California native tribes to get vast powers over ancestral lands under new bill

California’s first Native American state lawmaker is pushing legislation that would give tribes significantly greater authority over ancestral lands controlled by the state, which has prompted warnings from business, water and local government groups that the proposal could disrupt major public projects.Assembly Bill 1881 — known as the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026 — was introduced by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-San Bernardino) and it would require state agencies to obtain tribal approval before undertaking certain actions that interfere with Indigenous religious or cultural practices on state property. The bill would also give Native Americans and tribes the ability to challenge alleged violations in court.Ramos, the first California tribal member elected to the Legislature, has argued that Native Americans continue to face barriers to accessing sacred places and practicing traditional ceremonies on lands once occupied by their ancestors.Ramos’ office told The California Post that it’s uncertain how much state land would be impacted by AB 1881 becoming law, but it would mostly cover desert areas and parks, which are common places for indigenous people to visit and gather.“We must be able to access sacred places for ceremonies, gather traditional plants, foods and materials and have our voices heard when these rights are abridged or restricted almost to the point of denial,” Ramos said in a statement last week.The legislation comes as California has embarked on a series of moves to expand tribal control over public lands, including a new stewardship policy aimed at placing at least 7.5 million acres of land and coastal waters under Indigenous management.Earlier this month, the Big Sur Land Trust transferred an 84-acre Monterey County property to the Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation, giving the non-federally recognized tribe its first land of its own in the area.And in July, a state commission approved the transfer of a popular Mendocino Cou...