Tribal Leaders at Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering Criticize Newsom's Vetoes of Tribal Bills
Thousands gathered on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay before dawn on October 12, Indigenous Peoples Day, for a sunrise gathering commemorating the 19-month occupation of the island from 1969 to 1971 by the Indians of All Tribes, a protest against federal Native American policies.
At the gathering, several tribal leaders criticized Governor Gavin Newsom's recent vetoes of two bills backed by California tribes: AB 2218 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, which would have required the state to address water inequities facing tribes and was vetoed on September 30; and AB 1881, the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026, by Assemblymember James Ramos, which would have strengthened protections for tribal religious practices and sacred sites. In his veto message, Newsom said he was sympathetic to AB 1881's aims but that its potential effects on state operations and the management of public property required further discussion and review. Days before the vetoes, Newsom had signed a law formalizing the state's apology for historical harms against California's Native peoples.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 恶魔岛航拍全景。Ralf Baechle 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，维基共享资源
