(Sacramento, CA) – Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D – Highland) is proud to announce his bill strengthening the relationship between the California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) and state agencies, while also adding tribal considerations to the possession and repatriation of Native American human remains and artifacts, has passed the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Committee.
“I am pleased to bring forward this bill to strengthen communication and collaboration between Native American Tribes and state agencies as it relates to the repatriation of human remains and cultural items. As the former Chair of the NAHC we found there was a significant lack of tribal and stakeholder knowledge in this respect. This has been a major priority for me since being elected to the state legislature,” said Assemblymember Ramos.
AB 275 will require state agencies with 30 or more employees to designate one or more liaisons to engage with Native American tribes. It also updates current law with respect to the possession of California Native American human remains and funerary object for repatriation to require agencies and museums to consider “tribal traditional knowledge” as defined with comparable or greater weight than other nontribal sources of information.
The NAHC, created in 1976, is a nine-member body appointed by the Governor that identifies, catalogs, and protects Native American cultural resources. Under the current Five-Year Strategic Plan, the Commission identified several areas to improve on, which AB 275 seeks to address.
Assemblymember Ramos was appointed to the NAHC in 2007 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and reappointed by Governor Jerry Brown. In 2008 he was unanimously elected Chairman of the NAHC.
AB 275 will now move to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Left to right: Barry Brokaw representing Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Frank Molina representing San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Assemblymember James C. Ramos, Wilton Rancheria Chairman Chuckie Hitchcock, Afrack Vargas representing Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians, and Chris Lindstrom, Executive Director of the California Tribal Business Alliance.
###
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Contact: Brendan Wiles (909) 476-5023
Follow Assemblymember Ramos on social media: Facebook @AsmJamesRamos / Twitter @AsmJamesRamos / Instagram @asmjamesramos
Assemblymember James Ramos proudly represents the 40th Assembly district which includes Highland, Loma Linda, Mentone, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, and San Bernardino.