California unveils Native American monument at Capitol, replacing missionary statue toppled in 2020

By SOPHIE AUSTIN
Associated Press/Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers and tribes have unveiled a monument outside of the state Capitol commemorating the contributions of Native Americans. The statue depicts a late Native American leader who preserved cultural dances. The monument is located where a statue of a Spanish missionary once stood. Protesters toppled the statue in 2020 amid racial justice protests. Lawmakers then passed a bill authorizing tribes to plan to erect a Native American monument on Capitol grounds. Hundreds of people gathered to celebrate the statue as a symbol of the history of Sacramento-area tribes.