Presentation: California Truth and Healing Council

Listen and learn about the findings of the California Truth and Healing Council investigation of the lasting effects of the genocide committed against California Native Americans. In 2019, the California Truth and Healing Council (CTHC) was created after Governor Newsom recognized and formally apologized for the genocide committed against Native American people in the early days of California statehood. Through present-day oral histories and revisiting early documents, the CTHC will present an official report on its findings to clarify the past and recommend possible avenues of restorative justice.

In addition to the report, the CTHC has engaged Jacob Kornbluth, an Emmy-winning director of TV, film, and theater, to produce the documentary film, “We’re Still Here.” The film follows California Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari (Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians) and Deputy Tribal Affairs Secretary Loretta Miranda (Morongo Band of Mission Indians), two California Native women who lead and convene the Council. This film project aims to educate and engage wider audiences about the diverse histories and nuances of California Indian Country, all while featuring irreplaceable personal narratives from California Native people and examining the tensions of existing as a California Native person after a state-perpetrated genocide as the state works towards healing.

To find out more information about the California Truth & Healing Council, please visit tribalaffairs.ca.gov/cthc/

Christina Snider-Ashtari serves as Tribal Affairs Secretary to California Governor Gavin Newsom and leads the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. As a member of the Cabinet, she oversees effective government-to-government consultation between the Governor’s Administration and California tribes; informs, develops and implements policy directives related to tribal governments and Native American communities; oversees the California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and the Tribal Nation Grant Fund Program; and leads the California Truth & Healing Council, an effort aimed at shifting the California narrative and providing historical restorative justice for the first people of California. Secretary Snider-Ashtari is an enrolled member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians in Sonoma County, California.

Loretta Miranda is a first-generation descendant of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and was raised on the Morongo Indian Reservation in Southern California. She currently serves as Deputy Tribal Affairs Secretary & Special Counsel for the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom and was appointed to this position by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 21, 2020. Loretta previously served as General Counsel and Associate General Counsel for the Karuk Tribe and was also a legal fellow at Berkey Williams LLP. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School. Prior to law school, she worked as the Outreach Coordinator for the Friendship House Association of American Indians, inc. in San Francisco. Loretta also serves on the Board of Directors for the California Indian Law Association.