Indian Cultural Awareness

Location: Assembly Floor

2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS HONOREES

MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2026

2026 is the third consecutive year, that the California Legislative Native American Caucus has honored remarkable California Native Americans whose leadership, service, and dedication have strengthened their communities across California. The 2026 Honorees represent a legacy of advocacy, cultural preservation, education, health care, environmental stewardship, and community service. Together, we celebrate their lasting contributions and recognize the profound impact they have made for future generations.

Rowena Ramos (Posthumous)

Rowena “Rena” Ramos is honored for the legacy of philanthropy she shared with her husband James and as an example of service to her community and practitioner of cultural pride and preservation. An elder of the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Mrs. Ramos and her husband were strongly involved in charitable giving, especially with children’s charities. Her bequests included Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, Boys and Girls Club, Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association (SEBA), and Inland Empire organizations such as The Unforgettable Foundation and, Time for Change Foundation, and many others. In March 2019, she and James were awarded the Lifetime Legacy Award from the Time for Change Foundation. Mrs. Ramos played a pivotal role in establishing early governmental guidelines to assist her tribe. She was dedicated to both her family and the reservation’s children, spending countless hours with them sharing stories and tribal culture.

Mrs. Ramos was treasured as a tribal elder, spiritual leader, mentor, culture keeper, as well as a loving and beloved matriarch and family member.

Mrs. Ramos passed on November 11, 2025, at the age of 84 and is survived by her four children, Ken (Sean), Alaina, James “Chico” (Terri), and Tommy (Maria) and grandchildren, great grandchildren and her best friend and cousin, Linda Paramo, along with several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Troy Fletcher (Posthumous)

Yurok Tribe member Troy Fletcher was a visionary leader, who achieved historic and groundbreaking accomplishments during his lifetime, and a fierce advocate for protection of the Klamath River. His achievements sowed the seeds for future tribal initiatives, such as land acquisition cooperation with competing Klamath River interests and other efforts to ensure Yurok cultural and economic protections and development.

Mr. Fletcher was raised in Pecwan, located in Humboldt County near the mouth of the Pecwan Creek. He began his career with the Yurok Tribe, the largest federally recognized California tribe, as its first tribal fisheries manager in 1994 and went on to become its Executive Director in 1999, a position he held until his passing on November 20, 2015, at the age of 53.

As Executive Director, he established the award-winning Watershed Restoration and Environmental Programs, expanded the Fisheries Program, worked to broaden reservation boundaries to include more lands with ancestral territory, and initiated negotiations with the federal government to release remaining elements of the Hoopa-Yurok Settlement Act. His success was based on his acclaimed skills as a negotiator, problem solver, leader, and the respect he demonstrated to all, including those in opposition to positions he championed.

On his passing, commentators used the word “luminary” to describe him, an appropriate word that captured his brilliance but also his great humanity which fostered high regard from all with whom he came in contact.

Betty June DuBois (Posthumous)

Betty June DuBois, from the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in southern California, was a tribal elder. She is fondly remembered by all who knew her over her long and exemplary life. Ms. DuBois passed on January 18, 2026, at the age of 92. During her long and well-lived life, she witnessed her tribe and others become economically self-sustaining. As an elder, she embraced and promoted traditional culture. With her nephew, Chairman Mark Macarro, she fostered and nurtured the customs and faith that sustained the tribe through hardship and great discrimination. Her efforts led to the acceptance of her people and tribal communities throughout the state.

Her determined and unflagging strength and wisdom were representative of the values and qualities of her tribe and the larger state tribal community.
 

Celeste Townsend

Celeste R. Townsend, Ed.D., M.B.A., president of the California Indian Nations College (CINC), has led the college on a path to become the only stand-alone and fully accredited tribal college in California. CINC is based in Palm Desert and was awarded an eight-year accreditation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. California, the state with the greatest number of Native Americans in the country, has historically had no tribal college within its boundaries. Other states with fewer Native American residents have had one to seven colleges that offer workforce training and degrees from associate through graduate levels in various fields. Native students value the culturally based approach which provides greater support than traditional approaches. Dr. Townsend’s determined and steadfast leadership at CINC is responsible for a tremendous and long overdue educational opportunity for California’s Native American students.

Dr. Celeste R. Townsend is an enrolled citizen of the Guidutikad numu Fort Bidwell Indian Community located in Northern California. She is also a descendent of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada.

Dennis Magee (Posthumous)

Dennis Magee was born and lived on the Pala Indian Reservation in Southern California until his passing on August 12, 2023. He lived a life of service to his tribal community and was a strong leader in ensuring that health care was available to all. He founded the Indian Health Council, Inc., located on the Rincon Reservation in 1970. His devotion as a health care champion was highlighted by the Indian Health Service in 1992 when the Health Council he founded was named “Most Outstanding Rural Indian Health Program in California.” Among Mr. Magee’s many efforts to increase health care access for his tribal community was a 1978 lawsuit he helped initiate. Through this landmark litigation, Rincon Band of Mission Indians v. Califano, he and others argued that the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Indian Health Service were denying Indians living within California their fair share of federal funds. For more than 30 years, he testified in Washington, D.C. about the importance and need for Indian Health Clinic funding.

Employees reported he possessed a joyful spirit that assisted them not only with their jobs but also on how to be of service to their tribal communities. Mr. Magee’s home was a place for loved ones to gather, cheer favorite sports teams, and share family milestones. His contributions to his tribe and his legacy of work to ensure equitable resources for Indian health care will be remembered and valued. At his passing, this devoted family man, uncle, and community leader was surrounded by his nieces and nephews.

Beverly Hunter (Posthumous)

Table Mountain Tribal Chairperson Beverly J. Hunter was a tribal and statewide Native American leader. She also served her tribe as chairperson of the Table Mountain Rancheria Tribal Gaming Commission, Pow-Wow Committee, and Enrollment Committee.

Chairperson Hunter played a critical role in guiding the California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. (CRIHB) and chaired that board’s Traditional Indian Health Committee. She served the CRIHB as treasurer and in other capacities. She also served as chair of the California Indian Legal Services, Title IV Parent Committee, the American Indian Health Women Association, and Central Valley Indian Health. Chairperson Hunter also was the founding Chairperson for the Central California Yokuts NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Reparation Act) Coalition with a number of other tribes. They succeeded in gaining the return and reburial of ancestors and objects held at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

Chairperson Hunter passed at age 75 and was survived by son Craig Martinez and his daughter Chanel Marinez, son Mark Martinez, sisters Charlene Jones, Bernadine Jones, Juanita Jones, and brother Lonnie Jones. She was also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and family.