Written Comments — Santa Monica City Council, February 11, 2025

Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Mona Recalde <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2025 8:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: David Gardinier
Subject: San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians- Landback and Reparations Attachments: City Council Santa Monica SGBMI 021025 Letter.pdf

EXTERNAL
February 10, 2025
Dear Mayor Negrete and Members of the City Council,
On behalf of the historic tribe of Santa Monica, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, we would like to express our sincere encouragement and gratitude for the City of Santa Monica's ongoing efforts to explore land back and reparations initiatives. As a tribal community whose ancestral lands stretch across the Los Angeles area, we deeply appreciate the city's acknowledgment of its history and the importance of repairing relationships with the First Peoples of this region.

Our tribal member participated in the Reframe group, an initiative regarding the mural in City Hall. We are involved in the naming of Tongva Park, which reflects a significant step in honoring the legacy of the Tongva people and their enduring connection to this land. At the opening our tribe supported the event with a traditional blessing and our Tribal dancers.

We are optimistic about the potential for deeper collaboration and partnership between the City of Santa Monica and Native communities, supporting the rights and needs of the First Peoples of Los Angeles. The commitment demonstrated by the city in these endeavors is truly encouraging, and we look forward to continued engagement and progress.

We are the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva. Our lineage and community involvement run with deep roots in Los Angeles. We are the tribe that has been here since time immemorial.  Our Tribal Elders were called as the Most Likely Descendants of Encino and Puvungna as noted in these Los Angeles Times Articles from the 1980s, our tribal members were the first Most Likely Descendants  Our Tribe led the way in preserving Kuruvungna Springs, we are are still active in our connection with Kuruvungna
 We participated in the Los Angeles County Harms Report  I was in the Oval Office when President Biden signed the protection of the San Gabriel Mountains  Most recently LAUSD identified our tribe as the Gabrieleno Tongva tribe of Los Angeles We stand ready to support the city in these efforts and look forward to the next steps in this important journey. Thank you for your leadership and for your ongoing dedication to creating a more inclusive and restorative community for all.

Mona Morales Recalde
Community Outreach
San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva
Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
2 led by the Gabrieleno- Tongva Tribal Council
https://linktr.ee/GabrielenoTongva
e: [email protected]
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Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
February 10, 2025
Dear Mayor Lana Negrete and Members of the City Council, On behalf of the historic tribe of Santa Monica, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, we would like to express our sincere encouragement and gratitude for the City of Santa Monica's ongoing efforts to explore land back and reparations initiatives. As a tribal community whose ancestral lands stretch across the Los Angeles area, we deeply appreciate the city's acknowledgment of its history and the importance of repairing relationships with the First Peoples of this region.

We are the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva. Our lineage and community involvement run with deep roots in Los Angeles. We are the tribe that has been here since time immemorial.
● Our Tribal Elders were called as the Most Likely Descendants of Encino and Puvungna as noted in these Los Angeles Times Articles from the 1980s, our tribal members were the first Most Likely Descendants
● Our Tribe led the way in preserving Kurungna Springs, we are are still active in our connection with Kuruvungna
● We participated in the Los Angeles County Harms Report ● I was in the Oval Office when President Biden signed the protection of the San Gabriel Mountains ● Most recently LAUSD identified our tribe as the Gabrieleno Tongva tribe of Los Angeles We stand ready to support the city in these efforts and look forward to the next steps in this important journey. Thank you for your leadership and for your ongoing dedication to creating a more inclusive and restorative community for all.

Sincerely,
Chief Anthony Redblood Morales
Chief Antony Redblood Morales, Chairman and President of the Gabrieleno Tongva Tribal Council and San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians
Learn more about us at: Website, Instagram, Linktree
Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Monica Sahagun <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 11:46 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Agenda item #7

EXTERNAL
Honorable City Council,
After reviewing Staff Report 6841 regarding Reparations Study Session, it is clear to see how complex and layered this work has been and will continue to be.

Precisely for this reason, we believe that more clarity is needed before moving to create a defined reparations and landback process.

Questions and recommended focus:

1. List of organizations that have already met with the staff needs to have more Latino/Mexican/Indigenous/Chicano representation.

2. What criteria will be used to identify the experts mentioned in the report?

3. Proposed timeline appears too limited given the depth of work required in order to prepare a path toward reparations and landback process.

4. Immediate focus should be solely on Phase One and include a more complete review of historical data, including all communities and how these have been impacted over time and continue to be harmed by ongoing settler colonial mindsets and policies.

Thank you for your time and attention to this essential matter.

Paulina Sahagun & Monica Sahagun
Members of displaced family by 10 FWY, artists, educators, cultural producers.

Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
From: City of Santa Monica
To: Clerk Mailbox
Subject: Fw: Letter in Favor of Item 7A - Reparations and Landback Program Study Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 7:13:32 AM
Attachments: Outlook-sv3mclta.png
To submit a 311 request please visit 311.santamonica.gov, email [email protected], or call (866) 311-7266
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 458-8411
From: Angela D. Scott <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2025 11:16 PM
To: City of Santa Monica <[email protected]>; Lana Negrete <[email protected]>; Caroline Torosis <[email protected]>; Jesse Zwick <[email protected]>; Dan Hall <[email protected]>; Ellis Raskin <[email protected]>; Barry Snell <[email protected]>; Natalya Zernitskaya <[email protected]>; Lisa Parson <[email protected]>; David White <[email protected]>
Cc: Robbie Jones <[email protected]>; Joanne Berlin <[email protected]>; Janet McKeithen <[email protected]>
Subject: Letter in Favor of Item 7A - Reparations and Landback Program Study

EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor ProTem Torosis, and City Council Members, I am writing to express my strong support for Item 7A, the Reparations Study Session, scheduled for discussion at the upcoming City Council meeting on February 11, 2025. This initiative marks an essential advancement toward redressing the long-standing injustices and damages that Santa Monica's marginalized communities have endured.

The Reparations & Landback Program seeks to examine historical wrongs inflicted on Santa Monica’s marginalized communities while formulating recommendations to rectify these issues. The process will incorporate community input, along with truth-telling to create a foundational harms report and legal repair suggestions. Through its phased approach which establishes a task force made up of community members and experts, the program guarantees alignment between the task force's direction and the Council's vision as well as community requirements.

Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
Adoption of this process will validate Santa Monica's dedication to racial justice and help build an equitable future for all its citizens. The program demonstrates a commendable commitment by ensuring accountability for historical injustices and contemporary wrongdoings while offering restitution for specific verified instances of historical harm to victims and their descendants.

The program shows a sustainable and strategic approach to recommendation implementation through its assessment of diverse funding options such as grants and community fundraising efforts. This initiative recognizes historical wrongs while establishing a foundation for an equitable and inclusive tomorrow.

The City Council should endorse Item 7A to advance the Reparations & Landback Program.

Santa Monica has the opportunity to establish itself as an influential model for other communities through this action while simultaneously strengthening its dedication to justice and diversity.

Thanks in advance for your consideration of this letter.

Warmest,
Angela
Angela D. Scott (she/her), MBA/V
Student, Doctor of Education, Ed.D.

Organizational Change and Leadership
"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining.

You make progress by implementing ideas." - Shirley Chisholm I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.

Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
1 Edgar Sernas
From: Kevin McKeown <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2025 10:42 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Comment on item 7-A “Reparations Study Session” Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged

EXTERNAL
I urge you to boldly champion reparaƟons, even though some of our consƟtuents may be uncomfortable with the necessary acƟons. We must undo the racist history of Santa Monica, including past policies for which we may not personally have been responsible.

At the same Ɵme, I suggest you focus on Ɵmeliness by starƟng with restoraƟve jusƟce for regreƩable acƟons actually taken locally by the City of Santa Monica. The breadth of study suggested in the staff report could delay needed responses on the injusƟces for which our own City has greatest culpability.

Please consider that rather than try to correct past wrongs at the state and naƟonal level all by itself, the City of Santa Monica might more effecƟvely demonstrate righteous response by showing leadership on our own most local lapses.

Last March, our Santa Monica DemocraƟc Club voted overwhelmingly to support reparaƟons, including both the legislaƟve package then proposed in Sacramento and direct appropriate compensaƟon to the Silas White family for Santa Monica’s apparently racist eminent domain seizure of the planned Ebony Beach Club.

At that meeƟng, Assemblymember Reggie Sawyer-Jones posited that decisive California acƟon is needed if the rest of the country is to take reparaƟons seriously. Likewise, I would suggest that Santa Monica, as a city, has an opportune leadership role. We can and should be one city showing the rest of California how to “do the right thing right.” The Ebony Beach Club story cries out for direct jusƟce. I trust you’ll deal with that appropriately. It’s easier to successfully advocate for something when your issue has a face —but most families displaced from Santa Monica were not robbed of real property. Over generaƟons, those families were robbed of opportunity. If we’re lucky enough to enjoy the many resources and excellent schools of an “exclusive neighborhood," well, who do we think got excluded? The New York Times last year ran a story about an affordable housing struggle in South Carolina that included the following study, which I urge you to contemplate:
> By moving to beƩer neighborhoods, a pioneering study found, children from low-income families increased their average lifeƟme earnings by an average of nearly $200,000.

A “beƩer neighborhood” in Santa Monica, jobs-rich and blessed with truly superior schools, could mean the lifeƟme potenƟal will be even greater. For families robbed of opportunity, not land or real property, geƫng to join us fortunate people in a fortunate city might represent very real reparaƟons. That’s what spurred my BelMar “right to return” proposal years ago.

Please direct staff to conƟnue the needed reparaƟons work with a deliberate focus on righƟng historic wrongs that resulted from our own City decisions. The broader work, while compelling, may be beyond our reach at this Ɵme and may be beƩer accomplished by first seƫng a local example for other levels of government.

Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025
2 Thank you for considering my proposal. Were I sƟll in office, I would be proud to champion it.

Kevin McKeown
ReƟred former Mayor
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K e v I n M c K e o w n
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Item 7-A
February 11, 2025
Item 7-A
February 10, 2025

Santa Monica City CouncilFebruary 11, 2025

Santa Monica City Council
February 11, 2025