom also saluted the contributions of contemporary Indian artists, movie-makers, fashion designers, singers, and storytellers.
There are more than 100 federally recognized tribes in California, comprising the largest Native American population in the nation. On Saturday, Nov. 9, tribal members from across the state will gather in Sacramento for the inaugural Native American Heritage Month Parade.
