Long before the State Capitol was built the Miwok Indians lived, hunted and fished in what became Sacramento. Now – for the first time - California’s First People have a monument in Capitol Park to honor the Indigenous People of California. Assemblymember James Ramos, the only Native American in the State Legislature, is leading the way to right the historical wrongs, educate everyone on the real history of Native Americans in the Golden State and honor tribal ancestors.
More than 400 celebrate historic Native American monument in Capitol Park honoring tribes
on whose land the state Capitol now stands
State marks Native American Heritage Month by unveiling 10th
tribute in the park commemorating California heroes & protectors
SACRAMENTO—On a cool, breezy Sacramento morning, more than 400 tribal members, dignitaries and students gathered to unveil the first-ever Capitol monument acknowledging tribes residing in California and their millennia-long, resilient presence on land now known as California.
The historic tribute specifically recognizes the Sacramento region tribes of Wilton Rancheria, Ione Band of Miwok Indians, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.
The new monument is the tenth addition to a park memorializing California’s firefighters, veterans, and public safety officers. It is the first addition to the park since 2009, when the statue of Thomas Starr King was brought to California from Boston. King was a Civil War-era minister, orator, and abolitionist. The park was envisioned in 1863 as a place to reflect and celebrate the state’s history and natural beauty, according to the Capitol Park website.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos—first California Native American elected to the Legislature since statehood in 1850—authored AB 338 in 2021, which authorized the monument.
Ramos said, “This monument—now a centerpiece of Capitol Park—adds a new and long overdue chapter to California’s relationship with its tribes. As a state, we are beginning to tell our history from a broader, more complete, and accurate perspective by including the voice of California Native Americans.” He added, “As Native Americans, we have been invisible, romanticized, minimized, or disparaged for centuries. That is not easily or quickly undone. But today I am proud to be Native American and proud to be a Californian.”
The Miwok skirt dancer portrayed in the monument is modeled after William J. Franklin Sr., the late respected Miwok leader and cultural dancer. Franklin played a critical role in preserving Miwok dances and traditions, and helped build three Northern California roundhouses, dedicated spaces for Native American ceremonies, songs, dances, and gatherings. Sacramento sculptor Ronnie Frostad designed the project.
“Mr. Franklin was a teacher of Native culture and he understood that our stories, songs, and culture need to be shared and taught to new generations,” Ramos said. “He would have been pleased to see so many students here, of all ages—and particularly proud to see students from a school recently named Miwok.” Until June, Miwok Middle School was named after John Sutter, who enslaved Native people during California’s Gold Rush period.
Wilton Rancheria Chairman Jesus Tarango stated, “Today’s unveiling signifies the start of a new era at the California State Capitol. One where we stop uplifting a false narrative and start honoring the original stewards of this land by telling a true and accurate portrayal of California’s journey to statehood.
“Every tribe across the state has their own Bill Franklin, a leader who fought to keep our cultures and traditions alive during a time where it was dangerous to do so. This monument serves to thank and honor each one of them.
“It also celebrates the power California Tribes have when we work together to achieve a common goal. I would like to thank my fellow Tribal Leaders and Assemblymember Ramos for their collaboration throughout this legislative process.”
Sara Dutschke, chairperson of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, applauded the joint tribal effort. “AB 338 [the law authorizing the statue] paved the way for real collaboration and partnership among many of the Miwok tribes of the Sacramento region,” Dutschke said. “Working together, we have achieved an amazing accomplishment: Installation of the very first monument on State Capitol grounds that honors California’s First People. This sort of recognition for our people is long overdue and represents an important step toward telling the true history of California.”
Lloyd Mathiesen, chairman of the Chicken Ranch Rancheria, stated,“We are so excited for this day—for this day and this statue to forever be a reminder of where we came from and that if we stand together, we can accomplish anything.”
Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians Chairwoman Rhonda Pope said, ”AB338 is a step toward healing for the hundreds of thousands of our ancestors who lost their lives due to the genocide of the missions led by Junipero Serra.”
Dignitaries attending the event included state Treasurer Fiona Ma, local school board members and other elected officials, regional tribal leaders, and more than 300 students from area schools.
AB 338 (Ramos, 2021) History
1965: Governor Pat Brown signs AB 1124 into law, paving the way for a Father Junipero Serra monument and its maintenance by the state for 50 years.
1967: The Father Junipero Serra monument erected.
July 4, 2020: Protestors topple Father Junipero Serra monument in Capitol Park Jan. 28, 2021: AB 338 is introduced and paves the way for construction and maintenance of a monument honoring California Native American people of the Sacramento region on the grounds of the State Capitol. Supporters of the measure include Barona Band of Mission Indians, California Tribal Business Alliance, Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-wuk Indians of California, California Nations Indian Gaming Association, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
May 27, 2021: California State Assembly approves AB 338 by a vote of 66-2 and moves to the State Senate.
Aug. 24, 2021: Debate takes place on the Senate Floor. California State Senate approves AB 338 by a vote of 28-2 and heads to the governor’s desk.
Sept. 24, 2021: Governor Gavin Newsom signs AB 338 into law.
Nov. 14, 2022: Groundbreaking for the California Native American Monument.
Nov. 7, 2023: Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony for the California Native American Monument.
About William J. Franklin Sr.: Miwok Elder and Inspiration for Capitol Park Monument
William J. Franklin Sr. was a Miwok Indian leader and cultural preservationist whose efforts to preserve and promote the Miwok and other Native American cultures—most notably, the traditional dances—will be long remembered. He was born in Nashville, California, located in El Dorado County, on September 20, 1912, and crossed over on May 2, 2000.
Mr. Franklin was proud of his Native American roots and championed fostering knowledge and respect of California Indians. This included successful lobbying to create a place where California Indians could practice their traditional heritage on historical lands which led to creation of Grinding Rock Park, also known as Grinding Rock-Chaw’se in Pine Grove, California. He also served as a consultant to the Department of Parks and Recreation and helped build three California roundhouses — dedicated space for ceremony, songs, dances and gatherings. In 1979, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Mr. Franklin to serve on the Native American Heritage Commission.
Even as a young man, he was a farsighted advocate for his people, and petitioned the United States government for land on which the Ione could build homes without fear of being moved.
In the 1940s, Mr. Franklin and others founded the Federated Indians of California to voice Native American concerns. About this same time, he also began researching Miwok ceremonial life by assembling regalia, interviewing elders, and collecting songs. Mr. Franklin had been a dancer since the age of 12 at the Jackson Valley roundhouse and refused to let Miwok traditions die.
Mr. Franklin’s many endeavors helped ensure traditional and historic practices continue and continue to inspire younger generations.
At his passing, Mr. Franklin was survived by four sons, seven daughters, 38 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
0:02This is Look West, a podcast from California's Assembly Democrats.
0:14I'm a late, it's not just about putting up monuments and changing names.
0:22It's about coming to terms with a nation and a state for the hard passing treatment towards here.
0:29In this case, California's first people so that healing could start to take place that healing has never take taken place here in the state.
0:36It's starting to now, but we have a long way to go want to long before California became California.
0:47Miwok Indians lived, hunted and fished in the region that would become known as Sacramento.
0:53Now, more than 100 and 50 years after California became a state.
0:57There's a monument to California's first people on the grounds of the state Capitol.
1:02Hi, I'm Connor Turcott Flu West on a cool breezy morning during Native American Heritage Month, an 8 ft tall bronze statue of William Franklin Senior was unveiled in Capitol Park.
1:14Hundreds of tribal leaders, dignitaries and students from a nearby middle school that now bears the miwok name gathered for the unveiling.
1:22I count to three H where by he I do want to mention too for those of you guys who are wondering grandpa Bills, we have them facing directly at the rotunda.
1:41And just to share a little information when we asked how we wanted him positioned, we wanted him to keep an eye on the Capitol.
1:47Let everybody know that we're watching, we're watching what you're doing, right?
1:51So for those of you guys who know Grandpa Bill is gonna always keep his eye for Indian country on that Capitol over there, for us, the Franklin Monument specifically recognizes Sacramento area tribes and bands.
2:11But as assembly speaker Robert Riva said during the unveiling ceremony, it really represents all of California's first people.
2:19As many of you know, the the land we are standing on the land we are surrounded by belongs to California's first people.
2:30And the unveiling of this monument honors the many tribes who continue to thrive here here and across our state.
2:38This moment, this day belongs to all of you for the tribal leaders.
2:43The dedication of the Franklin statue is significant and historic.
2:47Jesus Tarango is the chair of the Wilton Rancher Rio.
2:50Today's unveiling signifies the start of a new e here in California at our state Capitol one where we stopped uplifting a false narrative and start honoring the original stewards of this land by telling a true and accurate portrayal of California's journey to statehood today is simply not an attempt to erase or rewrite history.
3:21On the contrary, it is an important step in telling an honest account of what happened on this land.
3:28It also serves as a reminder to every California native person that is here today or in the future that our simple existence is a true miracle and that we owe it not only to those who came before us, but also the future generations to continue to take up this fight.
3:46It is a reminder to occupy the spaces they have fought so hard to create and to use it for the betterment of all California people and not let outside forces or interests divide us because we are so much stronger when we work together to achieve these great accomplishments.
4:07Andrea Reich is the chair of the 12 Me Band of Mio Indians.
4:11As I stand beside my fellow leaders and amongst my community members, I am celebrating, celebrating because this could not have been done without the hard work, leadership, dedication to this project and support of the citizens and councils that we each serve.
4:28It's important to embrace and promote education about our history.
4:34And this statue is another step in that direction.
4:38This statue represents a symbol of strength and carrying on and sharing our teachings and our traditions so that they are not forgotten to all the statue represents resilience shown by our ancestors to continue teaching and upholding those traditions that they fought and sacrificed so much to hold on to, to pass down to the generations of today.
5:02I'm so excited to share this statue with all who come to visit the Capitol grounds.
5:07Honoring all of California's first peoples determined to never let their language, those teachings and our traditions be torn away from us as we dedicate this statue.
5:20Today.
5:20I hope that all of the visitors of the Capitol grounds can now acknowledge the people that came before them and the people that once occupied these lands.
5:31Mikola Taku from me to all of you.
5:33I thank you, please.
5:40Robert Geary is the tribal historic preservation officer for the Elam Indian colony of Pomo Indians.
5:47Today is a good day.
5:49Today is a day that we see a likeness like us.
5:54Today is a strong day that gives us the opportunity to show that we're still here like we heard before.
6:03Even though we walk by you, we're in our nice jackets and pants and everything else and we're not in our feathers.
6:11We walk amongst you and we're still here.
6:14And Sarah Dusky is the chair of the own band of Mio Indians.
6:18Installation of this amazing statue honoring our elder Bill Franklin represents a very significant and historic shift in the way we as miwok people and California Indian people are viewed at the state's capital.
6:32This monument is an important step in righting the wrong of erasing the true history around California Indian people, but it's also more than just a representation of the past.
6:44It represents not only who we were as Indian people but who we continue to be today.
6:52We're not just relics of the past.
6:55Some still think that we are certainly more than the businesses we operate.
7:02We continue to survive and thrive as, as communities who value and celebrate culture and tradition on a daily basis.
7:11We dance and sing in precisely the same way that our ancestors did.
7:16We continue to support one another in our endeavors within our own tribes and among the other tribes, I'm really excited that now when adults and in particular Children, and there's a lot of them out there today, visit the State Capitol.
7:32They'll be able to see a true representation of the first people of these lands.
7:37And it's a representation of us by us, one that we chose and one that will help everybody understand who we truly are as California Indian people.
7:50But even more importantly, and I say this as somebody who grew up very traditionally here in California at a time when maybe when I was young, it, it wasn't super popular still to be native American, to be Indian.
8:05Most importantly, our own people can now see themselves reflected and honored here in the state's capital.
8:11That's long overdue citizens of the IOM Band and the other sponsoring tribes can take pride in the fact that they have contributed to this important monument in history.
8:22No longer were all will our Children feel invisible on their own land or be made, made to feel as though our history doesn't matter.
8:30Instead, they'll see themselves reflected in the statue and be reminded of the strength of our people.
8:42The story behind how the statue of William Franklin came to be installed in Capitol Park includes George Floyd Junipero Serra and assembly member James Ramos.
8:52We'll get to that in just a moment first.
8:55Just who is William Franklin chairman Tarango told us there are many William Franklins.
9:00Well, William Franklin, depending on how you ask that to certain people.
9:04He was my uncle.
9:05, but I called him grandpa, he was a grandpa to me.
9:09He was my, in our world.
9:11We call our dance captains hypos and, and Bill Franklin was our, our hypo.
9:16But I think when you look at a Bill Franklin, there's thousands of Bill Franklin's here in California.
9:21when you look at his story,, it's very similar, very similar story here to the north and the south.
9:28You know, grandpa, Bill was a, was one of Sherman.
9:32He went to Sherman the boarding school, you know, that's a, that's a big topic right now what we're talking about.
9:37, but the beauty in him going to that boarding school, there was others like him, Robert Levi, from Torres Martinez.
9:44you know, spiritual leader down there in his, in his region, Jimmy James, to the North, was also at Sherman and Bill Franklin.
9:53And so, you know, like Bill Franklin to me was one of 1000 people here in our state.
9:58that wanted more, wanted to preserve our culture, wanted to educate people on our culture.
10:03And, and so again, it's so fitting to be here, this is his home, his territory.
10:08But the statute to me, you know, in that people say, well, why Bill Franklin?
10:12It's because I think it's so easy to say.
10:14Every tribe probably has a Bill Franklin during the unveiling of the statue, an emotional Teresa Yarra, the daughter of William Franklin enjoyed telling the crowd about her dad.
10:25I know that he touched a lot of lies by all the faces I see here, his Children, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, you know, and just a little history on it.
10:38He was born in Nashville, El Dorado County, September 20th, 1912.
10:44His mother died when he was only three years old.
10:47So him and all of his sisters were orphaned and they all went to different parts of the state.
10:53Some went to Oregon, some went to Stewart.
10:57It's just a brief little history.
10:59You know, one reason that he decided to dance and start the dance group is because he wanted for the sake of preservation and the realization within his own community.
11:11But to reach into something that was uns semantic and insensitive American public, he was, he learned how to dance in ion by Captain Charlie, the keeper of the house and he was only 10 years old when he first went in.
11:27They were chosen, they didn't just get to go up there and say I wanna dance.
11:32They were chosen by the elders.
11:34And later on he danced with Frank Powell Ac mcauley, Henry Tip man, John Porter.
11:41And there was old Dan Gaynor was his person that he looked up to.
11:46He wanted to be like this man.
11:48And you know what, I guess he succeeded because by all the faces I see here he was a proud native man.
11:58He raised all of his kids, he did everything with his dance family.
12:04So I'm proud and I'm happy to see all of you here.
12:08And that was just a little history of dad.
12:10You know, I could go on for hours and hours, all the things he taught us when we were younger.
12:15Every weekend, we were gone dancing.
12:17We didn't have no sports, we didn't have this.
12:20It was always ok kids, time to get in the car, we're going to dance.
12:25So you know, that was his life.
12:28He led that he taught us and hopefully he taught a lot of you people that are out here right now.
12:34A whole the back story to the woman Franklin monument goes like this.
12:46Back in 1967 James Ramos was born 38 years later, he ran for his first public office.
12:54Now he's the first California Native American to be elected to the state legislature.
12:58I grew up in a mobile home trailer with my, my mom and Rowena Ramos and my dad, James Ramos rest his so, and my brothers and sisters, Elena and Tommy and Kenny and all in a, in a trailer and growing up there, it was, pretty rough.
13:15Right.
13:16We've seen a lot of, substance abuse, alcoholism, those types of things.
13:20It still plague Indian people, to this day.
13:24And along the way, we would end up lobbying up here in, in Sacramento and Washington DC.
13:30And we'd always say that one of us needed to run.
13:33And some tried Marianne Andreas from Morano.
13:37My relative hit Marin Serrano.
13:40I'm you j at them, Serrano, she ran and didn't win but she came close and Bonnie Garcia won that seat.
13:48And then, after that, we kept telling, asking people to run.
13:53And finally, someone said, well, why don't you do it?
13:55And in 2005, I ran for the Community College Board in San Marino County.
14:00And then I was, was elected and then the county board of Supervisors in 2012 was elected there.
14:06And then in 2018 attained the assembly seat that I now sit in.
14:12Two years later in May of 2020.
14:15George Floyd was murdered by police protests raged all around the country including Sacramento during one of the protests, a statue of Junipero Serra a symbol of oppression to many was toppled.
14:29Assembly member James Ramos is in his second term in the assembly and recognized the opportunity to replace the statue of a person who had enslaved natives with a monument honoring them.
14:40So we wrote Assembly Bill 33 eight.
14:42I ran a bill because I'm in the legislature, I can run bills now.
14:46So I, I ran a B 338 that would in place of that statute put up a statute to California's Indian people.
14:55And it was an effort.
14:58We had to get it through the assembly and the Senate, we hit some roadblocks, but we became successful and the governor signed it into law.
15:07And now for the first time in the state's history, there'll be a monument honoring basically all the California Indian people, specifically the Mia Nissan on people from this area.
15:18Those tribes came together to work together and lobbied and testified for a B 338.
15:24It's almost like a way of correcting the history in the state of California because now,, students and even adults that visit the Capitol will see a statue dedicated to California's first pe peoples.
15:38Ramos has given a strong voice to native Americans.
15:42He told, look West, why it's so important for people to know the accurate history of California.
15:47So it's really important because no one could start to heal unless,, someone comes to terms with,, and acknowledges a a past AAA Horrid past.
15:58In this case to California, Indian people.
16:00California came into be a state in 1850.
16:04One of the first acts in 1850 by the governor.
16:08At that time, moved forward to put out a bounty on California Indian people paying money militias in the state of California with taxpayers dollars to go out, shoot and kill Indian people that happened in 1850 moved forward.
16:24So a lot of times that his, the history books do not even mention mention about the militias that were formed with taxpayers' dollars or even the treatment towards Native American women during that time.
16:38And still to this day, we had to run a bill, a bill in 2022 that actually was a B 2022 that got rid of a derogatory name towards Native American women.
16:50And then we call it the S word.
16:51It's so derogatory for us that we don't even say it, but it took till the year 2022 for the state to acknowledge that that term is derogatory towards Native American women.
17:02So it's not just about putting up monuments and changing names.
17:08It's about coming to terms with a nation and a state for the hor passing treatment towards here.
17:14In this case, California's first people so that healing could start to take place.
17:19That healing has never take taken place here in the state.
17:21It's starting to now but we have a long way to go.
17:25Chairman Tarango also told, look West why he believes it's critical for all Californians to know the real story of their state means the world to me.
17:33you know, being being, I would say one of the younger leaders in our state in the in the in Indian country.
17:40You know, we grow up knowing what our history is, we grow up knowing our culture, most of us.
17:46you know, but it's the other cultures and the other peoples that live in our great state that don't understand.
17:52And, and so for me, you know, it's, it's very significant to tell that true story.
17:57because none of us here were alive 100 years ago, you know, 250 years ago.
18:02And so for us to figure out where we're at today and where we're trying to go to me, you can't do that until you understand each other.
18:07And, and again, California has a, to me, the darkest history in the United States as it pertains to the treatment of the first inhabitants.
18:15And so for people to understand who my people are today, You have to understand where we come from and you have to understand that also we're different, you know, there's 100 and nine fairly recognized tribes in California.
18:25And so it's not cookie cutter, you know, so you have to really take the time to learn about us individually if you'd like to, you know, but I think that, it's very significant for us to tell the accurate history so that people could have the full gamut of, of, of who these people are.
18:40Why are they, what do they eat?
18:42What do they do?
18:42What do they believe in?
18:43You know?
18:44And so for me, very important for us to tell the, the true accurate history of our state.
18:49As we wrapped up our discussion with assembly member Ramos, we asked him if California is a leader when it comes to rectifying its past abuses of Native Americans.
18:58I think California has a long way to go.
19:01Certainly, we have missing and murdered indigenous women.
19:04That's California's number five of all states of unresolved and uninvestigated murders against Native American people.
19:13But also we've led areas.
19:15the state of California is leading in, in a formal apology to California's first people.
19:21Land is being returned to tribes throughout the state of California for conservation and their voices are being heard.
19:30The truth and healing council that the governor put together is charged with the task of coming together, looking at the past treatment, but also having a plan presented to the state legislature.
19:42And so California is leading the way California and signing of a B 1936 of changing a prestigious law school's name here on the side.
19:54of, of California.
19:55Indian people is historic.
19:57California continues to lead the way in that aspect but also coming to terms with a horrid past California continues to lead the way in holding U CS and Cal State Universities accountable.
20:10for the repatriation of Native American remains that the governor and the speaker of the assembly speaker revis has supported in making sure that over 700,000 at the Cal State University system and over 500,000 at the UC system.
20:28Well, over 1.5 million remains of ancestors give back to the proper people for proper reburial.
20:37We want to thank all the tribal leaders, especially Chairman Tarango for being a part of this Look West episode and a special.
20:44Thank you to assembly member Ramos for being on the show.
20:47I'm Conor Turcott.
20:49Listen for a new look West episode on the third Thursday of every month.
20:53Thank you for listening.
20:54The Look West podcast is produced by California Assembly Democrats.
20:58When you think of Californian politics.
21:00Remember to Look West.