August 6, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 32

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Signal Tribune

INSIDE: Signal Hill View Park update: groundbreaking and possible renaming

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VOL. XLIII NO. 32

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Serving Bixby Knolls, California Heights, Los Cerritos, Wrigley and Signal Hill

LOCAL NONPROFIT

Friday, August 6, 2021 PUVUNGNA

Karla M. Enriquez | Signal Tribune

The Ronnie’s House team and “Resiliency and Healing” summit attendees pose at the event on Saturday, July 31. The summit provided resources, workshops and roundtables for justice-impacted folks.

Ronnie’s House resumes mission of late activist, brings resources to the justice-impacted

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Karla M. Enriquez Digital Editor

Digital Editor

Karla M. Enriquez | Signal Tribune

Since its inception, the organization has aimed to bring justice-impacted people mental health support, family support services, one-on-one re-entry coaching and financial literacy among other resources. One of its services is a 24-hour hotline that connects people to service providers that can assist in their re-entry. Some of the resources provided include workforce training and access to food or clothing. An app with the same service is coming soon. “Everything that we do is to make sure that access is available for our justice-impacted at any given moment,” Senegal said. When she and her team ask folks what could have kept them from going back to prison they all have a similar answer—mentoring and direction—something the organization strives to do. “They release you with $200 and a lot of times they give you a book of resources,” formerly incarcerated attendee April Watkins said, noting that the lists are often outdated. “You’re stuck to your own devices,” she said. “Getting information that is actually going to help is helpful because unfortu-

State Native American Heritage Commission to conduct investigation into CSULB’s dumping at Puvungna Karla M. Enriquez

hirin Senegal has a mission. She vowed to continue the work of her husband, Ronnie Senegal, advocating for the formerly incarcerated after losing him to gun violence. For the past six years, her voice hasn’t faltered. On a sun-soaked Saturday morning, Senegal’s voice carried through the rooms of a North Long Beach church where 30 justice-impacted individuals took part in a three-day “Resiliency and Healing” summit. In the main hall, Senegal talked to the group sitting before her about the importance of credit and financial literacy as they navigate their way back into society.

Bridging the resource gap for re-entry

Lissette Mendoza | Signal Tribune

In’yoni Felix, member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, performs a traditional jingle dance on Puvungna on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.

(From left) Billy Brown, director of violence prevention and intervention at Ronnie’s House, Executive Director Shirin Senegal and Logan Baughman III, director of wellness pose at the “Resiliency and Healing” summit on Saturday, July 31.

nately there’s so much recidivism because people are left to their own devices.” According to a 2019 report by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recidivism rates in California “have remained stubbornly high” averaging about 50% over the past ten years. The same report concluded that Corrections is failing to place incarcerated folks in appropriate rehabilitation programs, leaving people’s needs unmet upon release. “It’s so important that people are given that ability to [have] see RONNIE’S HOUSE page 4

The California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) will move ahead with an investigation into the 2019 dumping of dirt and debris by California State University, Long Beach onto Puvungna land after a unanimous vote on Friday, July 30. The move comes after Indigenous groups and the California Cultural Resource Preservation Alliance (CCRPA) filed a lawsuit in October 2019 following the dumping. The lawsuit contends that CSULB violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it dumped 6,400 cubic yards of construction dirt and debris at Puvungna without conducting an environmental review. The 22-acre parcel of land at CSULB is culturally, historically, and spiritually significant for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation-Belardes and other Native American groups in Southern California. “This site is so so important to us,” said Acjachemen Tribal Culture Bearer Rebecca Robles during public comment. “We know that it’s our duty, our responsibility to preserve it for the next generations.” see PUVUNGNA page 4

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August 6, 2021 | Vol. XLIII No. 32 by Signal Tribune - Issuu