FRESNO, Calif. – California will officially celebrate Native American Day as a paid state holiday starting in 2027.
Native American Day has been celebrated in California every fourth Friday of September since 1998. But it has not been recognized as an official paid holiday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1841 in September, which makes it official.
The bill was brought forward by Assemblymember James C. Ramos, the first and only Native American state lawmaker in California. He represents the 45th district, which includes San Bernardino County.
Ramos said the bill “recognizes the profound role Native communities have played in shaping the state’s culture and identity by setting the foundation for a paid state holiday.”
State officials say moving to make Native American Day a paid state holiday is about fostering pride and respect for the state’s indigenous population.
That bill was not the only one signed by Newsom recognizing Native Americans.
He also signed AB 2115, a bill that helps the state formally “recognize and accept responsibility for all of the harms and atrocities committed by its public officials, those who promoted, permitted, facilitated, and enforced policies of violence against Native people.”
The bill follows up on a formal apology the state issued in 2019 to tribal communities on behalf of the state.
A separate bill, AB 2507, makes the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent and establishes a new Tribal Advisory Committee that will help improve tribal consultation statewide.
The Office of Tribal Affairs was established in 2022.
The Tribal Council of the North Fork Rancheria — a sovereign Native American government of more than 3,000 tribal citizens based in Madera County — celebrated the moves by Newsom, including the newly established paid state holiday.
“This holiday fits in with prior actions of the governor recognizing the unique history and contributions of California’s Indigenous,” Charles Altekruse, a spokesman for the North Fork Rancheria, said in a statement.
