LA council approves formal apology to indigenous communities – Daily News

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a formal apology to the California Tribal Nations for incidents of violence, abuse and neglect committed by or related to the city.

The apology requires the approval of Mayor Eric Garcetti and is part of Los Angeles’ work to anticipate mistakes and misconduct in the city’s history.

On Indigenous Peoples Day – as the city recognizes every second Monday in October when most parts of the United States recognize Columbus Day – Garcetti and councilors Mitch O’Farrell and Kevin de Leon announced the city’s new indigenous land initiative that includes: making a formal apology, renaming Los Angeles landmarks and locations, creating indigenous cultural facilities, updating the city’s seal and flag to reflect indigenous communities, and working on renaming the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway.

The initiative was introduced by O’Farrell, a member of the Wyandotte Nation, through several proposals that will be considered by the council in November, Native American Heritage Month.

“Starting today, I will be launching a range of legislative actions and issues to highlight history, culture and advocacy; to recognize and assert the rights of indigenous peoples and the recognition of our rightful place in modern culture, government and every sector of society, ”O’Farrell said on Wednesday.

The council approved three motions on Wednesday, including the city’s formal apology which states:

“The City of Los Angeles hereby apologizes to the California tribal nations, including the Gabrieleno-Tongva, Femandeno-Tataviam and Ventureno-Chumash, for the many incidents of violence, abuse and neglect of which the city has been complicit and inflicted upon them. “

The apology also expressed the city’s commitment to working with California’s tribal states to develop strategies and solutions to correct the harmful acts of the past and improve access to city resources, including services and programs.

The council also passed a resolution to support renaming the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, which is part of Interstate 10, with a new indigenous name “to reflect a future of recognition, peace, respect and inclusion.”

The third motion, approved on Wednesday, directed the Department of Civil Rights and Human Rights to work with local tribal governments on a report to the city council on a strategy for community engagement, options for updating the symbols, within 45 days on the flag and seal of the city develop the local indigenous people and the indigenous history of the region.

According to O’Farrell, there are 160,000 members of the Native American and Alaskan communities in Los Angeles, most of them from any urban area in the country.

“These guidelines promise to be truly transformative. We look forward to working with residents and city guides to create a better future for indigenous communities across Los Angeles, ”said Rudy Ortega Jr., tribal president of the Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, when the city announced the Indigenous LAnd Initiative.

“We are in the traditional homelands of the Gabrieleno / Tongva people, but too often in the past centuries we have been without a voice,” said Anthony Morales, chairman of the Gabrieleno / Tongva Band of Mission Indians.

“Native American voices are finally being heard, and Los Angeles is listening. Today we are taking steps to heal our land and provide better representation for the descendants of the Los Angeles indigenous people. “

LA council approves formal apology to indigenous communities