On California Native American Day, September 25, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills that makes the day a paid state holiday, formalizes an apology from the Legislature and courts for historical harms against Native people, and makes the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent under state law.
Key Takeaways
- AB 1841 by Assemblymember James C. Ramos makes California Native American Day, held on the fourth Friday of September, a paid state holiday.
- AB 2115, the Rowena Mae Ramos Act, has the Legislature and the courts formally apologize to California Native Americans, building on Newsom’s 2019 executive apology.
- AB 2507 by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen makes the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs, created in 2022, a permanent part of state government.
- AB 2507 also creates a Tribal Advisory Committee, clarifies the role of tribal liaisons in state agencies, and sets clearer standards for tribal consultation.
- Ramos, the first California Native American elected to the Legislature, has pushed for recognition of the day since 1998.
California Native American Day Becomes a Paid State Holiday
California has recognized Native American Day on the fourth Friday of September for years, but until now it has been a holiday in name only for most state workers. AB 1841, authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos, makes the day a paid state holiday.
Ramos described the bill as setting the foundation for a paid holiday that recognizes the role Native communities have played in shaping California’s culture and identity. The signing timing was deliberate: Newsom acted on the holiday itself.
For Ramos, the signing ends a campaign that began long before he held office. A member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, he first worked on the issue in 1998 as a San Manuel tribal council member alongside then-Assemblymember Joe Baca Sr. In 2021, Ramos authored AB 855, which created a paid judicial holiday for court employees on California Native American Day in place of Columbus Day. AB 1841 extends that recognition to the broader state workforce.
The bill drew support from tribal governments and labor. California Native Vote Project sponsored the measure. SEIU Local 1000, which represents nearly 100,000 state workers, backed it, and union President Anica Walls called the day an opportunity to acknowledge the truth of shared history and honor Indigenous communities.
The Rowena Mae Ramos Act Extends the State’s Apology to the Legislature and Courts
In 2019, Newsom issued California’s first formal apology to Native Americans for the violence, mistreatment and neglect the state inflicted on tribes. That apology came from the executive branch. AB 2115, the Rowena Mae Ramos Act, extends it to the other two branches of state government.
Under AB 2115, the California Legislature and the courts apologize to California Native Americans. As the State of California, they recognize and accept responsibility for the harms and atrocities committed by public officials who promoted, permitted, facilitated and enforced policies of violence against Native people. The bill covers conduct dating back to 1850, the year California became a state.
The bill is named for Ramos’s mother, a tribal elder who dedicated her life to teaching Native American history and culture. The Legislature passed AB 2115 on August 26.
The significance lies in who is apologizing. Many of the policies that devastated California tribes in the state’s early decades were written into law by the Legislature and upheld by the courts. An apology from those branches carries institutional weight that an executive statement alone cannot.
AB 2507 Puts the Tribal-State Framework Into Law
The third major bill in the package addresses how California works with tribal governments every day. Newsom created the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs in 2022, but an office established by executive action can be restructured or eliminated by a future governor. AB 2507, authored by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, writes it into state law.
AB 2507 also creates a Tribal Advisory Committee, clarifies the responsibilities of tribal liaisons across state agencies, and sets clearer standards for tribal consultation statewide. Consultation standards matter in practice. They shape how tribes are brought into decisions on land use, water, cultural resources, health care and infrastructure projects that affect tribal lands and communities.
What the Legislation Means for California Tribes
California is home to a large and diverse Native population, with more than 100 federally recognized tribes and many others without federal status. For decades, tribal leaders have pushed for recognition that goes beyond symbolic gestures, including stable government-to-government relationships that do not depend on who holds office.
Taken together, the three bills address both sides of that goal. The paid holiday and the legislative apology deal with public recognition and historical accountability. The permanent Office of Tribal Affairs and the new consultation standards create lasting structures for partnership going forward.
This year’s California Native American Day theme, “Inherent Sovereignty: Tribal Nations Fighting to Protect Our People and Defend Our Land,” reflects that emphasis on self-governance and protecting tribal lands and communities.
FAQs
When is California Native American Day?
California Native American Day falls on the fourth Friday of September each year. In 2026, it was September 25.
Is California Native American Day now a paid state holiday?
Yes. AB 1841, signed on September 25, 2026, makes California Native American Day a paid state holiday. Court employees have had a paid holiday on the day since the passage of AB 855 in 2021.
What is the Rowena Mae Ramos Act?
The Rowena Mae Ramos Act, AB 2115, has the California Legislature and courts formally apologize to California Native Americans and accept responsibility for harms committed by public officials since 1850. It is named for Assemblymember James C. Ramos’s mother.
What does AB 2507 do?
AB 2507 makes the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent, creates a Tribal Advisory Committee, clarifies the role of tribal liaisons in state agencies, and sets clearer standards for tribal consultation.
Has California apologized to Native Americans before?
Yes. Governor Newsom issued the state’s first formal apology in 2019. AB 2115 extends that apology to the Legislature and the courts.
