Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed state budget includes a request for $450,000 per year over the next four years for research into the history of native people. The Governor's recently formed Native American Truth and Healing Council would then have a budget of $225,000 for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The money would cover the cost of stipends and travel for the members of the council, according to a Sacramento Bee report. It would also be used to pay for someone to do historical research on native Americans in California. Money has even been earmarked for mental health services, since the council members say people attending their meetings will subjected to discussions involving the sometimes traumatic treatment of California tribes.
Governor Newsom formed the council last summer just months after taking office. He also issued a formal apology for violence against native Americans.
"We will apologize on behalf of the citizens of California to all California native Americans for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, neglect, (and) murder inflicted on the tribes," Newsom said during a blessing ceremony at the West Sacramento site of a California Indian Heritage Center.
The council is charged with completing the historical research and filing a report on tribal history dating back to the middle of the 19th century, when California became a state. Their stated goal is to balance out what they see as a practice of viewing the state's history from an Anglo-American perspective.