Amplifying this petition to stop bill AB 52 in California, which would create a two tiered system favoring federally recognized tribes over state recognized tribes. The text of the petition is below. Thanks for considering this issue. Discussion on this topic is welcome. Please share if the cause resonates with you.

PETITION OPPOSING CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 52

To: California State Legislature and Governor 

Subject: Opposition to Assembly Bill 52 Regarding Tribal Consultation

WHEREAS, California's rich cultural heritage is fundamentally tied to the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded these lands for thousands of years; and

WHEREAS, many California tribes remain without federal recognition despite their documented historical presence, cultural continuity, and ongoing community presence; and

WHEREAS, AB 52 creates a discriminatory two-tiered system that prioritizes federally recognized tribes while relegating non-federally recognized tribes to merely "participating" in consultations; and

WHEREAS, the bill explicitly states that "only federally recognized tribes are legally entitled to government-to-government consultation," thereby diminishing the sovereign rights of non-federally recognized tribes and perpetuating indigenous erasure; and

WHEREAS, all California tribes, regardless of federal recognition status, have inherent rights to protect their ancestral lands, cultural resources, and sacred sites; and

WHEREAS, many non-federally recognized tribes like the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation have been formally acknowledged by the California Legislature as the aboriginal peoples of their respective territories; and

WHEREAS, the federal recognition process itself has been widely criticized as flawed, arbitrary, and historically unjust; and

WHEREAS, policies that systematically exclude non-federally recognized tribes from meaningful consultation represent a continuation of historical genocide and cultural erasure of Indigenous peoples;

NOW, THEREFORE:
We, the undersigned, petition the California State Legislature to:

REJECT Assembly Bill 52 in its current form;

DEVELOP new legislation that ensures equal consultation rights for all California tribes, regardless of federal recognition status;

AFFIRM that tribal consultation is not merely a courtesy but a recognition of the inherent sovereignty of all tribal nations;

ESTABLISH a tribal consultation process that honors California's commitment to respecting the authority of all Indigenous peoples over their ancestral lands and sacred sites;

CONSULT extensively with both federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in the development of any new tribal consultation legislation.

Listen to Tlingit artist Nathan Jackson on Northwest Coast Design with narration by Rosita Worl on Native culture. This video is part of the Rosita Worl Collection at Sealaska Heritage Institute. Produced by the Harvard Peabody Museum in 1974.

Tlingit Elder Helen Watkins takes us through every stage of processing the devil's club plant from making beads, medicinal powder and infused salve and oil. She also shares the spiritual significance of this powerful plant.

nuučaan̂uułatḥin We are Nuu-chah-nulth is a thoughtful glimpse into the rich and diverse history of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. Elements of traditional storytelling are woven throughout a visually-artistic and engaging narrative that captures a challenging chapter of history along the western coast of Canada. This documentary highlights key moments and insights into the Nuu-chah-nulth way of life. Through a broad range of sharing, this story illustrates traditional healing, medicines and general practices, the onset of sickness and disease, impacts from the residential school era and onward to the creation of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.

Till Tomorrow is delighted to unveil the 1st episode of its web series!

Till Tomorrow is a documentary focusing on the place of Nature within eco dependent populations of the Northern Hemisphere. With a view to releasing the Feature Film towards Spring 2020, this web series aims at introducing the interviewed populations and their relationship with Nature.

This episode is dedicated to the Alaskan Native populations we met during August 2019, among which Athabaskans, Yup’iks and Cup’iks.

The Cree people of Quebec have fought hard to gain rights over the land they have managed for centuries. The mooted separation of Quebec from Canada could put this all at risk.