A bill to urge the University of California to annually report its progress toward the return of Native American remains cleared the Assembly Higher Education Committee Tuesday on a bipartisan and unanimous vote of 12-0.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) introduced the measure, AB 226.
The return of remains and objects to the tribes is known as repatriation.
“Federal law — the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 — and the state California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 2001 are decades old,” Ramos said. “NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA require the return of our ancestors’ remains and sacred objects to appropriate descendants. Yet, decades after passage of these acts, the UC system retains thousands and thousands of remains despite two highly critical state audits and recommendations released in 2020 and 2022.”
AB 226 would also prohibit the use of Native American remains or cultural items for teaching or research.
“UC’s intransigence in following the law is shameful, and prevents the respectful burial of remains and closure for the state’s more than 100 tribes,” Ramos said.
AB 226 is sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and supported by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake and Generation Up Inc..
The bill will now head to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Ramos is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. He chairs the Assembly Committees on Rules.
Bill calling out UC system for failing to follow state and federal law advances
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