Dear CA State Assembly & Assembly Committees,
The California Native Vote Project is committed to organizing a state where we have healthy, powerful and culturally-thriving Native communities. Our mission is to create justice and self determination for Native Communities through multigenerational powerbuilding, organizing, and civic engagement. This is exactly why it is crucial to support AB 1703, The CA Indian Education Act. It is important to teach local California Native American history in our classrooms which will increase belonging and dignity for Native students, and improve the overall knowledge of
our state’s history.

Proper Native American education would prevent incidents such as the Riverside math teacher who recently wore a fake Indian headdress and thoughtlessly hopped around her classroom to teach trigonometry principles. The lack of respect behind that episode underscores the need to do a better job of incorporating Native American studies so the history of all Californians is taught and learned. Our teachers need more tools to perform their jobs, and we must demand more of
our teacher training programs.

To quote our only CA Native American in the legislature, and author of AB 1703,
Assemblymember James Ramos, “By moving forward together to honor the factual history and culture of California Indians, we will truly build mutual respect and appreciation that acknowledges California’s First People.”

The California Native Vote Project and our listed Native, Indigenous, and non-Native allies and partners ask your committee to pass this historic bill as we correct the history of our state, and fully acknowledge the living Native and Indigenous peoples who have cared for and lived on these lands since time immemorial, and continue to contribute to California every day.