California breaks ground on Native American monument

By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — State officials in California are preparing to build a monument to the state’s Native American tribes. Officials on Monday broke ground on a statue to honor the late William Franklin Sr., a well-known member of the Miwok Indians. Franklin’s statue will replace a statue of Father Junipero Serra, a Roman Catholic priest who worked to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Protesters tore down the Serra statue in the summer of 2020. They viewed him as a colonialist who worked to destroy Native American tribes and culture. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law last year to replace the Serra statue with a monument for Native Americans.