I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE
ASSEMBLY BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
NUMBER SIX ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND
THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON NATIVE
AMERICAN AFFAIRS TODAY TO TOUCH
ON TOPICS IN THIS HEARING ON THE
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PERSONS CRISIS. WITH THAT, I'LL
TAKE PRIVILEGE AS THE CHAIR TO
BE ABLE TO OPEN UP WITH A
TRADITIONAL SONG. THIS IS A
TRADITIONAL SERRANO SONG BY BOT
THE BOT. IT'S THE BIGHORN SHEEP.
THE NIVA IS SEARCHING FOR THE
BIGHORN SHEEP. SIMILAR TO THE
ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
HERE TODAY. STILL SEARCHING FOR
OUR LOVED ONES, SEARCHING FOR
THAT. THAT VOICE TO BE HEARD.
AND I'VE ASKED PERMISSION FROM
THE LOCAL TRIBES HERE, SHINGLE
SPRINGS, WILTON, AND THEY'VE
GRANTED ME THAT PERMISSION TO
CONTINUE TO SING THESE SONGS.
WHEN WE COME FORWARD AS A
PEOPLE. SO I'LL SING THIS SONG.
BUT THE NIVA. BUT THE NIVA, I
AM, I AM, BUT THE NIVA. BUT THE
NIVA I AM, I AM BUT THE NIVA I
AM, I AM, BUT I VÀ, I AM, I AM,
BUT NIVA, I AM, I AM, BUT THAT
NIVA I AM, I AM BUT THE NIVA.
BUT THE NIVA I AM, I AM BUT THE
NIVA. BUT THE NIVA I AM, I AM
BUT THE NIVA I AM, I AM, BUT
THEN I VÀ I AM, I AM, BUT THE
NIVA I AM, I AM, BUT THE NIVA I
AM, I AM
.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY
FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
COLLEAGUES, I'M JOINED WITH MY
VICE CHAIR FROM THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE. WOULD YOU LIKE
TO SAY A FEW WORDS? AND THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON NATIVE
AMERICAN AFFAIRS? WE HAVE AN
ARRAY OF COMMITTEE HEARINGS THAT
ARE GOING ON. SO AS WE GO
THROUGH THIS HEARING, YOU'LL SEE
MEMBERS COME IN, AND SHOW THEIR
PRESENCE AND THEY'LL HAVE TO GO
PRESENT BILLS TO COMMITTEES. SO
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT
COMPONENT OF IT. BUT BEING ABLE
TO HAVE THIS HEARING HERE IN THE
STATE CAPITOL, IT'S ALL
RECORDED. IT'S A CHANCE FOR OUR
VOICES, TO BE HEARD IN THIS
LEGISLATURE HERE, AND THE ISSUES
THAT PLAGUE CALIFORNIA'S FIRST
PEOPLE. OUR COMMITTEE HEARING IS
PRIORITIZING RESOURCES IN TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES AND ASKING THE
QUESTION, WHY IS CALIFORNIA
FIFTH AN UNSOLVED MISSING AND
MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CASE
REYES IN THE NATION, NUMBER FIVE
OF ALL STATES IN THE NATION. AND
WE WILL GO THROUGH A PANEL, WITH
PANEL ONE TOPIC OF HISTORY AND
DRIVERS OF MIP. WE WILL THEN
MOVE TO PANEL TWO, COMMUNITY
IMPACT AND BARRIERS TO
NAVIGATING AN MIP CRISIS. AND
THEN PANEL THREE SOLUTIONS TO
REDUCE AND ADDRESS THE
INCIDENCES OF MISSING AND
MURDERED INDIGENOUS PERSON. AND
THEN WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUCH ON
THESE ISSUES THAT ARE HERE TODAY
. WE WILL START AND MOVE FORWARD
WITH OUR FIRST PANEL. WE WOULD
LIKE TO BRING UP TO THE TO THE
PODIUM OR TO THE TABLE.
CHRISTINE WILLIAMS, YUROK TRIBAL
MEMBER, CHIEF JUDGE OF THE
WILTON RANCHERIA TRIBAL COURT.
MARY LOPEZ KEEFER, DIRECTOR,
OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN
AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
VICE CHAIRWOMAN, JUNE NATCHER
FROM TOHONO, INDIAN TRIBE. APRIL
MCGILL, YUKI AND WAPPO ENROLLED
MEMBER OF ROUND VALLEY INDIAN
TRIBE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURAL CENTER
OF SAN FRANCISCO AND MIP
ADVOCATE WITH INDIGENOUS JUSTICE
CGRTS, ALSO WITH THE YAQUI
RESISTANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
SO MUCH AND. WE WILL START WITH,
WITH JUDGE CHRISTINE WILLIAMS,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I I AM CHRISTINE WILLIAMS. I AM
THE CHIEF JUDGE FOR THE WILTON
RANCHERIA TRIBAL COURT. I'M ALSO
A MEMBER OF THE YUROK TRIBE. I
COME FROM THE TRI VILLAGE AND
THE LINDGREN FAMILY. AND IT'S
JUST A REAL HONOR TO BE HERE
TODAY, I'LL GET RIGHT TO OUR
COMMENTS. I KNOW YOUR TIME IS
VALUABLE, AND, THERE'S A LOT
THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
COVER TODAY, AS A JUDGE, I WAS.
I WAS BROUGHT IN TO KIND OF
COVER SOME OF THE BACKGROUND ON
PUBLIC LAW TO 80, I DON'T KNOW
HOW FAMILIAR, ANYONE IS WITH
PUBLIC LAW 280, BUT, IT WAS A,
FEDERAL BILL THAT WAS ENACTED IN
1953. AND WHAT IT DID WAS AND
THIS IS GENERALIZING, BUT, I
DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE THREE
YEARS IT TOOK ME TO KIND OF
UNDERSTAND ALL THIS IN MY LAW
DEGREE, IT BASICALLY TOOK THE
JURISDICTION THÀNH THAT WAS,
SHARED WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND TRIBES AND
TRANSFERRED THAT TO THE STATE
GOVERNMENT. SO, WE'RE ONE OF
ONLY A FEW STATES AND, BEING IN
CALIFORNIA THAT HAS THE STATE
GOVERNMENT SHARING JURISDICTION
WITH TRIBES RATHER THAN THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO THINGS
OPERATE DIFFERENTLY HERE. AND
THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND IT MAKES A
DIFFERENCE FOR FUNDING, AND IT
MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN HOW TRIBAL
COURTS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE
YEARS. SO SO, IT ALSO EXTENDED A
LITTLE MORE JURISDICTION TO THE
STATE COURT THAN, IS EXTENDED TO
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN OTHER
STATES, BUT WHAT WHAT WE'RE
REALLY FOCUSED ON TODAY IS THE
CRIMINAL SIDE. SO IN CALIFORNIA,
WELL, AND THIS IS TRUE IN, IN
ALL STATES, REGARDLESS OF PUBLIC
LAW, TO 80 TRIBES DO NOT HAVE
COMPLETE TERRITORIAL
JURISDICTION OVER THEIR LANDS,
OVER THEIR PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO
SHARE THAT CONCURRENTLY WITH THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AND THE
PROBLEM IS THAT THAT WAS AN
UNFUNDED MANDATE BACK IN 1953.
AND SO THE STATE DIDN'T
NECESSARILY WANT TO TAKE ON THAT
ROLE. AND TRIBES DIDN'T HAVE ANY
SAY IN THAT EITHER. IT WAS JUST
SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE. PUT
UPON US ALL. AND AGAIN, WITHOUT
ANY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WHAT'S
RESULTED IS A REAL DEARTH OF,
OF, TRIBAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS
FLOURISHING AND DEVELOPING. WE
SEE SOME FANTASTIC EXAMPLES. I'M
REALLY PROUD OF MY OWN TRIBE,
THE YUROK TRIBE. OUR LAW
ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT IS A
LEADER FOR OTHER TRIBES, BUT
WE'RE STIFLED BY, NOT HAVING
FULL AUTHORITY TO PARTNER WITH
OUR STATE PARTNERS, LAW
ENFORCEMENT, OFFICERS ARE SEEN
AS LESS THAN A LOT OF TIMES,
EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE TRIBAL
LAW OFFICERS IN OUR STATE GO
THROUGH THE SAME TRAINING, HAVE
THE SAME QUALIFICATIONS. SO
THAT'S A REAL ISSUE, AND THEN
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO ACCESS THE FEDERAL FUNDS
THAT OTHER TRIBES ACCESS ACROSS
THE NATION. I THINK THE CONCEPT
WAS, WELL, THE STATE'S GOING TO
HANDLE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
ISSUES AND THE STATE COURTS WILL
HANDLE ALL THE ENFORCEMENT OF
THAT. AND SO TRIBES DON'T REALLY
NEED MONEY TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN
JUSTICE SYSTEMS. BUT WHAT'S
HAPPENED IS WE'VE BECOME FIFTH
IN THE NATION, FIFTH IN THE
NATION IN A DISGUSTING,
STAGGERING STATISTIC, AND WHY IS
THAT? BECAUSE THERE'S A JUSTICE
GAP. WE DON'T HAVE LAW
ENFORCEMENT COMING ONTO THE
RESERVATIONS AND FORCING THINGS
THAT THE WAY THEY SHOULD. MOST
OF OUR RESERVATIONS ARE REMOTE.
THEY'RE ARE TOUGH TO GET TO FOR
PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE
INDIAN COUNTRY, AND WHEN THERE'S
AN EMERGENCY, PEOPLE SHOW UP AT
ALL. IT'S OFTEN TOO LATE.
EVIDENCE IS LOST, THE CRIME IS
GOING COLD, SO, THE BEST
SITUATED PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO
THIS REALLY ARE TRIBES. BUT
AGAIN, WE LACKED THE
JURISDICTION AND WE LACKED THE
FUNDS. BUT THERE ARE SOLUTIONS
THAT WE CAN LOOK AT. THAT CAN
THAT CAN HELP WHEN, WHEN AN
ACTUAL CRISIS OCCURS. WE HAVE
BETTER TOOLS NOW, BUT WE DON'T
HAVE A VERY GOOD COORDINATED
RESPONSE. THE RIGHT HAND IS NOT
TALKING TO THE LEFT HAND. AND SO
WE HAVE, BETTER MANDATES, BETTER
TOOLS, AND A LOT MORE RESPECT, I
THINK, BETWEEN THE STATE AND
BETWEEN THE TRIBE. BUT, IT JUST
DOESN'T ALWAYS GET IMPLEMENTED
AND EXECUTED AS WELL AS IT
COULD. SO I DO WANT TO SEE
COORDINATED, DEDICATED TASK
FORCE, I WANT TO SEE, MORE
SUPPORT FOR JOINT JURISDICTION
COURTS, IN CALIFORNIA, WE
STARTED THE SECOND JOINT
JURISDICTION COURT IN THE NATION
, WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR THE
SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND OF MIWOK
INDIANS. AND YOU'RE GOING TO
HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT FROM THEIR
CHAIRWOMAN, LATER, BUT THAT TOOK
OFF, AND IT'S NOW SPREAD, TO
OTHER TRIBES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE, TO THE STATE OF ALASKA.
THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING THAT, AND
IT'S A WAY FOR TRIBES AND STATES
TO HAVE JUDGES SITTING NEXT TO
EACH OTHER, ADDRESSING THE FACT
THAT WE DO SHARE JURISDICTION
OVER THESE CASES AND MAKING SURE
PEOPLE DON'T SLIP THROUGH THE
CRACKS, WE DON'T BOTH THINK
SOMEONE'S HANDLING IT, AND IT
TURNS OUT NO ONE'S HANDLING IT,
PEOPLE CAN'T KIND OF PLAY THE
TWO SYSTEMS AGAINST EACH OTHER
BECAUSE WE BOTH KNOW WHAT'S
HAPPENING, AND IT REALLY GIVES A
CHANCE TO EXPLORE RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE MODELS, WHICH IN
CALIFORNIA, I'M REALLY PROUD.
PROUD TO SAY MOST OF OUR TRIBAL,
COURTS DO NOT IMPLEMENT AND
UTILIZE, TRIBAL INCARCERATION.
WE DON'T HAVE JAILS. WE USE
TREATMENT, WE USE COMMUNITY VÆ
SERVICE, WE USE RESTITUTION, AND
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE TO CREATE
BETTER BALANCE. AND WE KNOW IT'S
BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE'S IN A
TRIBAL COMMUNITY, THEY'RE GOING
TO KEEP COMING BACK. WE'RE GOING
TO SEE THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO
THAT'S WHAT MY PART HERE IS
TODAY IS TO COVER IS, THINKING
ABOUT WHERE THE GAPS REALLY ARE
IN FUNDING, HOW WE CAN CLOSE
THOSE GAPS, I'M A VERY MUCH A
REACH ACROSS THE AISLE AND WORK
TOGETHER KIND OF PERSON. AND I
THINK THE SYSTEMS ARE, ARE
POSITIONED TO DO THAT. WE JUST
NEED THAT FINAL STEP OF,
CLEARING THE PATH SO THAT WE CAN
ALL REALLY, REALLY WORK TOGETHER
AND THEN FUNDING IT AND
IMPLEMENTING IT. NOT JUST SAYING
WE LIKE THAT IDEA. THAT'S GREAT.
AND THEN PUTTING IT ON SOME
SHELF SOMEWHERE. THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE IN THE FIELD ALREADY DOING
THE WORK, THE TOOLS THEY NEED,
THE SUPPORT THEY NEED AND THE
RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET IT
DONE, OF, OF ACROSS THE NATION,
I WOULD SAY ABOUT 60% OF TRIBES
IN OTHER STATES HAVE TRIBAL
COURTS. IN CALIFORNIA, IT'S LESS
THAN 25. SO OF THE 110 FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBES, ABOUT 25% OF
US HAVE TRIBAL COURTS, MAYBE A
LITTLE MORE OF THEM HAVE TRIBAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT, BUT AGAIN,
WITHOUT THE RESOURCES TO DEVELOP
THAT WE JUST HAVE UNSOLVED
CRIMES. WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT
DON'T GET ANSWERS AND IT'S JUST
A HORRIBLE INJUSTICE. AND IT'S
HEARTBREAKING, AND I THINK SOME
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET
EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT LATER. SO
I'LL SAVE THAT FOR THEM, BUT IT
DOES. IT DOES REALLY, BECOME A
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE AND A PUBLIC
SAFETY ISSUE. AND WHEN YOU'RE
NOT SAFE IN INDIAN COUNTRY,
YOU'RE REALLY NOT SAFE ANYWHERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, FOR THAT TESTIMONY.
NEXT WE'LL MOVE TO MARY LOPEZ
KEEFER, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS,
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. MIRIAM,
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME
IS MARY LOPEZ KEEFER, I JUST
WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, FIRST OF
ALL, TO THE JOINT COMMITTEES,
FOR INVITING THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU
TODAY, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE
LIKE TO COMMEND YOU ON FOR
MAKING SURE YOU'RE BRINGING THE
TRIBAL VOICES TO THE TABLE, TO
HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM
REGARDING THE IMPACT OF THE
CRISIS. SO I SERVE AS THE
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF NATIVE
AMERICAN AFFAIRS FOR ATTORNEY
GENERAL ROB BONTA AT THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE. I'M HIS LEGAL AND
POLICY ADVISOR ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
, I'VE BEEN ASKED TO SHARE
BRIEFLY MY BACKGROUND, AS WELL
AS WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IS DOING FOR MISSING
MURDERED INDIGENOUS PERSONS
CRISIS. OUR MIP, TALK ABOUT WHAT
WHAT WE'RE SEEING. WE DO OWE YOU
A REPORT IN 2025. SO CONSIDER
THIS YOUR SNEAK PEEK, AND THEN
ALSO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE
DRIVERS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT
ARE CAUSING THE MIP CRISIS. SO
JUST BRIEFLY, I COME TO THE,
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, BEFORE I,
I SERVED, I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT
FOUR YEARS IN THIS POSITION.
I'LL JUST START THERE, I SERVED
UNDER ATTORNEY GENERAL BECERRA
AND THEN REAPPOINTED UNDER
ATTORNEY GENERAL BONTA, PRIOR TO
JOINING THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE, I WAS THE CHIEF LEGAL
COUNSEL FOR MY TRIBE, THE SAN
LUIS REY BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. PRIOR TO
THAT, I WAS A PROSECUTOR AND
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR
THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN
FRANCISCO, FOR A LITTLE UNDER A
DECADE, WHERE I PRIMARILY
PROSECUTED CRIMES OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE. BEFORE THAT, I WENT I
BECAME A MEMBER OF THE STATE BAR
IN 1998. I'M A GRADUATE FROM
BOSTON COLLEGE LAW SCHOOL AND
ALSO RECEIVED MY BACHELOR'S FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT
SANTA BARBARA. GO GAUCHOS, AND
THE LAW AND SOCIETY EMPHASIS IN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE. MAJOR SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING
AT, THE DOJ FOR MIP IS BEEN
IMPLEMENTING THE LAW, THAT A
CHAIRMAN RAMOS, AUTHORED
ASSEMBLY BILL 3099, THAT WAS A
PASSED IN 2020 AND THEN FUNDED
BY THE LEGISLATURE IN 2021. SO
THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT ALLOWED
US TO DO SOME VERY NECESSARY
WORK. PART OF THAT LAW, SAU
ENTRUSTED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
TO DO A STUDY ON MIP, IDENTIFY
BARRIERS THAT TRIBAL CITIZENS
AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS ARE
EXPERIENCING WHEN REPORTING
SOMEONE MISSING, AS WELL AS IF
THEIR LOVED ONE HAD BEEN A
VICTIM OF HOMICIDE. WE'VE
LEARNED A LOT IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS. WHAT WE'VE ALSO LEARNED,
THOUGH, IS THERE'S A LOT MORE
WORK TO DO, AND WE DEFINITELY
NEED THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO CONTINUE THE WORK
THAT WE'RE DOING. WE'VE HEARD A
LOT ABOUT HOW CALIFORNIA IS
RANKED, THE FIFTH IN THE NATION.
HOWEVER THAT RANKING IS
DEPENDENT ON THE DATA SOURCE,
THE TIME PERIOD IT COVERS, AND
WHAT IS BEING MEASURED.
SOMETIMES THOSE REPORTS DON'T
PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WE HAVE
BEEN DOING A VERY THOROUGH
SEARCH OF OUR OWN, LIMITATIONS
IN THE DATABASES, THEY CAN BE,
MORE LIMITING THAN WE KNEW
BEFORE. WE NEED MORE
INFORMATION. WE NEED RELIABLE
INFORMATION. TYPICALLY, IF I'M
TO PROVIDE, TESTIMONY, I HAVE TO
GIVE YOU DISCLAIMERS ABOUT THOSE
LIMITATIONS IN THE DATA. THERE
IS, DUE TO THE STATE'S ROLE IN
THE GENOCIDAL POLICY AGAINST ITS
NATIVE POPULATION, THERE IS
UNDERSTANDABLE DISTRUST FROM THE
NATIVE COMMUNITY TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF CALIFORNIA,
ESPECIALLY MY OFFICE, THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. WE HAVE
BEEN BUILDING THAT TRUST BACK,
AND WE'VE BEEN LEARNING MORE.
THE OTHER DISCLAIMER IS THAT
THERE IS UNDERREPORTING DUE TO
THAT DISTRUST, AND THAT IS
PREVALENT NOT ONLY IN, INDIAN
LANDS, BUT ALSO IN OUR URBAN
AREAS. THE OTHER DISCLAIMER WE
MUST GIVE IS MISIDENTIFICATION.
THÀNH OUR DATABASES ONLY ALLOW
FOR ONE RACE IDENTIFIER, AND
IT'S TYPICALLY NOT SELECTED BY
THE VICTIM OR THE FAMILY OF THE
VICTIM. SO THERE'S A LOT MORE
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER
TO PROVIDE YOU WITH ACCURATE
DATA. WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE DATA
ABOUT CRIMES OCCURRING ON INDIAN
LANDS. THIS IS INFORMATION WE
MUST HAVE IN ORDER TO BE GOOD
JUSTICE PARTNERS WITH OUR 109
FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE
SNAPSHOT, BECAUSE I KNOW WE
HAVEN'T PROVIDED THIS
INFORMATION TO, THIS COMMITTEE
BEFORE THE SUB SIX COMMITTEE,
BUT WE HAVE DONE IT FOR THE
NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE. THE SELECT COMMITTEE
IS OUR POPULATION THÀNH, IN
CALIFORNIA, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST
AND MOST DIVERSE POPULATION OF
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA
NATIVES IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. WE REPRESENT ABOUT
3.4% OF THE POPULATION. WE HAVE
THE MOST, REPRESENTATION OF ALL
TRIBES IN THE NATION. SO WE HAVE
REPRESENTATIVES, 574 OF THE
FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES,
CALIFORNIA IS HOME TO OVER 176
TRIBES. THAT'S INCLUDING THE 109
FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES AND
CALIFORNIA'S NON-FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBES LISTED ON THE
CONTACT LIST MAINTAINED BY THE
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE
COMMISSION. WE HAVE 103
RESERVATIONS THAT, BORDER OR
ALIGN WITH 34 OF OUR 58
COUNTIES. OUR STATE IS LARGE,
AND OUR NATIVE POPULATION,
AGAIN, IS THE MOST POPULOUS IN
THE COUNTRY. THE WORK THAT WAS
MANDATED TO US OR ENTRUSTED TO
US BY ASSEMBLY BILL 3099 IS NOT
LIMITED TO JUST CALIFORNIA
INDIANS. IT IS NOT LIMITED TO
ONLY TRIBAL CITIZENS WHO LIVE ON
INDIAN LANDS. IT IS ENCOMPASSING
OF THE ENTIRE STATE BECAUSE THE
NOT EVERYONE LIVES ON INDIAN
LANDS. ACTUALLY, OUR HIGHEST
POPULATED AREAS ARE IN OUR URBAN
AREAS IN THE COUNTY OF LOS
ANGELES, RIVERSIDE, SAN DIEGO,
SAN BERNARDINO AND ORANGE COUNTY
. I CANNOT, EMPHASIZE ENOUGH
ABOUT THE QUALITY AND
CONSISTENCY OF THE DATA, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, I NEED YOU TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THE EXPERIENCE
AND THE CRISIS IS SO MUCH MORE
THAN NUMBERS. THESE ARE FAMILY
MEMBERS. THESE ARE SISTERS,
MOTHERS, AUNTIES, COUSINS, SO
MANY COUSINS. THIS IS IMPACTING
MEN AND WOMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS.
SOME OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF THE
MIP CRISIS THAT I CAN SHARE WITH
YOU TODAY. I'M GOING TO
HIGHLIGHT SIX OF THEM. FIRST IS
A JURISDICTIONAL COMPLEXITIES.
YOU HEARD FROM JUDGE WILLIAMS
ABOUT PUBLIC LAW 280, ATTORNEY
GENERAL BONTA ANNOUNCED
YESTERDAY HE'S ESTABLISHING A
PUBLIC LAW 280 ADVISORY COUNCIL,
WHERE HE WILL BE INVITING TRIBAL
LEADERS WITH AND WITHOUT LAW
ENFORCEMENT, THE SHERIFFS WHO
SERVE INDIAN COUNTRY, THE
PROSECUTORS, OUR FEDERAL
PARTNERS, ALL TO THE SAME TABLE.
SO THAT HE CAN HEAR FIRSTHAND
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY. AS FAR
AS PUBLIC LAW 280 IMPLEMENTATION
AND WHAT THEY CAN WE CAN DO
BETTER. THE LACK OF CLEAR
COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
BETWEEN TRIBAL STATE AND LOCAL
AGENCIES SLOW DOWN
INVESTIGATIONS, AND THEY CREATE
BARRIERS TO INFORMATION SHARING.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS
LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN
IMPROVE THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL
COMMUNICATIONS. BUT AGAIN, WE
NEED YOUR HELP AT THE
LEGISLATURE. SYSTEMIC
DISCRIMINATION INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
OFTEN FACE DISCRIMINATION AND
LACK OF ATTENTION WITHIN THE
BROADER JUSTICE SYSTEM, LEADING
TO A LACK OF URGENCY IN
ADDRESSING CASES, AS BIASES CAN
AFFECT HOW CASES ARE
INVESTIGATED AND THE LEVEL OF
PRIORITY THEY RECEIVE. OUR
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES NOT ONLY
DESERVE JUSTICE, THEY ARE OWED
JUSTICE. AND THAT IS THE
COMMITMENT FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL
BONTA. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE,
THE LACK OF DATA AND REPORTING
THE COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON MIP
KANSEN IS OFTEN LACKING.
MISIDENTIFICATION,
UNDERREPORTING. TRULY MAKES IT A
CHALLENGE HAVE HINDERED OUR
ANALYSIS TO THAT CAN HELP US
EXPLAIN THE DIFFICULTIES IN
ADDRESSING MIP. NUMBER FOUR IS
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND
EXPLOITATION, AND I KNOW YOU'LL
HEAR MORE TESTIMONY LATER TODAY
ON THIS POINT, BUT I MUST SHARE
THIS WITH YOU, IS THAT TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES HAVE FACED
HEIGHTENED VULNERABILITY DUE TO
THEIR REMOTE LOCATIONS AND
LIMITED LAW ENFORCEMENT
PRESENCE. THIS LACK OF SECURITY
CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR CRIMES TO
GO UNNOTICED OR UNSOLVED.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION PLAYS A
ROLE AS AN ISOLATED AREAS OR
PROXIMITY TO INTERSTATES CAN
PROVIDE PERPETRATORS WITH EASY
ESCAPE ROUTES, FACILITATING THE
RAPID DISTANCING FROM THE SCENE
OF A CRIME. THIS IS WHERE WE
NEED TO HAVE MORE PARTNERSHIPS
WITH OUR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, SO
THAT WE CAN HELP STOP THE HUMAN
TRAFFICKING CRISIS AS WELL.
NUMBER FIVE IS FOSTER CARE
PLACEMENT. NATIVE AMERICAN
CHILDREN EXPERIENCE HIGHER RATES
OF FOSTER CARE INVOLVEMENT
COMPARED TO OTHER RACIAL AND
ETHNIC GROUPS. THIS NEXT
STATISTIC IS HEARTBREAKING.
NEARLY 1 IN 2 NATIVE AMERICAN
CHILDREN BORN IN CALIFORNIA IN
1999 HAD SOME LEVEL OF CHILD
WELFARE INVOLVEMENT. BY THE AGE
OF 18, AN AMERICAN INDIAN GIRLS
ALSO EXPERIENCE MORE RISK
FACTORS FOR TRAFFICKING.
CHILDREN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE
OFTEN DISPLACED FROM THEIR
COMMUNITIES, LEADING TO A LOSS
OF CULTURAL IDENTITY AND
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. CHILD
ADRIN IN FOSTER CARE ARE AT
HIGHER RISK OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING
AND EXPLOITATION. THE LACK OF
STABLE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
SUPPORT CAN MAKE THEM EASIER
TARGETS FOR TRAFFICKERS AND
EXPLOITERS. THEY ARE ALSO AT
HIGHER RISK OF RUNNING AWAY OR
GOING MISSING. THE PLACEMENT OF
CHILDREN INTO CARE ALSO AFFECTS
FAMILY MEMBERS. MOTHERS OF
CHILDREN PLACED INTO CARE HAVE
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES OF
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, MENTAL ILLNESS, AND USE
OF PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION. YEARS
AFTER CUSTODY LOSS. COMPARED TO
MOTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE
DEATH OF A CHILD IN THE LAST.
I'D WANT TO BRING TO YOUR
ATTENTION IS INTERGENERATIONAL
TRAUMA. INTERM GENERATIONAL
TRAUMA CAN CREATE CYCLES OF
VIOLENCE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND
OTHER ISSUES THAT HEIGHTEN THE
VULNERABILITY OF INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO THE MIP
CRISIS. THIS TRAUMA CAN ALSO
LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
AND DOMESTIC ABUSE, WHICH ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASED
RISK AS UNDERLYING FACTORS IN
THE MIP CRISIS. AGAIN, I WISH TO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO
THIS CRISIS AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP
IN HELPING THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IMPLEMENT AB 3099, BUT
I'M ALSO HERE TO TELL YOU
THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
THIS WAS JUST THE BEGINNING, AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT
TESTIMONY AND THOSE STAGGERING
STATISTICS, BUT ALSO BRINGING
THE TRUE IMPACT RIGHT OF WHAT IT
IS THAT WE'RE FACED. NEXT, WE'LL
HEAR FROM VICE CHAIRWOMAN JUNE
NACHAR FROM TEJON INDIAN TRIBAL
GOVERNMENT. GOOD MORNING
EVERYBODY. THANK YOU FOR
INVITING TO HONE TO THE TABLE TO
TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR
AREA, I AM EIGHT YEARS AS TRIBAL
LEADER. I'M MY SECOND YEAR AS
VICE CHAIRWOMAN. I SERVE ON THE
STEERING COMMITTEE OF CURRENT
COALITION AGAINST HUMAN
TRAFFICKING. THAT IS A
GRASSROOTS, GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED IN
2012, BEING WHERE WE'RE FROM,
WHICH IS FOUR HOURS SOUTH OF
HERE, KERN COUNTY IS THE THIRD
LARGEST COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA. AS
FAR AS ACREAGE. WE HAVE
BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS. WE HAVE
DESERT. WE HAVE A TOPOGRAPHY
WHERE PEOPLE CAN EASILY GET
LOST, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE
ARE THE ONLY FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBE IN KERN COUNTY,
SO WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF
TRIBAL LANDS. SO WE DO NOT HAVE
NECESSARILY A PUBLIC LAW TO 80
ISSUE. WE DO, HOWEVER, HAVE A
HUMAN TRAFFICKING ISSUE. AND
WITH THAT BEING SAID, WITH
CALIFORNIA BEING NUMBER FIVE,
CALIFORNIA HAVING THE LARGEST
INDIGENOUS POPULATION, I CAN
TELL YOU SOME OF YOUR MISSING
ARE MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH
BAKERSFIELD. THEY ARE COMING
THROUGH KERN COUNTY. AND WE
RECOGNIZE THAT. SO BECAUSE I
DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING OR THE
RESOURCES TO HELP, WE HAVE
JOINED THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF
KERN COALITION AGAINST HUMAN
TRAFFICKING, THE STEERING
COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY, FBI, OUR
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES,
THE SHERIFF'S CHP AND PD. THE
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
SEEKS UNIT, WHICH STANDS FOR
COMMERCIALLY SEXUALLY EXPLOITED
CHILDREN'S UNIT. THE FACT THAT
THERE'S A UNION UNIT DEDICATED
TO THAT IS A PROBLEM IN ITSELF,
AND WE JUST CREATED THE
INDIGENOUS ARM OF KCAT. THAT'S
GOING TO HELP WITH THE CULTURAL
AND CEREMONIAL HEALING THAT OUR
PEOPLE OTHERWISE WOULDN'T GET
ONCE THEY ARE, SAVED FROM THE
THAT LIFESTYLE. IN WORKING WITH
KCAT AND TRYING TO BRIDGE THE
GAP, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN
INTERSECTION, THERE'S AN
OVERLAP, WHEN THEY'VE GONE
MISSING, THEY'RE NOT MISSING OF
THEIR OWN FREE WILL WHEN THEY'RE
BEING TRAFFICKED, THEY'RE NOT
BEING TRAFFICKED OF THEIR OWN
FREE WILL, WHEN THEY ARE, WHEN
THEY ARE RESCUED FROM THE LIFE,
IF THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE
ELSE THAN BEING TRAFFICKED,
THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THAT
LIFE FOR SURVIVAL, THERE'S A
THING CALLED SURVIVAL SEX. WHEN
PEOPLE ARE, TRAFFICKED AND THEN
REMOVED FROM IT, THEY GO BACK TO
THE LIFE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO
EAT, THEY NEED SHELTER. THEY
DON'T KNOW ANYTHING OTHER THAN
THAT. SO THAT IS ANOTHER
PROBLEM. AND WHAT'S THE WHAT'S
THE ROOT CAUSE? GENERATIONAL
TRAUMA, FAMILIAL TRAFFICKING IS
HUGE, GENERATIONAL POVERTY, LACK
OF RESOURCES, LACK OF THE MENTAL
CARE AND STABILITY WITHIN A
FAMILY. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE
THINGS THAT KCAT CAN PROVIDE AS
FAR AS SOCIAL SERVICES. WHEN I
REACH OUT AND I SAY, HEY, I HAVE
THIS PERSON, CAN YOU HELP
IMMEDIATELY? THOSE RESOURCES ARE
DISPATCHED. KCAT IS THE REGIONAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL
HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE. SO
WHEN A CALL IS RECEIVED THERE,
KCAT IS ACTIVATED AND ALL SOCIAL
SERVICES ARE DISPERSED. BECAUSE
WE WORK SO WELL WITH OUR
AGENCIES IN KERN COUNTY, THE
FIRST QUESTION THEY ASK THAT IS
NOT ON A FORM IS ARE YOU
INDIGENOUS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK
AT ME, YOU'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY
ME AS HISPANIC. YOU'RE NOT GOING
TO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ASK ME MY
ETHNICITY, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO
WRITE IT DOWN. SO WE'VE SENT ME,
TRAINED OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO
PLEASE ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE
IT'S IMPORTANT. AND WE'VE
DIRECTED OTHER TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES TO CALL YOUR LOCAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT, HAVE THE CASE
REOPENED, AND IDENTIFY THEM
CORRECTLY SO THE STATISTICS CAN
GET THERE. IT'S NOT EASY TO DO,
BUT THEY'RE DOING IT. THE
VULNERABILITIES ARE EDUCATION,
HOW TO HOW TO PREVENT FROM
BECOMING A STATISTIC. WE TALK
ABOUT THE MIP CRISIS. YOU'RE
ALREADY A STATISTIC AT THAT
POINT. WE NEED TO BACK IT UP AND
CREATE THE AWARENESS WHICH WE'RE
DOING. CREATE THE EDUCATION. SO
WHAT TOÀN HAS DONE IS IN
JANUARY, WE INVITED STRONG
HEARTED NATIVE WOMEN'S COALITION
. KELLY LINTON'S GROUP INVITED
HER TO THE TRIBAL OFFICE. SHE
EDUCATED SENATOR GROVE'S OFFICE,
WHO HAD NO IDEA WHAT PL 280 IS.
I HAD TO EDUCATE MY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY ON PL 280, SHOULD THEY
EDUCATED OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN
SERVICES, THE WOMEN'S SHELTERS,
SHERIFF'S PROBATION, JUVENILE
PROBATION. THEY EDUCATED THEM ON
THE MIP CRISIS. THE REASONS WHY
WHY IT EXISTS, THE HISTORY OF IT
AND THEY UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE ALL EDUCATED. THEY GET
WHY NATIVE AMERICANS DON'T TRUST
LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHY THEY DON'T
DISCLOSE THOSE OPENLY, SO NOW
THEY'RE GETTING TRAINING ON THE
CULTURAL SIDE. THEY ARE REACHING
OUT. THEY'RE INVITING ME TO
OTHERWISE EVENTS THAT I WOULD
NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT, THEY
WOULDN'T KNOW TO AND INCLUDE TO
WHOM I'VE SPOKE AT HIGH SCHOOL,
TWO HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO
GET OUR STORY INTO THE
COMMUNITY. I'VE SPOKEN AT
SYMPOSIUMS WITH SURVIVAL
SURVIVORS. THEY'RE CALLED LIVED
EXPERIENCE EXPERTS. THEY DON'T
LIKE THAT TERM VICTIMS ANYMORE.
I'VE SPOKE ALONGSIDE OF THEM. I
DON'T I DIDN'T LIVE THAT
LIFESTYLE. I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'M
SPEAKING FOR A WHOLE COMMUNITY,
A WHOLE ETHNIC GROUP OF PEOPLE
THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE
THAT THAT VOICE OUT THERE. SO,
YEAH, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE
MIP CRISIS, THEY RUN HAND IN
HAND AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT
BOTH. AND TO BECOME TO PREVENT
BECOMING A STATISTIC, YOU NEED
TO EDUCATE. YOU NEED TO BE OUT
THERE. IT IS GREAT WHAT
EVERYBODY'S DOING HERE IN
SACRAMENTO. BUT IT REALLY STARTS
IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IT REALLY
YOU HAVE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE
EXTERNAL PARTNERS THAT ARE
ALREADY DOING THE WORK. AS A
TRIBAL NATION, I COULD BUILD A
COALITION, I COULD BUILD
SOMETHING. BUT WHY WOULD I WANT
TO DO THAT WHEN I ALREADY HAVE
PEOPLE IN PLACE THAT ARE DOING
THE THING AND I COULD RUN
ALONGSIDE THEM AND THEY CAN HELP
ME AND I CAN HELP THEM. SO
THAT'S WHAT TONE IS DOING. WELL,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY AND REALLY BRINGING
ATTENTION THAT THESE ARE ISSUES
THAT AREN'T JUST, SILOED TO
NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES. THESE
ARE ISSUES FACING THE STATE, AND
EDUCATING THOSE THAT EDUCATE
NATIONAL, ASPECTS OF GETTING
THOSE RESOURCES. DOES INCLUDE
THE NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION
TO ENSURE THAT'S THERE. AND IF A
PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL, WHY
SHOULD WE HAVE TO RECREATE THE
WHEEL? RIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR
THAT. NEXT, WE'LL HAVE, APRIL
MCGILL, YUKI, AN ENROLLED
MEMBER, ROUND VALLEY INDIAN
TRIBE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURAL CENTER
OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND THE MYP
ADVOCATE AND INDUSTRIAL
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE AND YUKI
RESISTANCE AND YUKI RESISTANCE.
HE'S. HE'S PART OF YUKI
RESISTANCE. OH, YEAH. WE THANK
YOU. SOLOMON RAMOS. AND THE
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE FOR ALLOWING
US TO BE HERE TODAY AND SHARE
SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU. THAT
IS, REALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR
COMMUNITIES. AGAIN MY NAME IS
APRIL MCGILL. I'M AN ENROLLED
MEMBER OF ROUND VALLEY. I'M A
DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE YUKI
PEOPLE. ROUND VALLEY HAS ONE OF
THE HIGHEST CASES OF MISSING AND
MURDERED, POPULATIONS IN
CALIFORNIA. THIS IS NOT
INCLUDING THE GENOCIDE, THAT
HAPPENED TO OUR YUKI PEOPLE
BEFORE, CONTACT. I'M ALSO A
FAMILY MEMBER OF AN MYP. MY
NIECE, NATASHA STEELE ORTEGA,
WAS DETERMINED DEAD BY DROWNING
IN DEL NORTE COUNTY IN 2019. MY
BROTHER KAVANAUGH, MIGUEL, WAS
SHOT. SORRY AND LEFT FOR DEAD.
IN 2020 AND PASSED IN 2021. MY
NIECE NOR MY BROTHER HAVE EVER
RECEIVED JUSTICE. I'VE LED
SEVERAL PROJECTS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE. THANK YOU AND MYP
BRINGING ATTENTION TO THIS
CRISIS AND CULTURALLY COMPETENT
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS THROUGHOUT
CALIFORNIA, PROVIDING INSIGHT
INTO LEADING CAUSES OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND MMP. ALSO
ADVOCATING FOR TRADITIONAL
HEALING PRACTICES IN OUR HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM FOR OUR SURVIVORS SO
THAT THEY CAN HEAL. I HAVE
SUPPORTED AND GIVEN TESTIMONY ON
SEVERAL BILLS SUCH AS AB 1314,
THE FEATHER ALERT AND AB 1936
REMOVAL OF THE HASTINGS NAME, OF
THE LAW SCHOOL. TODAY I'M HERE
AS AN ADVOCATE FOR INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE, WHERE I WORK WITH
SURVIVORS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND
THE GREATER BAY AREA, IN THE BAY
AREA AND IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,
THERE'S AN INCREASE IN MYP AND
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. WE STILL SEE
A LACK OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE,
SUCH AS HOUSING ASSISTANCE WITH
BASIC NEEDS, JUST FOOD AND
SHELTER, TRADITIONAL THERAPY.
OUR SURVIVORS ARE NEEDING. THOSE
TRADITIONAL HEALERS ARE NEEDING
TO SEE CLINICAL PEOPLE WHO LOOK
LIKE THEM THAT CAN CAN SUPPORT
THEM IN A TRADITIONAL WAY. WE
ALSO NEED THAT PARTNERSHIP FROM
LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE NEED THE
SUPPORT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT
LOCALLY, AS YOU HEARD EARLIER,
MARY LOPEZ KEEFER TALKED ABOUT
THAT PARTNERSHIP. SHE TALKED
ABOUT HOW THE LACK OF DATA THAT
IS AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, THE
MISIDENTIFICATION OF OUR PEOPLE
AS, BEING LATINO, BEING WHITE,
BEING AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND
GIRLS ARE PRIMARILY THE VICTIMS
OF VIOLENCE SUCH AS HUMAN
TRAFFICKING. BUT 80, 82% OF
INDIGENOUS MEN ARE VICTIMS OF
VIOLENCE AS WELL. AND WE HAVE
SEEN THE INCREASE ON OUR
RESERVATIONS AND IN OUR URBAN
COMMUNITIES AS WELL. WE NEED
REHABILITATION FOR OUR NATIVE
MEN INSTEAD OF PRISONS. THAT IS
NOT THE ANSWER. BUT MAINLY THIS
CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA IS DUE TO
THE CONTINUED, SYSTEMS OF
OPPRESSION THAT HAVE EXISTED. WE
HAVE, CURRENTLY A SUBSTANCE USE,
ISSUE HERE. THIS OPIOID CRISIS,
AND WE HAVE A SERIOUS EPIDEMIC
OF OVERDOSE THROUGHOUT, INDIAN
COUNTRY AND THROUGHOUT YOU KNOW,
CALIFORNIA AND THE NATION. WE
KNOW THAT IT'S AFFECTING
EVERYONE. BUT WE SEE IT, IN HIGH
NUMBERS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL
PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT CAN
NAME A FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND
WHO HAS OVERDOSED. I THINK A LOT
OF THOSE, ISSUES STEM FROM NOT
KNOWING WHO THEY ARE, NOT
KNOWING WHO THEIR PEOPLE ARE,
NOT BEING ENROLLED, YOU KNOW, A
LOT OF OUR, OUR NATIVE PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN ADOPTED OUT INTO A
FOSTER SYSTEM, AND THAT'S HUGE
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT CONNECTS US
TO OUR IDENTITY. THAT'S WHAT
CONNECTS THEM TO THE TEACHINGS
AND UNDERSTANDING THAT VIOLENCE
IS NOT TRADITIONAL FOR OUR
PEOPLE, THESE ARE LEARNED
BEHAVIORS, THE PREVENTION WORK,
THAT WE DO, WITH INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE IS REALLY CONNECTING
THESE SURVIVORS TO THESE
RESOURCES OF TRADITIONAL
HEALING, MAKING SURE THAT, ALSO
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE
CHILDREN ARE, ARE CONNECTED TO
THE CULTURE. AND IT STARTS WITH
THIS, WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT
NEEDS TO BE INPUTTED INTO THE
SYSTEM SO THAT OUR CHILDREN,
WHEN THEY'RE IN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, GOING INTO HIGH SCHOOL
AND COLLEGE, THAT THEY'VE
LEARNED THE HISTORY OF
CALIFORNIA TO. I ALSO THINK
THAT, THERE NEEDS TO BE
ACCOUNTABILITY BY THE STATE, FOR
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR PEOPLE, THE
18 TREATIES THAT WERE SIGNED,
THE YOU KNOW, THE LAND THAT WAS
PROMISED TO US THAT WE NEVER
RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT I'M TOUCHING ON, BUT
REALLY, WE NEED MORE SPACES FOR
WOMEN TO HEAL. WE NEED MORE
HEALING CENTERS, MORE CULTURAL
CENTERS, MORE SAFE HOUSING, SAFE
HOMES. A LOT OF OUR WOMEN THAT
DO GO TO SHELTERS OR TO
TRADITIONAL HOUSING, TRADITIONAL
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, THEY
CANNOT TAKE THEIR CHILDREN THERE
SOMETIMES OR THEY CANNOT BURN
MEDICINE THERE SOMETIMES. SO
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE
THESE SPACES THAT ARE CULTURALLY
COMPETENT FOR OUR PEOPLE AND
ALSO FOR OUR MEN. WE HAVE MEN
THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, RAISING
THEIR CHILDREN AND HAVING
CUSTODY, AND THEY CANNOT, GO TO
SHELTERS. THERE'S NOTHING FOR
OUR MEN, TO, TO HAVE AS WELL
WITH THEIR CHILDREN. BUT WE ALSO
SEE THAT THERE'S A HUGE HOMELESS
CRISIS IN CALIFORNIA. THIS
HOMELESS CRISIS IS AFFECTING,
ESPECIALLY OUR VICTIMS OF
VIOLENCE, AGAIN, WE HEARD
EARLIER ABOUT THE, SURVIVAL SEX
WITH TRAFFICKING. YOU KNOW, A
LOT OF OUR SURVIVORS END UP
STAYING IN BAD RELATIONSHIPS
BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO
LEAVE. THEY DON'T HAVE THAT
LARGE DEPOSIT TO MOVE INTO A NEW
PLACE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOME OF
THE WORK THAT INDIGENOUS JUSTICE
IS DOING. WE'RE HAVING TO
PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF DEPOSIT AND
MOVE IN COSTS OR HOTEL COSTS.
CHILD CARE COSTS, WHILE PARENTS
ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS, JUST
TRYING TO GET OUT OF A BAD
SITUATION. ANOTHER THING THAT
APPLIES IS, EXCUSE ME, WHEN
WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS CRISIS, IS
POVERTY, A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE ARE
STILL IN POVERTY, WE SEE THIS
THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA IN OUR
URBAN AND IN OUR, RURAL AREAS.
WHEN A LOVED ONE GOES MISSING,
IT'S REALLY HARD FOR A FAMILY
THAT IS, THAT HAS NO RESOURCES,
HAS NO MONEY TO GO AND LOOK FOR
THEIR LOVED ONE. THEY DON'T EVEN
KNOW WHERE TO START. SOME OF
THEM DON'T EVEN HAVE GAS MONEY
TO GET IN THE CAR TO GO LOOK FOR
THEIR LOVED ONE. AND, YOU KNOW,
I KNOW SOME OF OUR RESERVATIONS
DON'T EVEN HAVE ADEQUATE
INTERNET TO GET ONLINE AND TRY
TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I MEAN,
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT LIKE INDIGENOUS JUSTICE,
WILL WILL GET CONTACTED ABOUT,
LIKE, HOW DO I MAKE A FLIER? HOW
DO I GET THIS INFORMATION OUT?
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO PROVIDE
MONEY FOR HOTELS FOR PEOPLE. IF
YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LOVED ONE IS
LEFT THE RESERVATION AND THEY'RE
IN LOS ANGELES OR THEY'RE IN IN
SACRAMENTO, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A
WAY TO GET THERE, HOW DO YOU HOW
DO YOU LOOK FOR YOUR LOVED ONE?
AND IT'S REALLY A COMMUNITY
EFFORT. IT STARTS WITH, YOU
KNOW, THE ADVOCATES. IT IT
STARTS WITH OUR TRIBAL LEADERS,
REALLY COMING TOGETHER. AND, I
JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE
PROPS TO ALL OUR TRIBAL LEADERS
THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER AND
GOTTEN US TO WHERE WE ARE,
BECAUSE THIS IS NOW, AND SO I
THINK THAT WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO
DO IS, IS THINK ABOUT, HOW DO WE
MAKE CHANGE THAT IS GOING TO
HELP OUR NATIVE WOMEN? HOW DO WE
STOP THIS CRISIS? AND THINKING
ABOUT THINKING ABOUT THIS
BUDGET? AND WHEN WE GIVE MONEY
TO TRIBES, LET'S TRY NOT TO
CREATE SUCH BARRIERS, CREATE
SUCH, YOU KNOW THAT A LOT OF
TIMES OUR TRIBES WILL NOT APPLY
FOR THIS FUNDING BECAUSE THERE'S
JUST TOO MANY, EXCUSE ME,
BARRIERS FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR
THIS MONEY. SO WHEN WE'RE GIVING
MONEY TO SAY, COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE PROVIDING THESE SERVICES,
MAKING SURE THAT THAT THESE
RESTRICTIONS ARE LIMITED AND
THAT THESE FUNDS ARE FLEXIBLE SO
THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THE WORK
AND, AND HELP OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME
TODAY. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
OH THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. THANK YOU TO
THE PANEL, FOR ADDING YOUR VOICE
AND CLARITY AND EDUCATION AROUND
THE ISSUE OF HISTORY AND DRIVERS
OF MISSING AND MURDERED
INDIGENOUS PERSONS. WHEN
ACKNOWLEDGED, WE'RE JOINED BY
SOME OF THE MEMBER. BONTA, WHO'S
HERE WITH US TODAY, IS THERE ANY
QUESTIONS FROM THE DAIS FOR THE
PANELISTS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE
HEARD FROM THE TESTIMONIES THAT,
RESEARCHERS ARE ACTUALLY FINDING
THAT WOMEN ARE OFTEN
MISCLASSIFIED AS HISPANIC OR
ASIAN OR OTHER RACIAL,
CATEGORIES ON THESE MISSING
PERSON FORMS. AND IS THERE A
SUGGESTION ON HOW TO RESOLVE
THIS PROBLEM? I KNOW PART OF IT
MUST BE, THE LACK OF JUST
ASSUMING RACE, IS THIS BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS? I WOULD
GUESS, AND ALSO, CORONERS
POSSIBLY. I WANT TO JUST MAKE A
COMMENT. YOU'RE GOING TO GET
INTO THE ACTUAL SOLUTIONS. BUT,
I MEAN, THIS IS A REALLY BIG
PROBLEM. NO, IT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
AND I THINK SOME OF IT GOES BACK
TO JUST HOW WE CONCEPTUALIZE
NATIVE PEOPLE. AND I'M GIVING
YOU A VERY LIKE LAYER, BIG
PICTURE ANSWER. BUT THERE'S
STILL THIS IDEA OF NATIVE PEOPLE
EXIST IN THIS PAST. AND THAT WE
AREN'T LIKE REAL PEOPLE THAT
EXIST RIGHT NOW. AND JUST THE
OTHER DAY, I WAS HAVING A
CONVERSATION WITH THE COLLEAGUE
OF, WHAT MY MIXED CULTURAL
HERITAGE IS AND HOW MUCH NATIVE
AMERICAN AM I AND HOW MUCH DO
YOU NEED TO BE TO QUALIFY? AND I
THINK WE JUST REALLY, AS A
COMMUNITY, NEED TO GET AWAY FROM
THAT. IF SOMEONE SELF-IDENTIFIES
AS BEING NATIVE AMERICAN, WRITE
IT DOWN ON THE FORM AND ALSO
DON'T ASSUME THAT IF SOMEONE IS,
YOU KNOW, MULTICULTURAL, THAT
THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE FACT
THAT THEY NEED TO BE CLASSIFIED
AS BEING NATIVE AMERICAN FOR OUR
OWN STATISTICS AND SO THAT WE
CAN CREATE ACCURATE SOLUTIONS,
IT'S I, I FEEL SOMETIMES LIKE
OUR COMMUNITY IS PARTICULARLY
TARGETED WITH NOT BEING ALLOWED
TO BE OF MULTIPLE CULTURES,
WHEREAS MOST EUROPEAN PEOPLE ARE
MIXED FROM MANY DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES AND THEN, YOU KNOW,
IMMIGRATED HERE AT SOME POINT IN
THEIR LIVES AND IT SEEMS
ACCEPTABLE. SO SO, THAT'S SORT
OF THE BIG PICTURE. AND THEN
MARY'S GOING TO TELL YOU HOW TO
SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. WELL,
AGAIN, YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THE
PROBLEM, WHICH I PRETTY MUCH
UNDERSTAND. THAT'S NOT HARD TO
UNDERSTAND. THE RESOLUTION IS
WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. MARY.
OKAY. AT LEAST A SUGGESTION OR
TWO. SO THANK YOU FOR PICKING UP
ON THAT, BECAUSE MISS
IDENTIFICATION IS RIGHT UP THERE
WITH UNDERREPORTING, AND IT'S
BECAUSE OF HOW YOU'RE SEEN BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT OR HOW YOU'RE
SEEN BY THE COMMUNITY THAT
SURROUNDS YOU. A LOT OF WHAT
WE'VE BEEN DOING IS ACTUALLY
SPEAKING WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND
EDUCATING THEM ABOUT THE
POPULATION THAT THEY SERVE, AND
IT INCLUDES AMERICAN INDIANS AND
ALASKA NATIVES. MOST OF OUR
URBAN AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES ARE LARGE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE NOT
COGNIZANT OF WHAT THEIR
POPULATION IS. I SHARED WITH YOU
THE HIGHEST, COUNTIES THAT HAVE
THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF
POPULATION BY NUMBER. AND THOSE
ARE LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY.
THERE ARE NO. FEDERALLY,
FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN
THOSE COUNTIES. THERE IS NO
INDIAN LANDS IN ORANGE COUNTY OR
LOS ANGELES, YET THEY HAVE THE
HIGHEST POPULATION. AND THAT
GOES BACK DOWN TO THE
TERMINATION ERA OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DISPLACING,
PHYSICALLY MOVING PEOPLE FROM
TRIBAL LANDS AND OTHER STATES,
MAKING FALSE PROMISES TO TRIBAL
CITIZENS ABOUT JOB AVAILABILITY
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
BUSSES LITERALLY BEING DROPPING
OFF MANY, MANY, TRIBAL CITIZENS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH
POPULATION OF CHEROKEE, CHOCTAW,
NAVAJO IN OUR STATE. AND THAT'S
WHERE THEY LIVE IN OUR URBAN
AREAS. MULTIPLE
MULTI-GENERATIONS. BUT SO IT
STARTS WITH EDUCATION, LETTING
THOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
KNOW THAT WHEN SOMEONE GOES
MISSING, THEY'RE NOT JUST ONE OF
FOUR PEOPLE TYPES OF RACES. IT'S
NOT BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC OR
ASIAN. THERE'S ALSO AMERICAN
INDIANS. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT
FOR US TO GET THAT INFORMATION
SO THAT WE CAN PUT AN END TO
THIS CRISIS. THERE'S A BOX FOR
OTHER. THAT BOX IS HUGE BECAUSE
THEY'RE DECIDING WHAT THAT
INDIVIDUAL IS. IT'S AN URGENCY
MAKING SURE THEY GET THE
INFORMATION OUT THERE. BUT WE'RE
HOPING THAT THEY'LL GO BACK AND
FIX IT. SO TO THEM ON WHAT THEIR
POPULATION LOOKS LIKE AND THE
KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY
NEED TO ASK, LIKE VICE CHAIR
NATURE HAS SAID, YOU NEED TO ASK
THE QUESTIONS. DON'T MAKE THE
ASSUMPTIONS, TYPICALLY WE'RE NOT
, NATIVE AMERICANS ARE NOT
MISCLASSIFIED SIMPLY AS HISPANIC
, BUT THEY GET MISCLASSIFIED AS
WHITE, BLACK, ASIAN ACROSS THE
WHOLE SPECTRUM. SO IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT FOR US TO GIVE YOU AN
ACCURATE NUMBER BECAUSE WE HAVE
TO GO BACK AND FIGURE IT OUT.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT
FOR THE RESEARCH THAT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS PUT IN
PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
INTERVIEWS AND REACHING OUT TO
ALL THE COMMUNITIES TO FIND OUT
EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING. SO
WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE DATA
THAT I HAVE TO GIVE YOU ALL
THOSE DISCLAIMERS FOR. SO THE
FIRST IS EDUCATION. THE SECOND
IS LOOKING AT THESE DATABASES
AND ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR SYSTEMIC
LIMITATIONS. ONE RACE IDENTIFIER
. IT IS NOT, COGNIZANT OF THE
COMMUNITY IN WHICH THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA IS PEOPLE REPRESENT.
I MYSELF, JUST LIKE THE VICE
CHAIR, COULD BE CLASSIFIED AS
MULTIPLE THINGS. WOULD THEY
CLASSIFY ME CORRECTLY IN TERMS
OF THE CORONER'S? THEY'RE ONLY
GOING TO KNOW WHAT THE RACE IS,
IS IF THEY KNOW WHO THE VICTIM
IS, AND THE VICTIM'S FAMILY
TELLS THEM WHAT THEY ARE BECAUSE
THEY TOO ARE LIMITED BY ONE RACE
IDENTIFIER. IF THEY ARE
UNIDENTIFIED, THEY COULD BE THEY
COULD HAVE THE WRONG RACE
IDENTIFIER AND WE HAVE TO FIND
THEM. AND SO THAT'S WHY, AGAIN,
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THROUGH
HIS COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR MISSING
IN CALIFORNIA, INDIAN COUNTRY,
HAS MADE SURE TO BRING HIS
BUREAU OF FORENSIC SCIENTISTS TO
THE EVENTS SO THAT, TRIBAL
FAMILY MEMBERS CAN PROVIDE DNA
SAMPLES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE
MISSING AND UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS
DATABASE SO THAT THERE COULD BE
SOME POTENTIAL CLOSURE THERE FOR
THOSE FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY,
THEIR LOVED 1ST MAY BE
UNIDENTIFIED. SO THOSE ARE SOME
OF THE SOLUTIONS IT REALLY COMES
DOWN TO DATA. I KNOW IT'S NOT
THAT EXCITING, BUT THOSE
SYSTEMIC LIMITATIONS NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED. AND WE NEED YOUR
PARTNERSHIP IN ORDER TO FIX
THOSE SYSTEMS. I WOULD JUST
ARGUE, TOO, THAT, IT PROBABLY BE
A GREAT IDEA THAT DOJ WOULD
WOULD HELP PARTNER WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT IN ADDRESSING THESE,
THESE VERY DIFFICULT
CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE I
GUARANTEE YOU, LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAS AN INTEREST IN BEING
ACCURATE AND ESPECIALLY ON THESE
ON THESE VERY SENSITIVE ISSUES.
AND WITHOUT THE EDUCATION,
THEY'RE LEFT WITH LIMITED
RESOURCES. AND SO THEREIN LIES
THE PROBLEM. SO THAT'S WHY I'M
TRYING TO LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS TO
THAT PROBLEM. EVERYBODY CAN SEE
THE PROBLEM. AND IT DOESN'T DO
ANY GOOD TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
UNLESS THERE'S SOME KIND OF
SOLUTION. STIRRING AND THAT'S
WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AS SOME
KIND OF, COLLABORATION BETWEEN
POSSIBLY DOJ, BECAUSE YOU'RE OUR
STATE AGENCY, AND WORKING WITH
LAW ENFORCEMENT ON HELPING TO
IDENTIFY THESE VERY SENSITIVE
ISSUES, BECAUSE IT IS PART OF
THE PROBLEM. BUT UNLESS THERE'S
A REAL SOLUTION IN ROOT, WE JUST
SIT AND GET FRUSTRATED. AND I
DON'T THINK THAT'S HELPFUL. ONE
LAST THING, BECAUSE I TOTALLY
FORGOT TO MENTION IT. DON'T TELL
MY BOSS. OF COURSE NOT. YEAH,
IT'S A SAFE SPACE. SO ALL OF OUR
BEST FRIENDS, HIS WIFE JUST
HAPPENS TO BE SITTING, RIGHT?
YEAH. SHE ALL RIGHT? OKAY. KNOW
ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS IS ACTUALLY
IN MOTION RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S
THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF,
ASSEMBLY BILL 1314, ALSO KNOWN
AS THE FEATHER ALERT. AND
THROUGH CHAIRMAN RAMOS
LEADERSHIP AND ATTORNEY GENERAL
BONTA, SUPPORT. WE'VE BEEN DOING
A LOT OF OUTREACH TO LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BOTH IN OUR FOR OUR
COUNTY SHERIFFS AS WELL AS
MUNICIPAL POLICE, COLLEGE POLICE
, TALKING ABOUT, THE IMPORTANCE
OF MAKING SURE YOU'RE
IDENTIFYING WHO THE VICTIM IS IF
THEY'RE NATIVE AMERICAN, BECAUSE
THERE IS THAT ADDITIONAL
RESOURCE AVAILABLE, A LAW
ENFORCEMENT TOOL TO HELP GET THE
INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE
MISSING INDIVIDUAL. BUT ALSO,
THERE ARE THE LAW REQUIRES THAT
THEY UTILIZE THOSE TRIBAL
RESOURCES, MEANING THERE'S A
NOTIFICATION TO THE TRIBE TO
IMPROVE THOSE INTERGOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONSHIPS AND INFORMATION
SHARING. SO TOGETHER THEY CAN
GET MORE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT
THIS MISSING INDIVIDUAL AND, CHP
HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS WELL AS
TO THE TRIBES AND MAKING SURE
THAT THEY PROVIDE THE TRIBAL
AFFILIATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL
MISSING SO THAT PEOPLE ARE ON
THE LOOKOUT, AND BUT THAT, THAT
IS THAT IS ONE WAY WE'VE BEEN
VERY ACTIVE IN WORKING WITH
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS
ADDITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOL
TO HELP FIND MISSING PEOPLE, AND
IT ALLOWS US TO ENGAGE ABOUT
WHAT THEIR POPULATION LOOKS
LIKE, THAT THEY'RE SERVING.
THAT'S THE KIND OF ENERGY THAT
NEEDS TO BE ENCOURAGED TO
CONTINUE. IN A MORE AGGRESSIVE
MANNER. I JUST WONDER, IT SEEMS
LIKE THE ANSWER I WANTED TO ADD.
SO YEARS AND YEARS AGO, SO MANY
YEARS AGO, I WORKED FOR THE
JUDICIAL COUNCIL OF CALIFORNIA
ON THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT
INITIATIVE. IT'S NOW THE TRIBAL
RELATIONS UNIT, AND MY JOB WAS
TO HELP IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH
THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT
BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPEALS
THAT WERE WE WERE SEEING CASES
BEING OVERTURNED ON APPEAL FOR,
FOR LACK OF COMPLIANCE. AND ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT WE,
IMPLEMENTED, BUT WE DID NEED THE
HELP OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE
WAS MANDATED INQUIRY KIND OF AT
EVERY CONTACT, BECAUSE IT JUST
WASN'T GETTING DONE. IT WAS KIND
OF LIKE EVERYBODY THOUGHT
SOMEONE ELSE WAS DOING IT. AND
THEN CASES WERE JUST GETTING
MISSED AS NOT BEING CONSIDERED
NATIVE AMERICAN. AND THEN WE
WOULD HIT THE FIRST,
NONCOMPLIANCE, WHICH IS TRIBES
WEREN'T BEING NOTIFIED, BUT YOU
CAN'T NOTIFY THE TRIBE IF YOU
DON'T KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE
INVOLVED ARE NATIVE AMERICAN. SO
WE WERE IN THIS SORT OF LIKE
HOLE IN THE BUCKET SITUATION
GOING ROUND AND ROUND. SO, IT
WAS MANDATED THAT INSTEAD OF
ASKING WHEN YOU THINK SOMEONE
MIGHT BE NATIVE, ASK EVERYONE. I
JUST ASK EVERYONE, ARE YOU
NATIVE AMERICAN? MIGHT YOU BE
NATIVE AMERICAN, AND WE REALIZED
THERE WAS A LOT MORE BIAS AROUND
WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAN WE
THOUGHT. I MEAN, PEOPLE REALLY
WERE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS LIKE, I
CAN LOOK AT YOU AND DECIDE WHAT
IT IS. AND THIS IS A CRISIS
SITUATION WHEN PEOPLE ARE
RESPONDING. AND IT'S THE SAME
WITH, SOCIAL WORKERS GOING OUT
ON CALLS A LOT OF TIMES TO
REMOVE CHILDREN. SO WE WERE
SENSITIVE TO THAT, BUT WE JUST
SAW THE SOLUTION AS ASK EVERY
SINGLE TIME, YOU MAY NOT GET
PERFECT DATA BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
UNDERREPORTING BECAUSE OF,
STIGMA AND FEAR. AND, WE CAN'T
SOLVE ALL THIS, YOU KNOW,
PROBLEMS WITH ONE SOLUTION. BUT
I WOULD I WOULD ADVOCATE IT
MIGHT BE TIME TO CREATE SOME
MANDATES AROUND THAT, THAT, IF
YOU ARE A FIRST RESPONDER AND
YOU'RE AND YOU'RE ENCOUNTERING
SOMEONE, ASK THEM. NO MATTER
WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, NO MATTER
WHAT YOU THINK, NO MATTER WHAT
NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE IN, WHAT ZIP
CODE YOU'RE IN. BECAUSE REALLY,
THERE'S A HIGH CHANCE THEY COULD
BE A NATIVE AMERICAN PERSON IF
YOU'RE IN CALIFORNIA, AND THEN
HAVE THAT CONTINUE. SO FOR US,
IT BECAME VERY MUCH ABOUT AND
THEN ASK AGAIN WHEN THEY'RE
COMING INTO THE COURT SYSTEM AND
THEN ASK AGAIN AT THE NEXT
HEARING AND THE REVIEW HEARING
AND SORT OF RECORD THAT OVER AND
OVER SO THAT WE'RE JUST SURE WE
DON'T MISS ANYTHING. AND IT'S
HONESTLY JUST A ONE LESS THAN A
SECOND PROCESS TO JUST SAY, ARE
YOU NATIVE AMERICAN? MIGHT YOUR
FAMILY BE FROM A NATIVE AMERICAN
BACKGROUND? IT'S JUST THAT
SIMPLE. SO. THAT WOULD BE
SOMETHING I WOULD LOOK INTO IF I
COULD JUST MAKE ONE LAST
STATEMENT. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S
GREAT POWER AND COMMUNICATION,
BUT THERE'S ALSO GREAT PROBLEMS
AND LACK OF COMMUNICATION. I
THINK THERE'S A VERY STRONG
CONNECTION BETWEEN LACK OF
COMMUNICATION AND MISTRUST, AND
I THINK SOMETIMES YOUR FAILURE
TO COMMUNICATE INDICATES YOUR
LACK OF INTEREST. AND I THINK WE
HAVE A LOT OF THAT. AND I THINK
THE MORE COMMUNICATION THÀNH WE
HAVE, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO
HAVE GREATER SUCCESS IN
ALLEVIATING SOME OF THESE
PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY THIS
MISIDENTIFICATION PIECE. SO I
WOULD ENCOURAGE US ALL TO,
SUPPORT MEASURES THAT ACTUALLY
ENCOURAGE GREATER COMMUNICATION,
ESPECIALLY ON THESE VERY
SENSITIVE TOPICS. I THINK THAT'S
WISE. THANK YOU. SO MUCH,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER LASKEY,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER BONTA, I WANTED
TO JUST THANK THE CHAIR FOR
ALLOWING ME TO BE ABLE TO BE IN
THIS SPACE AGAIN AND FOR REALLY
UPLIFTING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN
THE CRISIS THAT WE'RE HAVING FOR
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE AND THE OVERLAY WITH THAT
AROUND SEX TRAFFICKING AND
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND GENDER
VIOLENCE MORE BROADLY. AND THANK
YOU, ASSEMBLY MEMBER LACKEY, FOR
REMINDING ME HOW MUCH I MISSED
THIS COMMITTEE. I REALLY DO, I
JUST WANTED TO UPLIFT THAT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SOLUTIONS
IN THE WORKS I KNOW THAT THE
CHAIR IS LOOKING AT. ONE IS
AROUND THE PREVALENCE STUDY AND,
WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO BE ABLE
TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DATA AROUND,
THE EXTENT TO WHICH, SEX
TRAFFICKING IS ABUNDANT OR NOT
IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. I
REPRESENT OAKLAND AND HAVE A
VERY STRONG AS WELL, NATIVE
AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN OAKLAND.
SO AND IT'S ALSO A HOTSPOT FOR
SEX TRAFFICKING. SO I'M THANKFUL
TO YOU FOR FRAMING THIS ISSUE
WITHIN THAT CONTEXT. AND I ALSO
JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT IN
BY WAY OF SOLUTIONS AND THE
CONNECTION THAT YOU ALL WERE
TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN ENSURING
THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS THE
KIND OF TRAINING THAT THEY NEED
TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND
PROPERLY CLASSIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE
A NATIVE AMERICAN, I HAVE A
LEGISLATION ÁP 2020 THAT'S
FOCUSED ON SEX TRAFFICKING
SURVIVORS AND ENSURING THAT THE
DATA THAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND
THE TRAINING THAT HAPPENS FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS ACTUALLY
CONNECTED TO THE EXPERIENCE,
LIVED EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE AND I
WOULD ENCOURAGE US ALL TO HAVE
THAT BE A PART OF WHAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT. BUT JUST WANTED TO
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND
OFFERING SUCH BEAUTIFUL
TESTIMONY AND LIFTING UP THE
NEED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GIVE
VOICE TO THOSE WHO ARE OFTEN
WITHOUT A VOICE AND THANK THE
CHAIR ESPECIALLY FOR FRAMING
THAT WITHIN THIS CONTEXT. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
BONTA. MISS MCGILL, DID YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO ADD? I JUST WANTED
TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
JUST ADD THAT I THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING UP TRUST BECAUSE I
THINK IT GOES BOTH WAYS. YOU
KNOW, LIKE IN SAN FRANCISCO,
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD A
RELATIONSHIP WITH, LAW
ENFORCEMENT TO HAVE AN ADVISORY
COMMITTEE THAT WORKS WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE A NATIVE AMERICAN
OFFICER AS A PART OF THEIR TEAM
WHO WORKS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF LIKE
THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CAN
HAVE WITH ONE ANOTHER. INSTEAD
OF WAITING UNTIL WE HAVE A
CRISIS, LET'S NOT WAIT UNTIL
SOMEONE GOES MISSING OR HAS BEEN
MURDERED IN OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S
START BUILDING THOSE, ADVISORY
COMMITTEES, ON A LOCAL LEVEL SO
THAT, WE CAN BUILD THE TRUST AND
HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION. THANK
YOU. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
FOR THE PANEL AND ADDING THAT
VOICE AND FOR THE DIALOG HERE
FROM THE DAIS, AND WE STILL FIND
OURSELVES IN THE YEAR 2024,
STILL EDUCATING THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA ON THE TRUE IMPACT OF
THE COLONIALIZATION PERIOD, THE
GOLD RUSH ERA, AND ITS EFFECT ON
OUR PEOPLE, IT'S EASY FOR THOSE
TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS AND
STEREOTYPES, WE HEAR IT ALL THE
TIME, RIGHT? LATINO, AFRICAN
AMERICAN, OAN. AND THEN YOU GO
STRAIGHT TO OTHERS NOT EVEN
ASKING ABOUT CALIFORNIA'S FIRST
PEOPLE. I THINK PART OF THAT HAS
TO BE PART OF THE AWARENESS
THAT'S OUT THERE FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT, PART OF THE AREAS
AROUND MISCLASSIFICATION ISN'T
JUST CENTERED AROUND PUBLIC
SAFETY. IT'S CENTERED AROUND THE
REMAINS THAT ARE STILL WITHIN
CAL STATE UNIVERSITIES AND UC'S,
WHERE THEY'RE MISCLASSIFIED AND
ALSO THEY'RE SO THE
MISCLASSIFICATION OF
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE, THIS
NATION'S FIRST PEOPLE IS
SOMETHING THAT WE'RE STILL
DEALING WITH, WITHIN ALL THESE
ASPECTS, THE TRUST ISSUE. THANK
YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. THERE
CERTAINLY IS A DISTRUST ISSUE.
AND AS WE MAKE OUR WAY INTO MADE
OUR WAY TO THE LEGISLATURE AND
WITH AB 3099 CALLED ON THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO START TO
COLLECT THE DATA. BUT BECAUSE WE
KNOW THAT THAT THE DATA THAT'S
THERE, IT'S HARD TO FIND DURING
THAT TIME. BUT YET WE HAVE AN
ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT'S STEPPING
UP AND REACHING OUT TO THE
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WHERE IN THE
PAST, HISTORY OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, FROM THE FIRST
GOVERNOR ON UP INTO CERTAIN
PARTS OF HISTORY, WE HAVE THAT
MISTRUST THAT'S THERE. AND AND,
TO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OF WHAT
WHY ISN'T THE QUESTION BEING
ASKED ON, ARE YOU NATIVE
AMERICAN? IT'S EASY. AND STILL
FOR THAT STEREOTYPE TO SEE US AS
INVISIBLE, THE ISSUE'S NOT
RISING TO THE LEVEL OF THE
AWARENESS, SO IT'S EASIER TO
MISCLASSIFY IN THOSE AREAS WHERE
YOU START TO ASSUME SOMEBODY, A
CERTAIN RACE BEFORE ASKING THEM
THAT QUESTION. AND CERTAINLY,
DEALING WITH THE ONE RACE CARD
IDENTIFIERS BROUGHT UP THAT,
CALIFORNIA IS A DIVERSE
POPULATION WHERE MANY ARE
DIVERSE AND ASSUME DIFFERENT
CULTURAL ETHNICITIES. SO MAYBE
IT'S TIME WE START TO TALK ABOUT
THOSE ISSUES. AND THERE HAS BEEN
OUTREACH WITHIN LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT. WE WERE DOWN IN
L.A. COUNTY, OVER IN FRESNO
COUNTY AND OTHER AREAS, TRYING
TO EDUCATE THE STATE ON THE
ISSUES PLAGUING CALIFORNIA'S
FIRST PEOPLE, THE TRAUMA,
BRINGING THAT UP, THE TRAUMA,
THAT'S THAT'S SO REAL, AND SO IT
STILL IS FRESH IN A LOT OF OUR
MINDS, WHEN WE DO TALK ABOUT
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, TASK FORCE
AND BILLS MOVING FORWARD, WE
ALWAYS HAVE TO INSERT INCLUDING
NATIVE AMERICAN, WHEN IT SHOULD
BE SOMETHING THAT'S THERE FROM
IN THE BEGINNING, INCLUDING
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE. AND
TO BRING UP THAT, THAT THIS IS
NOT NEW. THIS IS NOT NEW IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THERE'S
NONPROFITS OUT THERE DEALING
WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES. BUT
YET, WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATIVE
AMERICAN POPULATION, SOMEHOW
THERE'S A DISCONNECT. I THINK WE
HAVE TO START TO GET BACK INTO
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY, AND
ISSUES IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA FOR ALL CALIFORNIA
NATIVE PEOPLE, THAT THAT TRULY
DOES INCLUDE CALIFORNIA'S FIRST
PEOPLE, BEING AFORETHOUGHT
RATHER THAN AN AFTERTHOUGHT. AND
CERTAINLY BEING HERE IN THIS
ROOM, HAVING THIS, THIS PANEL
AND THESE DISCUSSIONS ON THE
DRIVERS HISTORY, LACK OF TRUST
AND MISCLASSIFICATION, THESE
AREAS. BUT YOU HEAR FROM
COLLEAGUES AROUND THE DAIS THAT
THERE HAS TO BE SOLUTIONS. WE
HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE YEAR
2024 TO ENSURE THAT THAT VOICE
IS BEING HEARD. SO THANK YOU FOR
LENDING YOUR VOICE AND YOUR
TESTIMONY ON PANEL ONE. AS NOW
WE TRANSITION INTO PANEL TWO.
THANK YOU. PANEL TWO WILL BE
COMMUNITY IMPACT AND BARRIERS TO
NAVIGATING AN MIP CRISIS. WE
HAVE JOINING US ON ZOOM, MARLENA
ALVA, A MEMBER OF THE BLACKFEET
YAQUI TRIBES, WE HAVE CHAIRWOMAN
ERICA PINTO FROM HAMU, INDIAN
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT. WE HAVE
CHAIRWOMAN REGINA CUELLAR,
CHAIRWOMAN OF THE SHINGLE
SPRINGS BAND OF MIWOK INDIANS
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT, NISENAN MIWOK
. AS THEY MAKE THEIR WAY UP TO
THE TABLE. YOU AND I, RIGHT?
RIGHT. WE'RE THE ONLY ONES UP
HERE. SO WE SITTING NEXT TO EACH
OTHER NO MATTER WHAT. ALL RIGHT,
ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. AND
ONE, TWO, THREE. THEN WE HAVE,
MARLENA ALVA, WHO'S GOING TO BE
JOINING US BY ZOOM. SO WE'LL
TEST OUT OUR TECHNOLOGY. RIGHT
COME ON UP HERE. OH, NO. SCRAP
ALL THIS. I DON'T KNOW, THE
PRESENT DEAL IS TOO GREAT.
SPEAKING FROM THE HEART,
CHAIRWOMAN. THANK YOU. WHO'S
GOING FIRST? WELL. THANK YOU,
CHAIRS FOR JOINING US AND
OFFERING THE TESTIMONY ON THIS
VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC. AND YOU
TWO ARE NO STRANGERS TO LENDING
YOUR VOICE TO THIS CRISIS THAT'S
BEEN. NOW RISE TO THE LEVEL HERE
IN THE LEGISLATURE. BUT WE ALL
KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN GOING IN OUR
COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS. SO
THANK YOU FOR LENDING THAT VOICE
. WE ARE GOING TO TEST OUR,
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION TO SEE
IF MARLENA ALVA IS READY FOR
OFFERING HER TESTIMONY OVER ZOOM
.
HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES YES,
WE CAN HEAR YOU AND SEE YOU.
OKAY, JIMMY, SOME WYCOMBE, SOME
SHINY ALBA. MARLENA ALVA. GOOD
MORNING. AND HELLO, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE, I
APPRECIATE THE SPACE TO SHARE MY
SISTER'S STORY. AND MY STORY.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU OPENING UP
WITH A PRAYER AND A SONG. MY
BRIEF BACKGROUND AND CONNECTION
TO MY DEBUT IS THAT I AM, THE
SISTER OF JESSICA ALVA, WHO WAS
A WOMAN WHO WAS MURDERED BY HER
PARTNER, CLAYTON RHODES, IN
2019, IN SAN FRANCISCO. JESSICA
WAS A MOTHER OF BEAUTIFUL, OF
SIX BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN BRIANNA,
CYNTHIA, SARAH LONDON, ALANA AND
ANTHONY. SHE WAS A DAUGHTER,
SISTER, FRIEND, AND A RELATIVE
TO ALL. SHE LOVED EVERYONE, YET
SHE WAS BRUTALLY ATTACKED IN HER
HOME WITH HER TWO YOUNGEST
CHILDREN INSIDE ON APRIL FIRST,
2019, SHE WAS SEVERELY BEATEN
AND STRANGLED IN HER IN THE ROOM
OF HER HOUSE AND LEFT ON THE
FLOOR FOR WHAT DOCTORS BELIEVED.
AFTER EXAMINATION TO BE MORE
THAN AN HOUR AFTER. BEFORE
CALLING EMERGENCY SERVICES.
EXCUSE ME. I RELATE PERSONALLY
TO MY SISTER'S STORY BECAUSE
WHEN SHE ENDED UP DYING ON APRIL
SIXTH, 2019, AND, I HAD AN
ATTACK LIKE THIS BY A FORMER
PARTNER OF MINE THAT WAS ALMOST
THE SAME, I CAN TALK ABOUT THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE
AS NATIVE WOMEN IN THE SYSTEMS
OF ECONOMIC AND SYSTEMIC RACISM.
BEING THAT WE WEREN'T ASKED, IF
WE'RE NATIVE OR WHAT SERVICES WE
APPLY FOR, WHEN I WAS ATTACKED,
I WENT THROUGH PUBLIC SERVICES,
THROUGH THE COUNTY SYSTEM, AND I
KNOW THAT I WAS. APPOINTED AN
ADVOCATE AND, AND I WAS
ENCOURAGED TO TELL MY STORY. AND
THE DAY OF COURT, NONE OF MY
ADVOCATES SHOWED UP, AND I WAS
REVICTIMIZED ALL OVER AGAIN
BECAUSE I HAD TO GO FACE THIS
PERSON FACE TO FACE BY MYSELF.
AND WHEN IT CAME TO MY SISTER'S
STORY AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH HER
, AN ORGANIZATION CALLED
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE SHOWED UP AND
THEY WALKED WITH US THROUGH
EVERYTHING, THEY WERE THERE
THROUGH EVERY PUBLIC HEARING,
EVERY TESTIMONY, EVERY CRISIS
THAT MY FAMILY FACED, MY FAMILY
WAS SPLINTERED APART AND
FRACTURED BECAUSE OF THE TRAUMA
OF LOSING MY SISTER IN SUCH A
BRUTAL WAY. HER CHILDREN, HER
OLDEST DAUGHTER, BRIANNA, WAS 17
AT THE TIME. SHE'S 22 NOW, AND
SHE HAS A TWO YEAR OLD SON.
THERE'S A LOT OF PRESS AND
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE STORIES
WHEN THEY FIRST COME OUT, AND
THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT AND
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
AND A LOT OF TRACTION. BUT AS
TIME GOES BY, BY THE INTEREST
FADES, RIGHT? AND INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE HAS BEEN AN ORGANIZATION
THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR MY
FAMILY. AND THIS IS UNIQUELY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOBODY CAN
CALCULATE WHEN SOMEBODY IS READY
TO HEAL, MYSELF PERSONALLY, IT
TOOK ME TWO YEARS BEFORE I WAS
READY TO GO INTO A NATIVE
AMERICAN, HEALING CENTER AND
START MY JOURNEY OF RECOVERY AND
HEALING AROUND EVERYTHING THAT'S
HAPPENED IN MY LIFE AND THE AND
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN MY
SISTER'S STORY AND MINE AND,
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THAT
HAPPENED. I'M EXTREMELY
EMOTIONAL TODAY, BECAUSE IT'S
BEEN FIVE YEARS NOW SINCE THIS
HAPPENED FOR MY SISTER. AND, HER
FIRST DAUGHTER, SHE JUST MADE A
DECISION TO COME TO SAN
FRANCISCO AND SEEK HER OWN
HEALING, YOU KNOW, AND, I I'M
SORRY. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MY
SISTER WOULD HAVE WANTED, TO
KNOW THAT HER, HER FIRST BORN
WAS SAFE. AND CHOOSING A BETTER
PATH. AND HER GRANDCHILD, HER
FIRST GRANDCHILD IS SAFE. AND I
KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM THAT HAVE
BEEN SUCH A MAJOR INFLUENCE FOR
THIS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WATCHED
THIS LITTLE GIRL GO THROUGH
THESE THINGS. AND RIGHT NOW, SHE
STILL IS 17 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO
LOST HER MOM TRAGICALLY AND SHE
DOESN'T HAVE ANSWERS. AND I'M SO
PROUD OF HER BECAUSE SHE'S GOING
TO. SHE'S GOING TO LIGHT THE WAY
FOR HER OTHER SIBLINGS AS, AS
THEY GROW AND THEY'RE READY TO
SEEK ANSWERS OR HEAL FROM THAT
TRAUMA. SHE WILL BE THE BEACON
OF LIGHT THAT LEADS THE WAY AS
THE OLDEST SIBLING. AND, SHE
GETS TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE OF
THE GENERATIONAL TRAUMA IN OUR
FAMILY, FOR HER CHILD AND FOR
THE CHILDREN THAT ARE YET TO
COME. AND I'M SO EXCITED FOR HER
TO BE ABLE TO STEP INTO THE LIFE
THAT SHE'S MEANT TO HAVE. SHE
WASN'T MEANT TO HAVE A LIFE THAT
IS FULL OF SADNESS AND TRAUMA
AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. AS SHE
GETS TO STEP INTO HER POWER AND
RECLAIM HER LIFE, A LIFE THAT
HER MOTHER STARTED BY COMING TO
SAN FRANCISCO AND, YOU KNOW,
STARTING HER JOURNEY OF RECOVERY
AND GETTING HER CHILDREN BACK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
THING. BUT THIS IS FIVE YEARS
AFTER, YOU KNOW, MY OLDEST
SISTER, SHE JUST STARTED THERAPY
, AND I GOT PERMISSION TO SPEAK
ABOUT THE MOVES THAT THEY'RE
MAKING IN THEIR LIVES. FOR THE
REST OF MY FAMILY, IT'S BEEN
THREE YEARS SINCE THEY'VE
RETURNED TO SAN FRANCISCO TO
SPEAK ON THESE ISSUES. BECAUSE
THEY'RE SUFFERING AND. AND THIS
MAN, CLAYTON RHODES, HE HASN'T
BEEN CHARGED. HE HAS ARRESTED
FOR THESE CRIMES. HE HASN'T BEEN
ASKED QUESTIONS OF WHY MY
SISTER'S BODY WAS SO SEVERELY
BEATEN, AND THAT LEAVES A VERY
VAST HOLE OF, OF THE UNKNOWN,
WHICH CAN DO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE
ON A FAMILY, MY BIGGEST, MY
BIGGEST MOTIVATION IS THE REST
OF HER CHILDREN, BECAUSE SHE HAD
A COUPLE THAT WERE LOST TO THE
SYSTEM AND ONE, HER SECOND
DAUGHTER, CINDY, IS ABOUT TO
TURN 18, AND I, AND I LIKE FEAR
IN MY SOUL OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THIS LITTLE GIRL COMES AND TRIES
TO FIND HER MOM AND SHE GETS
TOLD A STORY THAT HER MOM KILLED
HERSELF AND SHE LEFT HER IN THIS
WORLD BY HERSELF AND THE REST OF
HER SIBLINGS. WHICH IS NOT TRUE,
I PRAY THAT SHE'LL COME AND SEEK
ANSWERS FROM THE REST OF US AND
NOT GIVE UP. YOU KNOW? AND THE
REST OF HER CHILDREN, SOME OF
THEM ARE WITH THE REST OF MY
FAMILY, AND THEY ARE SEEKING
THEIR HEALING. BUT THEY SUFFERED
TRAUMA TO THE TWO YOUNGEST,
ALONG NHÀ AND ANTHONY ALVA, WHO
WERE INSIDE THAT HOME ON ON
APRIL 1ST. THEY STILL HAVEN'T
SPOKEN TO EVENTS BECAUSE THEY
HAVE SAID THAT SOME, SOME
TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPENED TO THEM
AND THEY ARE TOO AFRAID. STILL
FIVE YEARS LATER, TO TALK ABOUT
IT. SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT, INDIGENOUS JUSTICE
FOR BEING THERE FOR MY FAMILY
AND FOR BEING READY TO RECEIVE
THE CALL. BECAUSE WHEN I MADE MY
CALL, THEY CAME THAT DAY AND
THEY HELPED ME, FINANCIALLY GET
READY TO START MY PATH WITH
SERVICES. YOU KNOW, THEY HELPED
ME TAKE CARE OF MY STUFF, PUT IT
IN STORAGE, GET ME TO WHERE I
NEEDED TO BE, AND SUPPORT ME,
THEY STILL SUPPORT ME IN BEING
ABLE TO TALK AND BEING THERE AS
ADVOCATES. WHENEVER I NEED THEM,
AND TO BE IN BRAVE SPACES LIKE
THIS. BECAUSE AS YOU SEE,
OPENING THE DOOR TO THESE
MEMORIES IS NOT EASY. BUT I KNOW
I'M SUPPORTED AND I KNOW I'LL BE
OKAY. AND I ENDED UP BEING, I
GUESS, THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE
FOR MY FAMILY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO
BE, BUT I KNEW THAT IF I
CONTINUED ON THE PATH THAT I WAS
ON, I WOULD DIE. AND I HAVE MY
OWN CHILDREN, AND THEY THEY ARE
SO PROUD OF ME. AND THEY GET THE
COURAGE FROM WATCHING ME SPEAK
UP AND CONTINUOUSLY SPEAK UP ON
THESE ISSUES TO BE BRAVE IN
THEIR OWN SPACES AS WELL, MY
NIECE TO, YOU KNOW, I GET TO BE
HERE FOR HER. LASTLY, I JUST
WANTED TO SPEAK ON, SOME OF THE.
SOME OF THE RESOURCES IS LIKE
THE LONG TERM. AGAIN, NOBODY
KNOWS WHEN SOMEBODY WILL BE
READY FOR HEALING. AND THAT
CAN'T BE A SHORT TERM PROCESS,
YOU CAN'T PUSH PEOPLE TO BE
READY. YOU CAN'T PUSH PEOPLE
INTO CHANGE. THEY CAN ONLY
IDENTIFY THAT AND SEEK THAT WHEN
THEIR SOUL AND SPIRIT CALLS FOR
THAT. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S A
REALLY BOLD AND, AND, BRAVE
THING TO DO. IT'S NOT EASY. I
DID I DID HEAR SOMETHING A
LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT
MISIDENTIFYING RACES, OF MY AND
MIP. I DO WANT TO SAY THAT MY
SISTER WAS IDENTIFIED AS WHITE
WHEN THE FIRST REPORT CAME OUT.
AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THERE
THERE SHOULD BE BETTER
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SERVICES
THAT ARE OFFERED OR SERVICES IN
GENERAL. WHEN THEY'RE GOING
THROUGH, INVESTIGATIONS AND
REPORTING, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A
MISTRUST. YOU KNOW, MY SISTER'S
CHILDREN WERE LEFT IN THE HOME
THAT DAY THAT SHE WAS REMOVED
AND PUT INTO THE ICU, AND MY
NIECE AND NEPHEW WERE LEFT ALONE
WITH STRANGERS AND, AND WHEN
THEY WERE DONE WITH THEM, THESE
STRANGERS HAD THEM PICKED UP BY
CPS, AND CPS HAD THEM REMOVED
FROM OR FROM SAN FRANCISCO
BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY, AND
THEY HAD AN EQUAL WORKER. THEY
HAD SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
AND EVEN AFTER, MY FAMILY TALKED
TO CPS, THEY FAILED TO NOTIFY
THEIR EQUAL WORKER. IT TOOK THEM
ALMOST A WEEK, JUST A WEEK TO
GET THEM BACK, THIS SPEAKS TO
THE DETERMINATION AND RESILIENCE
OF MY SISTER, JESSICA ALVA AND
HER HEART. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH
SHE NEVER RESPONDED AFTER BEING
ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL, HER
HEART NEVER GAVE OUT. SO
SOMEBODY WHO WAS LEFT ON THE
FLOOR UNRESPONSIVE FOR OVER AN
HOUR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE
DEAD, HER HEART WAS ABLE TO COME
BACK UNTIL THE NIGHT THAT HER
CHILDREN WERE RETURNED TO US.
AFTER THAT, SHE WAS OKAY. SHE
WAS AT PEACE, AND SHE LEFT. SHE
LEFT THIS WORLD, AND SHE HAD
MADE A PROMISE THAT SHE WOULD
NEVER LOSE A CHILD, IN THIS WAY
OR TO CPS AGAIN. AND ONCE HER
CHILDREN WERE RETURNED ON THAT
NIGHT, YOU KNOW, HER HEART GAVE
OUT. AND I JUST THINK THAT
THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE
RESILIENCE OF OUR PEOPLE, THE
GENERATIONAL TRAUMA THAT SHE
REFUSED TO LET HAPPEN, BECAUSE
SHE KNEW THAT ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER, LIKE OUR FAMILY WOULD
FIND HEALING AND, AND, CONTINUE
TO FIGHT, AND WE WILL ALWAYS
FIGHT FOR HER, AND I WILL ALWAYS
FIGHT FOR HER CHILDREN, BECAUSE
THAT IS MY POSITION AS HER
SISTER. AND THERE AREN'T, YOU
KNOW, I GET TO ASSUME THE MOM
ROLE AND BE THERE FOR ANYTHING
THAT THEY NEED AND READY FOR
WHEN THEY WANT TO HEAL. SO I
JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THIS
SPACE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND
PLEASE, ALL OF YOU KEEP DOING
WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I KNOW THAT
IT MIGHT BE AN EMOTIONAL THING
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY
ELSE HAS, BEEN PRIVY TO THE
KNOWLEDGE THAT BRIANNA IS COMING
BACK TO START HER LIFE AND
REALLY, SEEK THE HEALING THAT
SHE DESERVES. AND SO SHE'LL
CARRY THAT ON TO HER SON, MY
SISTER'S GRANDCHILD. SO THANK
YOU SO MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR
SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND
FOR YOUR STRENGTH, REALLY, AND
YOUR RESILIENCY TO, EDUCATE US
FIRSTHAND OF THE ISSUES, THAT
YOU'RE GOING THROUGH IN THE LONG
TERM HEALING THAT NEEDS TO TAKE
PLACE, NOT JUST IN THE DAYS OF
WHERE THE SITUATION IS
HAPPENING, BUT THE LONG TERM,
SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED THERE. AND
I WANT TO, STAND SIDE BY SIDE
WITH YOU ON YOUR ROAD, YOUR ROAD
TO OVERCOME THE HISTORICAL
TRAUMA IN YOUR ROAD TO BE THAT
THAT LEADER OF YOUR FAMILY
THAT'S LEADING THE WAY FOR THAT
HEALING TO TAKE PLACE. THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND FOR YOUR
YOUR VERY, VERY, TRUE, TESTIMONY
THAT BRINGS THE CIRCLE AROUND.
WHY WE'RE REALLY HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NOW WE'LL
MOVE TO, CHAIRWOMAN ERIKA PINTO
FROM THE RAMOS INDIAN VILLAGE
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU.
CHAIR RAMOS. AND THANK YOU TO
THE JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ALLOWING
US TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS MYP. MY
NAME IS ERIKA PINTO. I'M THE
CHAIRWOMAN FOR THE INDIAN
VILLAGE OF CALIFORNIA, I HAVE
THE HONOR OF SERVING AS A CHAIR
FOR TEN YEARS AT MY TRIBE. BUT
27 YEARS AS A TRIBAL COUNCIL
MEMBER AND VICE CHAIR, YOU KNOW,
AS WELL, I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR
SOUTHERN INDIAN HEALTH COUNCIL,
AND THAT'S MADE UP OF SEVEN
CONSORTIUM TRIBES IN THE SOUTH.
I ALSO SERVE ON THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SECRETARY'S TRIBAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
SECRETARY, TRIBAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE, HUMBLE IS ONE OF 13
BANDS OF THE KUMEYAAY IN THE
SOUTH, AND WE'RE ONLY ONE OF 18
FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW,
WHEN I, WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO
THIS ROOM, I SPOKE WITH THE
CHAIRWOMAN, AND, YOU KNOW, AS A
AS A WOMAN, AS A TRIBAL LEADER,
I'M OFTEN I OFTEN SECOND GUESS
MYSELF IN MY DECISIONS, AND I
TAKE EVERY DECISION TO HEART.
AND, I PROVIDED A TESTIMONY. I
WORKED ON MY TESTIMONY, AND I
THINK I'M PROBABLY JUST NOT
GOING TO LOOK AT THIS RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE, IT WAS A VERY POWERFUL
WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY. AND I
NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WOMEN,
THE WOMEN OF MY TRIBE AND THE
WOMEN HERE IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE
WE SUFFER, YOU KNOW, AS WOMEN,
AS THE TESTIMONY THAT WAS JUST
PROVIDED. AND I NEED TO TALK TO
YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THIS
IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC TO
ME. I I, I GREW UP ON VIEJAS AND
HAMEL, MY OWN RESERVATION. THÀNH
I WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED FROM THE
TIME I WAS IN SECOND GRADE TO
THE TIME I WAS IN SIXTH GRADE,
AND THAT ABUSE THAT I ENDURED
FOR THOSE YEARS REALLY, HAD AN
IMPACT ON MY LIFE GOING FORWARD.
I BECAME AN ALCOHOLIC. I CAME
OUT OF THE CLOSET IN HIGH
SCHOOL. I WAS BULLIED, I, I
BECAME AN ALCOHOLIC FOR 14
YEARS, FOR 14 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
AND I HARMED MYSELF. I HARMED MY
BODY. I PUT MY MOM THROUGH HELL.
I PUT MY FAMILY THROUGH HELL.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO
BE 50 YEARS OLD SOON. AND I SEE
JUST HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT AND
THINGS THAT I'VE DONE THAT I
COULD HAVE BEEN A MISSING AND
MURDERED PERSON. I COULD I'VE
BEEN IN SITUATIONS NOW I'M
SOBER. I HAVE 11 YEARS OF
SOBRIETY. I HAVE, MANY NIECES
AND NEPHEWS. I HAVE A YOUNG
NEPHEW THAT JUST CAME OUT OF THE
CLOSET. HE IDENTIFIES AS TWO
SPIRIT AND FOR ME, WHEN I SEE MY
NIECES, WHEN I SEE MY NEPHEWS,
WHEN I SEE THE YOUNG WOMEN AND
BOYS AND, AND KIDS WHO COME
HERE, LIKE LAST NIGHT AT THE
RECEPTION, I FEEL I NEED TO BE
OUT HERE AND I NEED TO PROTECT
OUR PEOPLE. I NEED TO WHEN I
HEAR THIS TESTIMONY AND I SEE
PEOPLE HAVE REALLY BEEN IMPACTED
AND HAVE PEOPLE MURDERED IN
THEIR FAMILY AND GO MISSING, WHY
ARE THEY NOT WORTH GETTING THE
PUBLICITY? BE ON TELEVISION LIKE
OTHER NON-INDIAN PEOPLE? WHY ARE
WE NOT? WHY ARE WE NOT LOCATED?
WHY ARE WE NOT BROUGHT HOME? ARE
WE NOT WORTH IT? AND I, I IT
KILLS ME TO SEE THAT MY NIECES
AND NEPHEWS SEE THAT ON SOCIAL
MEDIA. ARE WE NOT WORTH COMING
HOME? WHY WON'T THEY NOT LOOK
FOR US AND TODAY WE TALK ABOUT
MISTRUST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE
TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION, WHICH
IS VITAL IN MAKING SURE PEOPLE
COME HOME, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
A CASE THAT JUST CAME UP
YESTERDAY MORNING. ON THE WAY UP
HERE, I WAS REACHED OUT BY A
LOCAL CHAIRMAN IN THE SOUTH, AND
HE SAID, CHAIRWOMAN, MY ONE OF
MY MEMBERS IS MISSING WAS WHAT
RESOURCES DO YOU HAVE? THE GOOD
THING ABOUT ME IS THAT I LIKE TO
THROW MYSELF IN EVERY SITUATION
THAT I CAN AND MEET DIFFERENT
PEOPLE, AND I SINCE BECOME A
CONDUIT, AND THIS IS ABOUT THE
THIRD CASE WHERE WHEN I GET
REACHED OUT TO, I'M GOING TO
CONNECT TO STRONG HEARTED NATIVE
WOMEN COALITION. I'VE HEARD THEM
A LOT, AND I CONNECTED WITH
KYLIE LINTON TO CONNECT HIM AND
HER TOGETHER. I CONNECTED WITH
THE CHP, THE LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE MY TRIBE IS
THE CLOSEST TO SAN DIEGO AND 30
MINUTES FROM THE BORDER. AND WE
DO HAVE GAMING AND WE DO PROVIDE
FOR OUR PEOPLE. AND WITH THAT,
WE CONTRACT WITH THE SHERIFF AND
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND BY
DOING THAT, WE GET TO KNOW A LOT
OF THE DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES, THE BORDER PATROL,
CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. I'M
ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA
NATIVE AMERICAN ADVISORY
COMMITTEE TO CALTRANS. AND SO
THOSE ROADWAYS ARE IMPORTANT. SO
BEING ABLE TO CONNECT THE DOTS
AND CONNECT PEOPLE WITH EACH
OTHER, IT'S ABOUT BRINGING
PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND I DO TRY TO
DO THAT AS A LEADER. AND I
NEEDLESS TO SAY, I THINK I SAID
THIS LAST NIGHT, BUT SHE WAS
BROUGHT HOME. SHE WAS BROUGHT
HOME, THANKFULLY. AND SHE'S
SHE'S SAFE. THAT ENDED. IT ENDED
WELL, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS LIKE
THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT
WHAT WE DO IN THE SOUTH, AS FAR
AS SOUTHERN INDIAN HEALTH
COUNCIL SERVICING SEVEN
CONSORTIUM TRIBE, NON NATIVE
POPULATION AS WELL. WE MEET ON A
QUARTERLY BASIS WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE WE NEED TO
GET BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT.
UNFORTUNATELY SOMETIMES IN
TRIBAL LEADERSHIP WHERE WE HAVE
ADMINISTRATION CHANGES, LAW
ENFORCEMENT CHANGES, TRIBAL
LIAISONS CHANGE. AND THE GOOD
THING THAT I'VE SEEN IS THAT
WHETHER IT'S CALTRANS OR THE CHP
OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY, BORDER
PATROL, SD, JEANNIE, SAN DIEGO
GAS AND ELECTRIC PEOPLE ARE
UNDERSTANDING THE NEED FOR
TRIBAL LIAISON PEOPLE, PEOPLE
WHO UNDERSTAND OUR TRIBES, WHO
UNDERSTAND TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY,
WHO UNDERSTANDS THE ISSUES THAT
WE FACE AND I MENTIONED EARLIER,
SPEAKING OF THE ISSUES THAT WE
FACE WHEN I SPOKE ABOUT THIS
TOPIC WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
INTERIOR SECRETARY HAALAND AND
THE ASSISTANT, BRIAN NEWLAND,
THEY CHALLENGED ME. LET'S FIGURE
OUT TOGETHER WHAT ARE THE ROOT
CAUSES OF MIP? WHY DO OUR PEOPLE
GO MISSING? I COULD HAVE BEEN A
STATISTIC. I COULD HAVE BEEN A
STATISTIC MYSELF BECAUSE OF THAT
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA. AND THAT'S
LAYERED WITH HISTORICAL TRAUMA,
BECAUSE EVERY GENERATION HAS A
DIFFERENT SET OF ISSUES THAT WE
FACE. I GREW UP POOR, BUT NOT AS
POOR AS MY MOM, AND SHE DIDN'T
GROW UP AS POOR AS HER PARENTS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, AND I KNOW A
LOT OF TRIBAL PEOPLE CAN
UNDERSTAND THIS PART, THAT OUR
HOMES WERE SHACKS, WERE SHACKS
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE
CRACKS. YOU HAVE CARPET ON YOUR
WALLS, YOU HAD DIRT FLOORS. AND
THIS IS IN THE LATE 70S AND 80S
AND THAT CAN SET YOU UP FOR
MAKING POOR CHOICES, DOING
THINGS. SOMEBODY MENTIONED,
SURVIVOR SEX. THOSE THINGS CAN
ALL HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF BEING
POOR TRAUMA, LACK OF HEALTH
CARE, LACK OF HEALTH CARE, LACK
OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, FOOD
SECURITY, ALL OF THESE ISSUES,
WHEN YOU ADD THEM UP, IT'S A
LOT. AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE
HERE TODAY. BESIDES OUR
RESILIENCY AND STRENGTH AND OUR
WANT TO BE HERE. I'M AMAZED.
ASSEMBLYMAN I'M AMAZED THAT
WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T
BE HERE. BUT WE ARE HERE. AND
WHILE WE'RE HERE, WHILE WE'RE
USING OUR VOICES, WE ARE GOING
TO MAKE DANG SURE I'M WATCHING
MY MOUTH. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE
DANG SURE THAT OUR PEOPLE GET
THE SERVICES AND THE RESOURCES
NEEDED TO BRING OUR PEOPLE HOME
ONCE AND FOR ALL, BECAUSE ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH. AND LIKE I SAID TODAY
, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SOLEMN DAY,
BUT ALSO A GOOD DAY BECAUSE WE
ARE HERE TOGETHER, USING OUR
VOICES, OUR UNIFIED VOICES, AND
WITH YOUR GUYS'S UNIFIED EARS
AND HEARING US, YOU'RE GOING TO
MAKE THESE CHANGES. YOU'RE GOING
TO HEAR WHAT WE'RE SAYING, AND
YOU ARE GOING TO DO THE JOB THAT
YOU DO, AND YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE WATCHED OUT FOR
OUR PEOPLE ARE BROUGHT HOME, AND
NO ONE HAS TO GO THROUGH THIS.
ONE OF MY GOALS, I WANT TO MAKE
HEALTH CARE OBSOLETE. I WANT TO
MAKE THIS DAY OBSOLETE, WHERE WE
DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS ALL THE
TIME BECAUSE I KNOW IT WEIGHS ON
US AS TRIBAL LEADERS. I KNOW IT
WEIGHS ON YOU. ASSEMBLY MEMBER,
YOU ARE THE ONLY AMERICAN INDIAN
IN THE ASSEMBLY, AND I APPLAUD
YOU FOR DOING THE WORK THAT YOU
DO. AND I APPLAUD THIS JOINT
COMMITTEE AS WELL. SO THE WORK
IS NOT DONE. THE TRIBES NEED THE
RESOURCES. AND THAT MYTH IS THAT
WE ARE ALL WEALTHY AND SWIMMING
IN MONEY LIKE SCROOGE MCDUCK. WE
ARE NOT THAT THERE STILL ARE
TRIBES THAT STRUGGLE. THERE ARE
TRIBES THAT STRUGGLE IN OUR
IMPOVERISHED. WE NEED YOUR HELP
AND ANY HELP THAT YOU COULD DO
TODAY. WOULD BE GREATLY
APPRECIATED. OKAY. THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR YOUR TESTIMONY. AND
IDENTIFYING, THE IMPACTS AND
BARRIERS REALLY TO NAVIGATE
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PERSON CRISIS STARTS EARLY ON.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST
SHOWS UP TODAY. THIS IS HISTORIC
OF TRAUMA, OF UPBRINGING, OF
TREATMENT HERE IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, ACROSS THE NATION.
FOR ALL NATIVE PEOPLE THAT CALL
CALIFORNIA HOME, I WANT TO
RECOGNIZE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
AVELINO VALENCIA FOR BEING HERE
AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER PHIL TING
ALSO FOR JOINING US, NOW WE'LL
MOVE TO CHAIRWOMAN REGINA
CUELLAR OF THE SHINGLE SPRINGS
BAND OF MIWOK INDIANS TRIBAL
GOVERNMENT. SAY, KATHLEEN. GOOD
MORNING, CHAIR RAMOS AND MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU FOR
INVITING ME TO SPEAK TODAY. I AM
REGINA CUELLAR, CHAIRWOMAN OF
THE SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND OF
MIWOK INDIANS. I AM ALSO A
SEATED COMMISSIONER ON THE
CALIFORNIA COMMISSION ON THE
STATE OF HATE, AIMED AT STOPPING
HATE AND PROMOTING MUTUAL
RESPECT AMONGST THE STATE'S
DIVERSE POPULATION, TRIBAL
NATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE
LONG SOUGHT SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT
THE EPIDEMIC OF MISSING AND
MURDERED PEOPLE FROM WITHIN
THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND HAVE ONLY
RECENTLY ACHIEVED THE MAINSTREAM
AWARENESS REQUIRED TO PRODUCE
REAL CHANGE. WE HAVE SEEN THIS
RESULT IN MEASURES SUCH AS THE
FEATHER ALERT AND OTHER
INITIATIVES SUPPORTING ITS
IMPLEMENTATION AND
EFFECTIVENESS. BUT AS WE ARE ALL
AWARE, THERE ARE IMMENSE
BARRIERS THAT REMAIN TO
NAVIGATING THIS CRISIS. I'M HERE
TO SPEAK ON MY COMMUNITY'S
EXPERIENCE AND SOLUTIONS WE HAVE
IDENTIFIED THROUGH PROACTIVE ON
THE GROUND IMPLEMENTATION OF
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT
TARGET THE ROOT CAUSE OF
VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR PEOPLE.
BEFORE THEY END UP MISSING OR
MURDERED. SUCH SOLUTIONS
UTILIZED BY MY TRIBE RELY
HEAVILY ON THESE CONSISTENT
FACTORS AND MEANINGFUL
COLLABORATION, CONSULTATION AND
FUNDING. AS THE ONLY FEDERALLY
RECOGNIZED TRIBE IN OUR COUNTY,
EL DORADO COUNTY, IT IS
IMPERATIVE THAT THE SOLUTIONS
PLAGUING OUR TRIBAL COMMUNITY
ARE SOLVED WITH THE INPUT AND
VOICES OF OUR PEOPLE, AND BACKED
BY ALLOCATED RESOURCES TO ENSURE
THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE SERVICES. WE ADVOCATE FOR
THE PASSING OF THE FEATHER ALERT
IS NOT THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF
SUCCESS. WHEN GOOD FAITH EFFORTS
CONDUCTED IN THIS WAY ARE
PURSUED WITH TRIBES. IN 2014, MY
TRIBE, THE SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND
OF MIWOK INDIANS AND THE
SUPERIOR COURT OF EL DORADO
COUNTY MADE HISTORY BY
ESTABLISHING THE FIRST JOINT
JURISDICTIONAL COURT IN THE
STATE, AND ONLY THE SECOND IN
THE COUNTRY. IT WAS NAMED THE
FAMILY WELLNESS COURT. THE COURT
HAS TWO JUDGES, ONE FROM EACH
COURT. THE COURT THE HEAR THAT
HEAR CASES INVOLVING CHILD
WELFARE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE,
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND
TRUANCY BY HEARING CASES
ALONGSIDE THE COUNTY, THE TRIBE
HAS ACCESS TO CASE INFORMATION
THAT WE OTHERWISE WOULDN'T HAVE.
WITH THIS INFORMATION, THE TRIBE
PROVIDES A HOLISTIC AND
CULTURALLY CULTURALLY BASED CASE
PLAN FOR THE COURT PARTICIPANT.
THIS PLAN HELPS IDENTIFY AND
PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR RISK
FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD THE
COURT PARTICIPANT INTO BECOMING
A MISSING OR MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PERSON. THE COURT JUDGES THEN
HOLD THE PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTABLE
FOR FULFILLING THE CASE PLAN
THROUGH THIS PLAN. THROUGH THIS
JOINT PROCESS, OUR PARTICIPANTS
HAVE EXPERIENCED GREATER SUCCESS
THAN THOSE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH
SOLELY THE TRIBAL OR STATE COURT
SYSTEMS. DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF
THE FAMILY WELLNESS COURT MODEL,
OUR TRIBE SIGNED TWO MOUS WITH
OUR COUNTY TO EXPAND THE COURT
SERVICES TO INCLUDE A
COORDINATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
COURT AND A DRIVING UNDER THE
INFLUENCE PROGRAM. I WANT TO
TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO
ENCOURAGE INCREASED SUPPORT FOR
FUNDING JOINT JURISDICTIONAL
COURTS AND INVALUABLE TOOL FOR
TOOL FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE,
DESPERATELY IN NEED OF THE
HEALING AND HOLISTIC APPROACH.
THIS COURT PROVIDES. IN 2022,
OUR TRIBAL POLICE DEPARTMENT
ENTERED IN A CROSS DEPUTIZATION
AGREEMENT REFERRED TO AS THE
SPECIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
COMMISSION OR SLACK, WITH THE
BIA DESIGNATING OUR SHINGLE
SPRINGS TRIBAL POLICE OFFICERS
AS DEPUTY SPECIAL OFFICERS AND
GRANTING THEM THE AUTHORITY TO
ENFORCE FEDERAL LAWS ON TRIBAL
LANDS. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT
EXERCISE OF OUR TRIBAL
SOVEREIGNTY BY ALLOWING US, TO
US AS PEOPLE, TO SHED OUR
RELIANCE ON THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO ENFORCE FEDERAL
LAWS ON TRIBAL LANDS, ENHANCING
THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT
CAPABILITIES, AND PLACING THEM
BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE
TRIBES IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR
COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING
NEIGHBORS. IT IS AN HONOR FOR
THEM TO BE SWORN IN AS FEDERAL
OFFICERS AND REPRESENT THE 21ST
TRIBAL DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE
TO ENTER INTO ONE OF THESE
AGREEMENTS. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT
THIS SLACK LEADS TO CONTINUED
COLLABORATION AND ACTS AS A
PRECURSOR TO FURTHER LOCAL CROSS
DEPUTIZED AGREEMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE MUST
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TRIBES HAVE
FACED UNFAIR BARRIERS IN
ADDRESSING OFFERING SUPPORT AND
ULTIMATELY CLOSURE TO THOSE
AFFECTED BY THE MIP CRISIS
THROUGH LACK OF ACCESS TO CRIME
INFORMATION, DATABASES. AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL, THE TRIBAL ACCESS
PROGRAM TAP IS ONE AVENUE TO
VITAL CRIMINAL INFORMATION. MY
TRIBE IS FORTUNATE TO BE AMONG
THE TRIBES SELECTED FOR ACCESS
TO TAP. HOWEVER, THE VOID
REMAINED FOR STATE INFORMATION
VIA CLOOTZ, THE CALIFORNIA LAW
ENFORCEMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM, PREVENTING OUR TRIBAL
POLICE AND COURTS FROM RECEIVING
OR SHARING CRIMINAL HISTORY
INFORMATION AND PROTECTIVE
ORDERS WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES. AN
ABSENCE OF THIS ACCESS WE ARE.
WE WERE LEFT WITH A VOID IN
INFORMATION THAT LIMITED BOTH
THE TRIBES AND STATES ABILITY TO
PROTECT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, AND
FORCES US TO RELY, TO RELY ON
STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO PROVIDE THIS CRUCIAL INFO TO
TRIBES IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THANKFULLY, THIS ISSUE WAS
RESOLVED BY THE PASSING OF AB 44
AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. IN
CONTEXT OF MIP, WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT CASES WHERE A MATTER OF
HOURS MAKES A DIFFERENCE THAT
TRIBES PAY FOR WITH LIVES LOST.
IT IS A SAD REALITY THAT NATIVE
COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCE A
DISPROPORTIONATE, A
DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF LOSS,
INCLUDING LOSS OF LAND, LOSS OF
HISTORY, LOSS OF LANGUAGE AND
THE LOSS OF OUR CULTURE. BUT WE
WILL NOT TOLERATE LOSING OUR
PEOPLE ANY MORE. AB 1314 AND AB
44 WERE THE FIRST STEPS IN
CREATING PARITY BETWEEN TRIBES
AND THE STATE, EMPOWERING US TO
HELP SECURE OUR OWN PUBLIC
SAFETY AND TAKE OUR LIVES BACK
INTO OUR OWN HANDS, BUT WITHOUT
FOLLOW THROUGH ON FUNDING AND
TRAINING FOR STATE AND TRIBAL
AGENCY. I FEAR THAT THESE STEPS
WON'T BE ENOUGH IN TACKLING THIS
EPIDEMIC. THEREFORE I CALL FOR
MY FELLOW TRIBES TO AID TO AID
IN SUPPORTING INITIATIVES, FOR
FUNDING, TO STUDY CHALLENGES
RELATED TO THE REPORTING AND
IDENTIFICATION OF MISSING AND
MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN
CALIFORNIA, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG
WOMEN AND GIRLS. THIS INCLUDES
FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE TO TAKE THE MOMENTUM OF
PROGRESS MADE THUS FAR AND
PROVIDE CONSISTENT AND
INTENTIONAL TRAINING TO BOTH
TRIBAL AND NON-TRIBAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND
INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
RESPONSES TO INCIDENTS OF MIP.
THANK YOU, CHAIR RAMOS, FOR
INVITING US TO BE HERE TODAY.
YOU HAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING
LEADER IN BRINGING THIS CRITICAL
ISSUE TO THE FOREFRONT, AND MY
MIP IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO MY
TRIBE, BUT EVERY TRIBE IN
CALIFORNIA AND THROUGHOUT THE
NATION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TESTIMONY AND, BRINGING TO
LIGHT THESE ISSUES, FIRSTHAND
FROM FROM INDIAN COUNTRY IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. NOW, I'LL
OPEN IT UP TO THE DÍAS IF
THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR
COMMENTS. I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING FORWARD THIS
INFORMATION AND ESPECIALLY
MARLENA ALBA AND HER RAW
TESTIMONY, OF, LAYERING WHAT IT
IS THAT WE GO THROUGH, AS INDIAN
PEOPLE. AND AS WE WALK THROUGH
THE ROOM, EVERYONE HAS ANOTHER
LAYER TO THEM. AND ALSO BRINGING
TO LIGHT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
THAT STILL PLAGUES OUR PEOPLE AT
HIGHER RATES THAN ANY OTHERS OUT
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, BUT
ALSO THAT ROAD OF RECOVERY. WHEN
WE SAY THE ROAD TO RECOVERY,
MANY PEOPLE ASSOCIATE THAT WITH
SUBSTANCE ABUSE, BUT NEVER TO
THE HISTORICAL TRAUMA, THE ROAD
TO RECOVERY, OF OVERCOMING AND
TALKING ABOUT THOSE ISSUES. SO
WE HAVE TO BE MORE OPEN TO THOSE
ISSUES, BECAUSE IF WE'RE ABLE TO
AS A STATE, BE OPEN TO THAT ROAD
TO RECOVERY, THEN WE'RE BEING
TRULY PROACTIVE TO HELPING
SOMEONE WHO LATER ON COULD
BECOME A STATISTIC OF THE
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE. INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S
CRISIS THAT PLAGUES THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. AND HEARING THAT
TESTIMONY OF JESSICA ALBA IN SAN
FRANCISCO AND STILL THE
PERPETRATOR, NOT BEING HELD
ACCOUNTABLE, BRINGS TO LIGHT
WHAT WE SEEN HERE THIS LAST WEEK
WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
STEPPING IN AND DOING THE
PROSECUTION, FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL
THAT MURDERED A PIT RIVER,
TRIBAL MEMBER. AND KNOWING THAT
THE FEATHER ALERT WAS JUST
IMPLEMENTED YESTERDAY WHEN WE
STARTED OUR, OUR, OUR RECEPTION.
AND THEN TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS
SOME POSITIVE RESOLVE TO THAT,
SHOWS THAT THE STATE AND THE
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES ARE WORKING
TOGETHER TO START TO TRULY
ADDRESS THESE ISSUES MOVING
FORWARD. BUT WE CAN'T GET AWAY
OF THE TRUTH, THE TRUTH OF
INJUSTICE WITHIN THE TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES, THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE
FEATHER ALERT AND CGRTS ACCESS
WAS JUST A SMALL STEP OF A
LARGER PICTURE THAT WE STILL
HAVE TO ADDRESS, AND GETTING
THAT THAT INFORMATION THERE, THE
JOINT JUDICIAL COURTS IS ANOTHER
AREA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LEARN
MORE INFORMATION ON IT AND HAVE
MORE EDUCATION AROUND BECAUSE OF
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, TRULY
STARTS TO REMOVE THOSE THOSE
BARRIERS THAT ARE IMPACTING OUR
PEOPLE AND DRIVING THE CRISIS
STATISTIC NUMBERS FARTHER UP.
THEN MAYBE THAT'S AN AREA THAT
WE CAN LOOK INTO IN THIS
COMMITTEE, AS IS, INTERESTED IN
LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT, THAT
INFORMATION THERE IT TRULY IS,
ABOUT TIME THAT WE START TO,
SHARE INFORMATION. AND YOU
MENTIONED CHAIRWOMAN COOLER,
THAT ONCE YOU START TO SHARE
THAT INFORMATION, YOU BELIEVE
THAT THAT THAT INFORMATION
HELPED TO BE MORE PROACTIVE TO
HELPING AND PROTECTING PEOPLE,
IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO IT'S TIME
THAT THE STATE START TO LOOK AT
THOSE AREAS. WE KNOW THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE
ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATE, AND
THE LEGISLATURE IS WORKING HARD
TO START TO ADDRESS SOME OF
THOSE WITH SOME OF THE BILLS
THAT ARE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR IN
THE LEGISLATURE AND COLLEAGUES
THAT HAVE BEEN THERE ON THESE
BILLS AHEAD OF US. SO, WE
CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO
MAKE SURE THAT THAT HEALING IS
THERE AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE TRULY UNDERSTAND WE JUST
HAD A FEATHER ALERT. WE HAD A
FEATHER ALERT YESTERDAY. THE
INDIVIDUAL, BY THE TESTIMONY OF
THE CHAIRWOMAN FROM HAMEL, IS
THE INDIVIDUAL WAS FOUND AND A
SAFE RESOLVE WAS THERE. BUT
THAT'S NOT THE END OF IT.
THERE'S TRAUMA THAT HAPPENED.
THERE'S LOVED ONES THAT THAT
HAPPEN. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
THIS PLACE AND TIME. IT'S ABOUT
THE LONG TERM. RIGHT. SUPPORT
AND IT WAS SAID BY OUR EARLIER,
PERSON MARLENA, WHO TALKED ABOUT
WHO KNOWS WHEN SOMEONE'S READY
TO COME FORWARD, WHEN THEY'RE
READY FOR THAT SUPPORT. SO WE
NEED TO BE THERE FOR OUR PEOPLE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO, PART OF THE BARRIERS IS NOT
JUST THE SUPPORT AROUND THE TIME
ARE THE DAY. IT'S LONG TERM
SUPPORT FOR OUR PEOPLE OF COMING
FULL CIRCLE AROUND THE TRUTH. SO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. AS
NOW WE TRANSITION TO PANEL
THREE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU,
THANK YOU.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO, PANEL THREE
SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE AND ADDRESS
THE INCIDENCE OF MIP. SONIA
TARNOWSKI, MBA, F MECHA TRIBE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, INDIAN
HEALTH CENTER OF SANTA CLARA
VALLEY. SHE WILL JOIN US ON
ZOOM. WE HAVE ERIC EPPERSON,
FORMER SHERIFF DEL NORTE COUNTY
CHAIR. LINA PENA, YUROK TRIBAL
MEMBER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER,
YUROK TRIBE, MORNING STAR, GALI
PIT, RIVER TRIBE FOUNDER AND
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE. AND WE'LL TEST OUR
TECHNOLOGY AGAIN. ONE MORE TIME
WITH SONIA TARNOWSKI. GOOD
AFTERNOON. HI. I'M SONIA
TARNOWSKI AND ENROLLED MEMBER OF
THE MAKAH TRIBE AND BOARD
PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA
CONSORTIUM OF URBAN INDIAN
HEALTH AND CEO OF THE INDIAN
HEALTH CENTER OF SANTA CLARA
VALLEY. IT'S AN HONOR TO SPEAK
BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY BUDGET
COMMITTEE. AND THANK YOU,
CHAIRMAN RAMOS, FOR THE TIME TO
GATHER TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THESE
IMPORTANT ISSUES, THE ISSUE OF
MISSING, MURDERED AND TRAFFICKED
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IS AN ISSUE
DEVASTATING MANY AMERICAN INDIAN
AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES IN
AND 2022, I WAS APPOINTED TO THE
FEDERAL NOT INVISIBLE ACT
COMMISSION, WHICH WAS A CROSS
JURISDICTIONAL ADVISORY
COMMITTEE MADE UP OF DIRECTLY
IMPACTED FAMILIES, SURVIVORS,
TRIBAL LEADERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT,
AND CBOS. AS A COMMISSION, WE
HELD SEVEN IN-PERSON FIELD
HEARINGS WITH LEADERS, ACROSS
THE US AND RECEIVED HEART
WRENCHING TESTIMONY FROM
FAMILIES, ADVOCATES AND
SURVIVORS OF MIP TODAY. MY
COMMENTS WILL BE INFORMED BY THE
RECOMMENDATIONS OUTLINED IN THE
NOT ONE MORE REPORT PUBLISHED BY
THE COMMISSION IN 2023. AND I'LL
ALSO EXPLAIN HOW CHRONIC
UNDERFUNDING OF THE AMERICAN
INDIAN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
SYSTEM FUELS THE MIP CRISIS.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE
CONTEXT FOR THE HISTORICAL
SIGNIFICANCE OF URBAN INDIAN
HEALTH PROGRAMS. UNLIKE OTHER
CLINICS, UAP'S ARE NOT JUST
PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, BUT THEY
ARE OFTEN A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
FOR URBAN INDIANS WHO HAVE BEEN
REMOVED FOR THE FROM THEIR
ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS AND
TRADITIONS. AS A AS A RESULT OF
FEDERAL RELOCATION POLICIES.
TODAY, 88% OF AMERICAN INDIANS
IN CALIFORNIA LIVE IN URBAN
SETTINGS, AND MANY ARE SERVED BY
URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT
HEALTH SERVICES FOR AMERICAN
INDIANS ARE BASED ON A SPECIAL
HISTORICAL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
IDENTIFIED IN TREATIES WITH THE
US GOVERNMENT. IN 1954,
CALIFORNIA VOLUNTARILY ACCEPTED
THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
UNDERSTANDING CALIFORNIA'S TRUST
RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING OF AMERICAN INDIANS
AND ALASKA NATIVES IS CRITICAL
TO SOLVING THE MIP CRISIS. IF
THE IF THE STATE PARTNERED WITH
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
ADEQUATELY FUND THE INDIAN
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM, AS
WELL AS SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, WE
WOULD SEE A LOT LESS OF OUR
RELATIVES FALL VICTIM TO HUMAN
TRAFFICKING. I'M SORRY TO HUMAN
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND INTIMATE
PARTNER PARTNER VIOLENCE. AS A
URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAM, WE
ARE AWARE OF THE INCREASED
LIKELIHOOD OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
FALLING VICTIM TO MIP PIPELINE
IF THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH
HOUSING AND FOOD INSECURITIES
HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE FOSTER
CARE SYSTEM OR JUSTICE SYSTEM,
AND OR HAVE A LACK OF ACCESS TO
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE. ONE
OF THE BIGGEST STEPS CALIFORNIA
COULD TAKE TO PREVENT A CRISIS
IS TO CHAMPION POLICIES THAT
PROVIDE THAT PROPERLY FUND
HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES,
URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS,
ALONGSIDE TRIBAL FACILITIES, ARE
UNIQUELY EQUIPPED TO RESPOND AND
PROVIDE CARE TO INDIVIDUALS AND
FAMILIES IMPACTED BY MIP. AT THE
INDIAN HEALTH CENTER OF SANTA
CLARA VALLEY, NOT ONLY DO WE
HAVE TRAUMA INFORMED STAFF
IN-HOUSE COUNSELING, BUT WE ALSO
PROVIDE TRADITIONAL HEALING
SERVICES, TRADITIONAL HEALTH IS
AN EFFECTIVE HEALING MODALITY
FOR AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA
NATIVES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED
SEVERE TRAUMA. SURVIVORS AND
FAMILIES WITH A MISSING AND
MURDERED LOVED ONE NEED
IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE HEALING MODALITIES.
IN THE NOT ONE MORE REPORT,
FAMILIES CALLED FOR LEGISLATORS
TO, I QUOTE, SUPPORT AND FUND
THE DEVELOPMENT AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURALLY
RESPONSIVE COMMUNITY AND
INDIVIDUALLY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
PROGRAMS BY FOCUSING ON HEALING,
RECONCILIATION, EMPOWERMENT,
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS
THAT CAN PROVIDE A MORE HOLISTIC
AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE TO THE
MMI MIP CRISIS, WHILE RESPECTING
THE SOVEREIGNTY AND TRADITIONS
OF I AND COMMUNITIES. A LACK OF
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE,
COMPOUNDED WITH THE STRUGGLE TO
SURVIVE, FORCES OUR RELATIVES
INTO DANGEROUS CYCLES OF
VIOLENCE THROUGH ADDRESSING THE
MIP CRISIS MAY FEEL OVERWHELMING
WHEN WE CENTER THE VOICES OF MIP
FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS WILL FIND
THAT THE SOLUTIONS ALREADY EXIST
IN THOSE CLOSEST TO THE PROBLEM.
I END MY COMMENTS WITH IMMENSE
GRATITUDE TO THE COMMITTEE FOR
YOUR URGENCY TO BEGIN ADDRESSING
A CRISIS THAT HAS DEVASTATED,
DEVASTATED SO MANY OF US. I'D
ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE STATE FOR
INCLUDING URBAN INDIAN HEALTH
PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA'S 1115
DEMONSTRATION WAIVERS, WHICH
REQUESTED CMS TO REIMBURSE
TRADITIONAL SERVICES FOR TRIBES
AND URBAN INDIAN HEALTH PROGRAMS
AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, OUR
TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF
STRENGTH FOR CENTURIES. I URGE
THE COMMITTEE TO PRIORITIZE,
PRIORITIZE LEGISLATION THAT
CENTERS CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE
VICTIM SUPPORT SERVICES. I'D
ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL
THOSE THAT TESTIFIED BEFORE THIS
COMMITTEE TODAY FOR THEIR THEIR
STRENGTH, THEIR INSIGHT, AND
THEIR COMMITMENT TO FINDING
SOLUTIONS TO THIS TRAUMATIC
SITUATION FACING OUR PEOPLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
TODAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
YOUR TESTIMONY AND BRINGING THE
EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS IN THE
STATE THAT A LARGE PORTION OF
NATIVE AMERICANS DO LIVE WITHIN
THE URBAN COMMUNITIES HERE IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. AGAIN
BREAKING ANOTHER MISCONCEPTION
THAT ALL INDIAN PEOPLE LIVE ON
INDIAN RESERVATIONS, A HIGH
POPULATION AGAIN, LIVE WITHIN
THE URBAN COMMUNITIES HERE IN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. WE WANT
TO NOW MOVE TO ERIC APPERSON,
FORMER SHERIFF AT DEL NORTE
COUNTY. THANK YOU FOR THE
INVITATION TO BE HERE, YOUR
STAFF CAN BE VERY PERSISTENT AT.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME. I WAS BORN IN
DEL NORTE COUNTY, AND I SPENT
MOST OF MY LIFE THERE UNTIL
ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. AS MANY
OF YOU KNOW, DEL NORTE COUNTY
HAS SEVERAL INDIGENOUS TRIBES.
THEY ARE THE YUROK TRIBE, TOLOWA
DENE NATION, RESIGHINI RANCHERIA
, ELK VALLEY RANCHERIA. GROWING
UP, I HAD MANY FRIENDS THAT WERE
TRIBAL MEMBERS, AND I REMAIN
CLOSE TO MOST OF THEM. STILL I
SPENT COUNTLESS DAYS AND NIGHTS
ADVENTURING ON TRIBAL LAND,
PARTICIPATING IN SO MANY
BEAUTIFUL ASPECTS OF INDIGENOUS
CULTURE. I ALSO GAINED AN
INSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE ON JUST
HOW UNDERSERVED, UNREPRESENTED,
AND ISOLATED AND HISTORICALLY
TRAUMATIZED MANY TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES ARE. AS A FATHER, MY
TWO OLDEST CHILDREN ARE SILETZ
TRIBAL MEMBERS. THEY ARE BOTH
YOUNG ADULTS NOW AND MAKING
THEIR OWN PATHS PROFESSIONALLY.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE
ELECTED TO THE OFFICE OF DEL
NORTE COUNTY SHERIFF TWICE A
CORNERSTONE OF MY CAMPAIGN WAS
TO INCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY ON
TRIBAL LANDS AND TRIBAL ADJACENT
LANDS. I FORMED A PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE YUROK TRIBAL POLICE
DEPARTMENT IN JANUARY OF 2020. I
WAS ABLE TO DEPUTIZE THE
MAJORITY OF THEIR AGENCY,
ALLOWING THEM THE AUTHORITY TO
ENFORCE CALIFORNIA'S STATUTES ON
TRIBAL PROPERTY. I ALSO HELPED
CRAFT AN AGREEMENT THAT RESULTED
IN A TOLOWA NATION TRIBAL MEMBER
BEING CROSSED, DEPUTIZED AS A
FULL TIME LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER, POLICING TRIBAL LAND.
MY AGENCY OFTEN TRAINED WITH
TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
AND WORKED CLOSELY ON MANY
CASES. IT'S CRITICAL THAT THOSE
OF US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO
SO STRIVE TO EMPOWER OUR TRIBAL
COMMUNITIES. WE MUST FIND A
ROADWAY TO PROVIDING A HIGHER
QUALITY OF SERVICE AND SAFETY TO
TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, AND WHERE
THERE IS NO ROAD, WE MUST MAKE
ONE. THERE ARE MANY CASES THAT I
THINK OF OFTEN, AND AT LEAST ONE
THAT I STILL THINK ABOUT DAILY.
I SEE IMAGES OF A SHOCKED AND
GRIEVING MOTHER, AND I REMEMBER
MY PROMISE TO DO ALL I CAN FOR
HER. THIS CASE IS STILL ACTIVE,
SO I CANNOT GO INTO MUCH DETAIL.
OR THE SHORT OF IT IS THAT A
BOY'S LIFE WAS TAKEN BY ANOTHER
BOY ON TRIBAL LAND. I BELIEVE IN
MY HEART THAT IT WAS A HOMICIDE,
EVEN IF NEGLIGENCE PLAYED A PART
IN IT. THE VICTIM, THE OFFENDER
AND THE PRIMARY WITNESS WERE ALL
TRIBAL MEMBERS AND TO THIS DAY,
THAT CASE HAS NOT MET THE
THRESHOLD TO BE PROSECUTED. WHAT
I LEARNED MOST FROM THAT TRAGIC
SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES IS THAT
THERE EXISTS A DEEPLY ROOTED
LACK OF TRUST BETWEEN MANY
TRIBAL MEMBERS AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT SWORN TO SERVE THEM.
EVEN THOUGH A YOUNG BOY LOST HIS
LIFE THAT NIGHT, THE COMPULSION
TO HELP BRING THE OFFENDER TO
JUSTICE DID NOT OUTWEIGH A
PROFOUND ABSENCE OF FAITH,
ABILITY, DESIRE, AND OPPORTUNITY
. COINCIDENTALLY, THE SAME
TRAITS IT TAKES TO COMMIT CRIME
ARE THE VERY ONES NEEDED TO
REDUCE IT. I BELIEVE CALIFORNIA
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE
SOME OF THE BEST TRAINED AND
MOST EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT
PROFESSIONALS IN OUR NATION,
EVEN GLOBALLY. I ALSO BELIEVE
THAT CALIFORNIA LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAS A STRONG DESIRE TO DO THE
JOB WHEREVER IT MAY TAKE THEM,
AND OFTEN AGAINST INSURMOUNTABLE
ODDS. THEY ARE MORE THAN ABLE.
THE DISCONNECT IN MY OPINION,
CAN BE FOUND IN THE OPPORTUNITY
CATEGORY TO EFFECTIVELY AND
EQUITABLY POLICE ANY COMMUNITY.
TRUST MUST EXIST. VICTIMS AND
WITNESSES MUST TRUST THAT THEY
WILL BE HEARD AND PROTECTED.
THEY MUST BELIEVE THROUGH
PRACTICE AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
, THAT THEY HAVE ADVOCATES
THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THOSE
THAT RESPOND AND INVESTIGATE
MUST BE IN TANDEM WITH THOSE WHO
CHARGE AND PROSECUTE. THE ENTIRE
SYSTEM IS OFTEN VIEWED AS
SEPARATE LEVELS OF OBSTACLES, AS
OPPOSED AS OPPOSED TO A JOINT
SYSTEM THAT WORKS TOGETHER. I
DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR ANYONE
OTHER THAN MYSELF, BUT THROUGH
MY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL
INTERACTIONS WITH TRIBAL
MEMBERS, IT BECOMES QUICKLY
APPARENT THAT FOUNDATIONAL TRUST
DOES NOT EXIST. MANY INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON TRIBAL
LAND, OPERATE DAY TO DAY UNDER
THE BELIEF THAT PEOPLE OFF
TRIBAL LANDS SIMPLY DO NOT CARE
FOR THEM. AT A LEVEL THAT
RESULTS IN EQUITABLE ACTION.
SADLY THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS BASED
UPON HISTORICAL TRAUMA AND
GENERATIONS OF EXAMPLES THAT
SUPPORT THAT PERSPECTIVE. I KEEP
HEARING THAT WE NEED TO
STRENGTHEN AND MAINTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND THE PEOPLE THEY
SERVE. IN THIS INSTANCE, I DON'T
BELIEVE WE ARE EVEN THERE YET.
IT'S MY OPINION WE NEED TO BUILD
POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BEFORE
THEY CAN BE STRENGTHENED AND
MAINTAINED. TRIBAL MEMBERS ARE
VICTIMIZED AT A DISPROPORTIONATE
LEVEL, COMPARABLE TO AVERAGES IN
NEARLY EVERY CATEGORY, EVEN
STILL, WHERE IS THE PROACTIVE
PRESENCE? WHERE IS THE TARGETED
MISSION? WHERE ARE THE
MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLANS AND
GRANTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALL
STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM? OVER THE YEARS,
WE'VE MADE UNITED EFFORTS
AGAINST SUBJECTS AS BROAD AS
ALCOHOL USE AND GANG VIOLENCE.
WE'VE MADE COORDINATED FRONTS
AGAINST THREATS AS SPECIFIC AS
FENTANYL. WHAT WE HAVE FAILED TO
DO, IN MY OPINION, IS BUILD A
RELATIONSHIP OF TRUST BETWEEN
THE TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES
DESIGNED TO SERVE THEM UNTIL
MAJOR STEPS ARE TAKEN TO CREATE
AND FOSTER THAT TRUST, WE WILL
CONTINUE TO WONDER WHY REPORTS
AREN'T MADE. WITNESSES DON'T
COME FORWARD, CASES AREN'T
SOLVED, AND PEOPLE AREN'T
BROUGHT HOME. POSITIVE STEPS
WOULD INCLUDE CONTINUING EFFORTS
TO EMPOWER TRIBAL MEMBERS AND
THEIR LOCAL AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE
FOR POLICING SERVICES. WE NEED
TO FACILITATE BRINGING EVERYONE
TO THE TABLE, IDENTIFY REALISTIC
STEPS TOWARDS BUILDING TRUST AND
HOLDING EVERYONE ACCOUNTABLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THAT PROCESS.
THAT TRUST MUST BE BUILT THROUGH
ACTIONS AND EMPOWERMENT, NOT
SIMPLY WORDS. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND THANK
YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO BE
HERE TODAY. AS NOW, WE MOVE TO
TARA LYNN PINA, YOU'RE A TRIBAL
MEMBER, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
FROM YUROK TRIBE. HI. GOOD
MORNING. MY NAME IS TARA LYNN
PINA. I AM A YUROK TRIBAL MEMBER
FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. I'M
FROM THE VILLAGES OF PECTA AND
MOORLACH ALONG THE KLAMATH RIVER
. AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE
TODAY TO SHARE SOME OF MY
EXPERIENCES WITH THE MIP CRISIS
AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE'VE
IDENTIFIED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
MYSELF, MY PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
WAS STOLEN AND TAKEN TO BOARDING
BOARDING SCHOOL DURING FORCED
ASSIMILATION, MY MATERNAL
GRANDMOTHER WAS MURDERED ON THE
YUROK RESERVATION IN THE 1970S,
AND LAST YEAR MY SISTER WENT
MISSING IN SAN FRANCISCO.
FORTUNATELY, WE FOUND HER. BUT
WE HAD A DENIED FEATHER ALERT
ACTIVATION, PERSONALLY, I WANT
TO THANK MARLENA FOR, BEING SO
BRAVE AND SHARING HER STORY, I
ALSO AM A SURVIVOR OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND INTIMATE PARTNERS,
STALKING, I HAVEN'T SHARED THAT
PUBLICLY, BUT MARLENA'S BRAVERY
REALLY, TOUCHED MY HEART. SO,
UNFORTUNATELY, MY STORY IS NOT
UNIQUE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
RATES OF VIOLENT VICTIMIZATION
OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE HIGHER
THAN ANY OTHER STATE. FURTHER TO
THAT POINT, THANK YOU. HOMICIDE
IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF
DEATH FOR INDIGENOUS INDIGENOUS
WOMEN AND GIRLS. AND THAT'S, AND
UNFORTUNATE CONVERSATION THAT
INDIGENOUS PARENTS HAVE TO HAVE
WITH THEIR CHILDREN AT A VERY
YOUNG AGE, WE STARTED HAVING
THAT CONVERSATION WITH MY
CHILDREN AS SOON AS THEY COULD
TALK, LIKE, IF YOU, ESPECIALLY
MY GIRLS, AND THAT'S A TOUGH
DILEMMA TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF
THEIR INNOCENCE, TO BE ABLE TO
PROTECT THEM. THE YUROK TRIBE,
ALONG WITH THE TRIBES ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, HAVE BEEN
WORKING FOR DECADES TO ADDRESS
PUBLIC SAFETY, JUSTICE, AND THE
EPIDEMIC OF MIP. WE NEED THE
PARTNERSHIP OF THE STATE TO
SUPPORT FOR THE CALLS FOR
FUNDING AND INVEST IN SOLUTIONS,
AS THERE'S A SEVERE LACK OF
FUNDING AND RESOURCES FOR TRIBES
FOR JUSTICE, LEGAL AND PUBLIC
SAFETY AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS
THAT HAVE BEEN Kò. BUT A KEY
FACTOR TO THE MIP CRISIS. MMI,
OUR TRIBES AND NATIVE LED
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN BARRED
FROM KEPT OUT OF FEDERAL AND
STATE FUNDING, WHICH HAVE HAD
DEVASTATING EFFECTS FOR EXAMPLE,
PUBLIC LAW 280 WITHDREW FEDERAL
FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR TRIBAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COURTS IN
SIX STATES, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA
. ON THE STATE LEVEL, CALIFORNIA
TRIBES ARE WRITTEN OUT OF THE
2017 CALVERT PROGRAM AND ITS
PREDECESSOR, THE CALIFORNIA GANG
REDUCTION ACT AND INTERVENTION
AND PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM,
WHICH FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY ON URBAN
AREAS. ONE MAJOR STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION HAS BEEN
CALIFORNIA HAS INVESTED $12
MILLION IN BOTH 2022 AND 2023
BUDGET ACTS TO ADDRESS THE
EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE ON TRIBAL
LANDS. TODAY, I WANT TO ASK THE
STATE TO CONTINUE TO PUT TO
AUTHORIZE FUNDS IN THE 2024
BUDGET AND THAT THE STATE ADD AN
ADDITIONAL 12 MILLION TO THE MAY
REVISE FOR THE MIP GRANT PHÐ
PROGRAM TO SUPPORT TRIBALLY LED
PROGRAMS TO STOP VIOLENCE AND
MIP IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES GRANT FUNDS TO DATE
INCLUDE. ADVANCE PAYMENT OF
MINIMUM OF 25% TO TRIBES TO
ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY AND REMOVE
THE BURDEN OF TRIBES TO UPFRONT
COST. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE
IDENTIFIED SOLUTIONS AS
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND
GOVERNMENTS NEED FUNDING TO HIRE
MIP INVESTIGATORS. CURRENTLY THE
YUROK TRIBE IS THE ONLY TRIBE IN
CALIFORNIA TO HAVE A MIP TRIBAL
INVESTIGATOR THAT IS CROSS
DEPUTIZED, AND WE'VE DONE THIS
THROUGH GRANT FUNDING AND
DONATIONS FROM, OUR PARTNERS
WITH PRIVATE FUNDING, INCLUDING
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION
INDIANS, WE NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT
LIAISONS TO ASSIST FAMILIES IN
CRISIS AND GUIDE FAMILIES
THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BREAK THE
CYCLE OF PERPETUAL TRAUMA.
THERE'S A DEEP SEATED DISTRUST
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TRAUMA
INFORMED LIAISONS CAN HELP
BRIDGE THIS GAP. AFTER CENTURIES
OF COLONIZATION AND GENOCIDE,
THE STATE HAS A DEEP DEBT TO
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE. THE
MAJORITY OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA'S WEALTH CAME FROM
LAND THEFT, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE,
ENSLAVEMENT, AND EXTRACTION OF
INDIGENOUS RESOURCES. THE STATE
NEEDS TO PARTNER AND INVEST WITH
TRIBES TO SUPPORT TRIBAL LED
SOLUTIONS. THIS INCLUDES
NOTIFICATION OF TRIBES AND OTHER
ESSENTIAL PARTIES WHEN CHILDREN
GO MISSING FROM FOSTER CARE
PLACEMENTS, STRENGTHENING THE
FEATHER ALERT SYSTEM, CREATION
OF A MIP BUREAU AT THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
AND SUPPORTING TRIBAL POLICE
PEACE OFFICER STATUS. THESE
SOLUTIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO
PROTECTING NATIVE PEOPLE,
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, TO ENDING
THE MIP CRISIS AND CREATING
WELLNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR
TRIBAL AND NON-TRIBAL FAMILIES.
WE ARE NOT ASKING THE STATE FOR
NEW FUNDING. WE'RE ASKING THE
STATE TO REPRIORITIZE ITS GOALS
AND WE'RE ASKING THE STATE TO
PRIORITIZE LIFE AND SAFETY OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND ASKING FOR
NO MORE STOLEN BODIES AND STOLEN
LAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY AND
BRINGING TO LIGHT THAT THE
FUNDING MECHANISMS AND THE
REQUEST OF THE 25% UPFRONT, IN
SOME OF THESE GRANTS THAT WOULD
HELP, PAVE THE WAY, IN MOVING
FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR THAT
TESTIMONY. AS NOW WE MOVE TO
MORNING STAR GHALY, PIT RIVER
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE JIMMY SUNWAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING,
MYSELF AND OUR INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE TEAM MEMBERS HERE TODAY
TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY, I WOULD
LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR
CHAIRMAN, JACK BAMFORD OF THE
PIT RIVER TRIBE AND TO COUNCIL
MEMBERS RENEE GEMMELL AND
THEODORE MARTINEZ THAT ARE ALSO
HERE IN THE ROOM, ALONG WITH MY
RELATIVE, MY UNCLE BRUCE GHALY.
ALL OF OUR C¢M THAT ARE HERE TO
SUPPORT TODAY, WE ARE VERY
GRATEFUL. I WANT TO START BY
SHARING THAT MY CONNECTION TO
MIP IS THAT I HAVE A NUMBER OF
FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY
MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY
IMPACTED BY THIS CRISIS. I NEVER
WANTED TO BE HERE IN A POSITION
TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY. I WANT MY
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES THAT HAVE
BEEN STOLEN FROM US, JUST AS
TARRALYN MENTIONED, STOLEN
BODIES TAKEN TOO SOON ON STOLEN
LAND WHERE SO MUCH BLOODSHED HAS
ALREADY OCCURRED. OUR TRIBAL
TERRITORY FOR PIT RIVER SPANS
WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS SHASTA
SISKIYOU, MODOC AND LASSEN
COUNTIES. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THE FAMILY MEMBERS, THAT
SPOKE MARLINA ALVA, THAT SPOKE
EARLIER, JESSICA ALVA WAS A
FRIEND AND RELATIVE OF OURS,
YOGI MCGARVEY IS A FRIEND AND
RELATIVE OF OURS. I WAS ASKED TO
PROVIDE, TO WRITE AND PROVIDE
THE EULOGY DURING YOGI'S
FUNERAL, I WAS ASKED TO WRITE
AND PROVIDE THE VICTIM IMPACT
STATEMENT. JUST THIS PAST WEEK,
WHERE YOGI'S, ASSAILANT WAS
RECEIVED A SENTENCE OF 26 YEARS
TO LIFE POLICY Kò SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESS THE MIP CRISIS INCLUDE
THE RECENT GUARANTEED INCOME
THAT WE HAVE WORKED ON FOR THE
PAST TWO YEARS WITH THE
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE WITHIN RURAL,
TRIBAL AND INNER CITY
COMMUNITIES, THERE IS A DIRE
NEED ACROSS THE STATE TO INVEST
IN WOMEN, GIRLS AND GENDER
NON-BINARY, NON-CONFORMING
PEOPLES POTENTIAL, ADVANCE THEIR
RIGHTS AND ADDRESS THE CRISIS OF
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES. WE ARE COMMITTED TO
WORKING FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE
AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE
DOMINANT NARRATIVES IN WHICH OUR
STORIES ARE TOLD, NARRATIVES
THAT BLAME AND FURTHER
MARGINALIZE SYSTEM IMPACTED
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. SOME OF THE
SOLUTIONS WE ARE PROVIDING TO
FILL THESE GAPS INCLUDE A
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND
GUARANTEED INCOME FOR NATIVE
AMERICAN SURVIVORS WITHIN THE
CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
, WITH THE FIRST INDIGENOUS
WOMEN AND TWO SPIRIT RELATIVES.
PILOT PROJECT. IN THIS YEAR, WE
HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LAUNCHING
THE FIRST OF ITS KIND GUARANTEED
INCOME PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO
DEPARTMENT ON THE STATUS OF
WOMEN, WHEREIN TEN INDIGENOUS
SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE WILL
RECEIVE $1,000 A MONTH. WE KNOW
THAT WHEN WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE
RESOURCED AND SUPPORTED, THEY
MAKE SAFER CHOICES AND WE HOPE
THAT WITH SOME OF THE FINANCIAL
BURDEN LIFTED, SURVIVORS WILL
HAVE DEEPER CAPACITY TO ENGAGE
IN CARE, CONNECT WITH THIS. I'M
SORRY. CONNECT WITH SOME OF THE
FINANCIAL BURDEN LIFTED.
SURVIVORS WILL HAVE DEEPER
CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN CARE,
CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND
HEAL. WE TRUST THAT RESOURCES
WILL SUPPORT THEIR NEEDS AND
PROVIDE THE TYPE OF RELIEF THAT
COMES FROM KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE
SUPPORT AND THAT YOUR NEEDS WILL
BE MET. WE EXTEND OUR GRATITUDE
TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN
AFFAIRS, AND TO ASSEMBLYMAN
RAMOS'S OFFICE, AS THEY HAVE
WORKED TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND
GUIDANCE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS
TO HELP REDUCE UNCERTAINTY
REGARDING CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
AND IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY ON
TRIBAL LANDS AND WITHIN. THESE
EFFORTS INCLUDE FUNDS WITHIN THE
STUDY TO CHALLENGE TO STUDY
CHALLENGES RELATED ON THE
REPORTING AND IDENTIFICATION OF
MISSING AND MURDERED NATIVE
AMERICANS IN CALIFORNIA,
PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND GIRLS.
THESE EFFORTS, THROUGH 3099 AB
3099 SHOULD BE A FIRST STEP
FORWARD AND NOT A LAST STEP, AS
IT CURRENTLY IS. THAT THE REPORT
WILL WRAP UP THE EFFORTS OF THE
OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN
AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT SOLUTIONS AND
APPROACHES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTED THIS FAR INCLUDE.
NOW THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
REMOVING THE S WORD FROM OVER 95
PUBLIC PLACE NAMES THROUGHOUT
CALIFORNIA, INDIAN JUSTICE IS
PROUD TO BE A CO-SPONSOR OF THIS
NOW TWO YEAR OLD LEGISLATION,
AND PROUD TO ADDRESS THE EFFORTS
IN CHALLENGING THE RACIST NAME
CHANGE OF THIS PAST MARCH.
WITHIN FRESNO COUNTY, FAMILIES
AND SURVIVORS HAVE ESPOUSED A
WILLINGNESS THROUGHOUT A HISTORY
OF HARM AND MISTRUST OF US
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR SUPPORT
AND RESOURCES FROM TRIBAL,
LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND DESPITE THIS
WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE,
FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS ARE OFTEN
MET WITH THE LACK OF RECIPROCAL
EFFORT, CARE, AND COORDINATION
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, ENTITIES ARE
OFTEN THE MOST RESOURCED AGENTS
AT THE TABLE. IN RESPONSE TO
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS
PEOPLES AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
EVENTS. THEY ARE ALSO OFTEN THE
LEAST READILY ABLE TO MOVE INTO
ACTION ON BEHALF OF FAMILIES AND
SURVIVORS. WE CONTINUE TO HEAR
HOW FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS MEET
THE GAPS TO PROVIDE RAPID
RESPONSE. SEARCH PARTIES,
EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE,
CULTURALLY RELEVANT HEALING
MODALITIES, AND ONGOING PURSUITS
OF JUSTICE OF AN MIP. RT
INSTANCES. STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES ARE SINGULARLY UNABLE
TO MANAGE THE FULL SCOPE OF
RESPONSE NEEDED TO FIND, SOLVE,
AND HEAL FROM THESE HARMS.
RESPONDING TO TRAUMATIC EVENTS
WITHIN THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH
BY SYSTEMIC AND HISTORIC
OPPRESSION, GENERATIONAL TRAUMA
AND ONGOING SYSTEMIC EFFORTS OF
INDIGENOUS GENOCIDE CREATE
SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
DIVESTED FROM AND UNABLE TO HOLD
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
ACCOUNTABLE IN MEANINGFUL AND
VISIBLE WAYS. THE ONUS OF
JUSTICE IS ON INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES, SURVIVORS, AND
SURVIVOR FAMILIES, WHEREAS
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES CLAIM TO
BE TRUSTWORTHY PARTNERS IN OUR
PURSUITS OF JUSTICE. I WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE YUROK CHIEF
O'ROURKE, WHO CENTERS A TRAUMA
INFORMED APPROACH AND UNDERSTAND
SURVIVOR CENTERED PROCESSES. THE
TWO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
MISSING IN CALIFORNIA INDIAN
COUNTRY EVENTS HOSTED BY
DIRECTOR LOPEZ KIEFFER, WHERE
FAMILIES WERE BROUGHT FORWARD TO
BE INTERVIEWED AND CONTINUED TO
BE SUPPORTED IN THEIR UNSOLVED
CASES. IN THE CASE OF YOGI
MCGARVEY, MY TWO SPIRIT
RELATIVES, HE WAS KILLED ON
LIKELY RANCHERIA BY A WHITE
INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS SEEKING
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT AND
SERVICES FROM THE INDIVIDUAL
MURDERED YOGI ON PIT RIVER LANDS
IN HIS MAUI HOMELANDS, AND THAT
SHOULD HAVE ENACTED IMMEDIATE
RESPONSES. THE VICTORY AND
JUSTICE FOR YOGI WAS NOT EASILY
WON. IT WAS A DIFFICULT FOUR
YEARS IN THE MAKING, WITH HIS
FAMILY NOT KNOWING WHEN THEY
WOULD BE ABLE TO BREATHE A SIGH
OF RELIEF. AS MY INDIGENOUS
JUSTICE TEAM SAT IN THE
COURTROOM DAY IN AND DAY OUT, WE
READ THE VICTIM IMPACT
STATEMENTS JUST LAST WEEK AT THE
SENTENCING, AND A HEAVINESS
WEIGHS ON ALL OF US AFFECTED NOT
KNOWING UNTIL THE JURY VERDICT
AND SENTENCING THAT JUST DID
WHAT THAT JUSTICE WOULD ACTUALLY
BE SERVED. WHEN NICK PATTERSON
WENT MISSING ON THE LOOKOUT
RANCHERIA AGAIN, THERE SHOULD
HAVE BEEN SEARCH AND RESCUE
EFFORTS. PRECIOUS TIME WAS
WASTED WHEN MODOC AND SHASTA
COUNTIES CONTINUE TO KICK THE
CASE BACK AND FORTH. WHILE THE
FAMILY WAS STALLED FROM BRINGING
SEARCH CANINES, HORSEBACK AND
OTHER SEARCH EFFORTS THAT TRIBAL
MEMBERS WERE SEEKING OUT. AS WE
HAVE HEARD THE FAMILY SPEAKING
TODAY ARE MORE THAN QUALIFIED AS
EXPERTS TO SPEAK AND PROVIDE
SOLUTIONS ON THEIR OWN BEHALF.
WE CONSISTENTLY RECEIVE PUSHBACK
WHEN WE ASK FOR SURVIVOR
FAMILIES TO BE PROVIDED SPACE TO
SHARE THEIR STORIES. IN MIP
POLICY SPACES THAT IT RETRIGGERS
THE FAMILIES. WE UNDERSTAND THE
IMPACT ON THE FAMILIES AND ALSO
UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
SURVIVOR FAMILIES ALLOWED TO
HAVE THE SPACE TO SHARE ON THEIR
OWN BEHALF BY ASSESSING THE
NEEDS AND ADVOCATING ALONGSIDE
ON BEHALF OF THE SYSTEMS
INVOLVED. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
THROUGHOUT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA,
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE SEEKS TO
ELEVATE NEEDED SUPPORT IN
CREATING PATHWAYS OF HEALING AND
EMPOWERMENT FOR SURVIVORS OF
VIOLENCE. BACK INTO OUR TRIBAL
AND INTERTRIBAL COMMUNITIES. FOR
THE PAST 175 YEARS, CALIFORNIA
NATIVE PEOPLES WITHIN TRIBAL AND
INTER TRIBAL COMMUNITIES ARE
LIVING RESILIENT AND THRIVING
WHILE CONTINUING TO BREAK
LEGACIES OF INTERGENERATIONAL
TRAUMA THROUGH TRADITIONAL
PATHWAYS TO HEALING. WE AS
ORGANIZERS, DO THIS IMPACTFUL
COMMUNITY WORK TO SUPPORT THIS
HEALING THROUGH ONGOING
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, ADVOCACY,
CENTERING OF CULTURAL PRACTICES
THROUGH MOVEMENT BUILDING AND
ACTION. AS WE ORGANIZE
THROUGHOUT URBAN COMMUNITIES, WE
ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESPONDING
TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OF THOSE
COMMUNITIES. SOLUTIONS THAT
REQUIRE A CULTURAL SHIFT IN
THINKING ON THE DRIVER OF MAP
AND APPROACHES THAT SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED INCLUDE THAT OUR
COMMUNITIES INSTINCTIVELY RELY
ON ONE ANOTHER IN TIMES OF
CRISIS, MAKING US THE EXPERTS ON
OUR OWN EXPERIENCES. WE HEARD
TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT
EQUITABLE INVESTMENT INTO
SERVICES AND GRASSROOTS
ORGANIZATIONS IS URGENTLY NEEDED
TO COMPLEMENT AND CLOSE THE GAP
BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND
GOVERNMENT. WE CARRY THE
KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST OF OUR
PEOPLES. WITH THE PROPER
INVESTMENT, WE CAN COLLECTIVELY
ACTUALIZE THE VISION TO ENSURE A
WHOLE COMMUNITY RESPONSE IN
TIMES OF CRISIS. IN ADDITION TO
THE NECESSARY ONGOING WORK TO
PREVENT, MINIMIZE AND HEAL FROM
THESE RUPTURES OF SAFETY. IT'S
THE MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNITY
WELLNESS THAT WILL KEEP US SAFE
WHILE WE WORK TO CLOSE THE GAP
BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND
COMMUNITY, WE DENOUNCE ONGOING
RESOURCE EXTRACTION IN ALL
FORMS, ESPECIALLY THE EXTRACTION
OF CALIFORNIA INDIAN GIRLS,
WOMEN AND PEOPLES. WE UPLIFT THE
PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS BODIES
ON STOLEN LAND. WE DANCE, WE
PRAY, AND WE SING FOR JUSTICE,
FOR SAFETY AND FOR CHANGE. TO
C¢M ALL MY RELATIONS. THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THAT TESTIMONY, AND
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE ON OUR
PANEL, PANEL THREE FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY AND BRINGING TO LIGHT
SOME OF THE TRUE IMPACTS THAT
DRASTICALLY AFFECT US AND REALLY
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT MARLENA ALBA
FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. THAT THAT
WENT ON TODAY, BUT ALSO SONIA,
WHO BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT
SOLUTIONS EXIST WITH THOSE CLOSE
TO THE SITUATION AS WE GO
THROUGH AND START TO LOOK AT
SOLUTIONS, LET'S NOT OVERLOOK,
THOSE THAT ARE ON THE FRONT
LINES, THOSE THAT ARE LIVING
WITH THESE AREAS, THAT THOSE
SOLUTIONS ARE RIGHT THERE WITH
THEM, BUT WE HAVE TO BE OPEN TO
HEAR AND BUILD ON THAT MUTUAL
RESPECT OF UNDERSTANDING SO THAT
PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE IN
BRINGING THOSE SOLUTIONS
FORWARD. AND FOR INDIAN PEOPLE,
WHEN WE BRING FORWARD IDEAS OR
SOLUTIONS, SOMETIMES, BECAUSE OF
PAST TREATMENT, WE THINK THAT
IT'S NOT GOING TO FALL ON EARS,
THAT SOMEONE COULD MOVE FORWARD
WITH WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORWARD
, THAT THERE'S HESITANCY TO
BRING THOSE SOLUTIONS FORWARD.
BUT HERE, WITH THIS JOINT
COMMITTEE AND HEARING THE
LEGISLATURE, WE WANT TO HEAR
THOSE SOLUTIONS FIRSTHAND OF HOW
WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB AT
BRINGING RESOURCES, AND BRINGING
THAT VOICE OF THOSE FORWARD. AND
I WANT TO THANK YOU, SHERIFF,
FOR CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD
AND BRINGING UP THE TOPIC. THE
STATE MOVED FORWARD ON GANG
VIOLENCE, MOVED FORWARD ON
FENTANYL, BUT WE HAVEN'T MOVED
FORWARD ON MAKING SURE THAT
WE'RE BUILDING THAT MUTUAL
RESPECT BETWEEN CALIFORNIA'S
FIRST PEOPLE AND OUR LAW AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY AND THE
COMMUNITY IN GENERAL IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA. IF WE COULD
DO THOSE THINGS, THEN THE STATE
COULD DO THE ISSUE OF BUILDING
THAT MUTUAL RESPECT, ESPECIALLY
WITH CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE.
IT'S TIME THAT WE RISE TO THAT,
TO THAT LEVEL TO START TO
ADDRESS THIS CRISIS. WE CONTINUE
TO WORK ON ISSUES, ISSUES THAT
DEAL WITH PUBLIC LAW 280 AND
COLONIZATION PERIODS, THEFT OF
LAND, RENAMING OF A UNIVERSITY
IN SAN FRANCISCO, BUT ALSO
MAKING SURE THAT THE STEREOTYPE
FROM THE COLONIALIZATION TIME TO
WHERE WE ARE TODAY THAT WE STILL
HAVE TO TACKLE THOSE ISSUES WITH
THE S WORD AND BRINGING AROUND,
RESPECT FOR NATIVE AMERICAN
WOMEN. WE'RE STILL IN THAT ERA
HERE WITHIN 2024, AND WE HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND,
AND, AND TARA LIN AND, AND
MARLENA BEING ABLE TO SHARE YOUR
PERSONAL TESTIMONY IS ALLOWING
OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO STEP
FORWARD AND TO BRING THEIR
VOICES FORWARD, WE'RE SEEING
THAT AS THESE TESTIMONIES
UNFOLD. AND ANYBODY THAT'S OUT
THERE, EVEN IN THIS AUDIENCE
THAT NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY,
REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY, WE HAVE
OF, THE NONPROFITS HERE WITH US
TODAY, WITH MORNING STAR AND
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE AND INDIAN
COMMUNITY. IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED
TO TALK TO SOMEBODY, YOU HAVE
TESTIMONY COMING FORWARD THAT
ARE BASICALLY PUTTING THEMSELVES
OUT HERE WITH THE RAW TESTIMONY
OF TALKING ABOUT ISSUES THAT
THEY FACE SO THAT OTHERS CAN LET
THAT VOICE BE HEARD. AS WE HEARD
FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN FROM HAMU,
THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE
PLAGUING OUR PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE
TO START TO TALK ABOUT IT. IF
WE'RE GOING TO START TO REALLY
MOVE FORWARD ON THAT HEALING
ROAD TO RECOVERY. SO WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT RECOVERY, LET'S NOT
GET CAUGHT UP IN THE STEREOTYPE
OF RECOVERY WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE
. WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH AN
ISSUE IN INDIAN COUNTRY,
CALIFORNIA AND THE NATION OF
RECOVERY FROM HISTORICAL TRAUMA.
AND THAT STARTS WITH BEING ABLE
TO BE OPEN TO TALK TO SOMEBODY.
AND IT'S BY YOU PUTTING YOURSELF
OUT HERE AND TELLING YOUR
TESTIMONY, THAT YOU'RE ALLOWING
THAT VOICE TO BE HEARD FROM
WITHIN PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU FOR
THAT. AND THAT POWER THAT YOU
BRING FORWARD. AND ALSO WITH
MARLENA, WITH THAT POWER AND
JUST COMING FORWARD AND ANYONE
ELSE OUT THERE THAT NEEDS TO
SPEAK TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW,
INDIGENOUS JUSTICE IS THERE IN
THE NONPROFITS ARE THERE. AND
PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WILL SIT
THERE AND TALK WITH YOU. SO IT'S
TIME THAT NOT ONLY OUR VOICES BE
HEARD, BUT IT'S TIME THAT WE
START TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT
ROAD TO RECOVERY, BUT ALSO
CALLING ON THE STATE TO START TO
HEAL, THAT PRACTICE OF MUTUAL
RESPECT, SO THAT WE START TO
TRULY ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR BEING HERE, TO OFFER YOUR
VOICE IN THIS TESTIMONY ON
PANELS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AS NOW WE
MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK
YOU. PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE
TAKEN FROM THOSE HERE IN THIS
THIS CHAMBER, THIS HEARING ROOM,
YOU'LL BE LIMITED TO 1 TO 2
MINUTES APIECE, SO WE'LL OPEN UP
WITH PUBLIC COMMENT NOW AS WE
MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT. GOING
ONCE. I THINK NOT SEEING ANY
PUBLIC COMMENT, MOVING FORWARD,
WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF
OUR PANEL AND ACKNOWLEDGE, THAT
THIS HEARING IS RECORDED AND
MOVING FORWARD. SO YOUR VOICES
OF CALIFORNIA'S FIRST PEOPLE
MOVING FORWARD AND ALL THAT YOU
ADDED TO THIS DISCUSSION, IS NOW
IN THE ARCHIVES OF THE STATE
LEGISLATURE AS NOW WE ADJOURN
THIS HEARING