Sam Gibbons: “While I remain very supportive of this legislation and do support its adoption, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important…”

“While I remain very supportive of this legislation and do support its adoption, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important to remember that we are preserving buildings and structures that bring up uneasy memories for many who live today in California. As was noted in a recent letter to the editor which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, with the help of Spain's soldiers, thousands of California's Indians became slaves, directed by the friars to build the missions. After the missions were built, beginning in 1769, the Indians were forbidden to leave the mission boundaries. It is estimated that California's Indian population was about 310,000 at the beginning of Spanish rule. At the close of the 19th century, their population shrunk to approximately 100,000, largely due to the inhumane conditions under which the Indians were forced to live while serving as slaves. I would encourage the gentleman from California to request that the Department of the Interior not lose sight of these facts when awarding the grants authorized under this legislation. I believe it is important that when the missions are refurbished that it is not just the bricks and mortar which are restored, but also the truth.”