New law requires California schools to teach about historical mistreatment of Native Americans

Associated Press/Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law requiring public schools to teach about the historical mistreatment of Native Americans during the Spanish colonization and gold rush periods. The Democrat approved the measure on California Native American Day. It comes after Newsom issued a formal apology in 2019 for the state’s violence against and mistreatment of Native Americans. The law will take effect in a state home to the second-most federally recognized Indigenous tribes in the country. A state lawmaker who authored the bill says it will help students learn a more accurate history of the experiences of Native Americans.