Pala Indian Reservation
Encyclopedia
The Pala Indian Reservation is located in the middle San Luis Rey River
Valley in northern San Diego County, California
, east of the community of Fallbrook
, and has been assigned feature ID 272502. Historic variant names used to describe the area include Mission Indian Reservation and Mission Indian Reserve. The reservation has a land area of 52.163 km² (20.140 sq mi) and reported an official resident population of 1,573 persons in the 2000 census
, about 44 percent of whom were of solely Native American
heritage. Robert H. Smith is the Tribal Chairman.
The reservation occupies parts of four 7.5 minute topographic maps: Boucher Hill, Pala, Pechanga, and Vail Lake, California. The area consists of area in and around Pala, California
. The enrolled tribal members descend from two Indian groups: a band of the Luiseño tribe, and the Cupeño Indians.
The tribe has about 1,000 members. It is a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Cupeño people were evicted in 1901 from their ancestral homeland, called Kupa, on what is now called Warner's Ranch east of Pala. This event is referred to by the tribe as the "Cupeño Trail of Tears." Upon their eviction, the Luiseños at Pala offered them a haven.
During the mission period of Spanish colonial times, Pala was the site of San Antonio de Pala Asistencia, an asistencia - an arm of the Catholic Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
, downstream toward the coast. The grounds of the former asistencia include a historic cemetery.
Traditionally a modest and sometimes poor tribe, the Pala Band now has one of the largest and most successful casinos and resort hotels in Southern California, Pala Casino Resort and Spa
. It uses proceeds from the gaming and hospitality enterprises for social services, education, and infrastructure improvements to the reservation.
Another major tribal group, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians
(Luiseño) resides to the southeast along State Route 76
.
San Luis Rey River
The San Luis Rey River is a river in northern San Diego County, California. The river's headwaters are in the Cleveland National Forest near Palomar Mountain. The river drains into the Pacific Ocean on the northern end of the city of Oceanside. The river is over long and drains...
Valley in northern San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, east of the community of Fallbrook
Fallbrook, California
Fallbrook is an unincorporated community in northern San Diego County, California. The Fallbrook census-designated place population was 30,534 at the 2010 census, up from 29,100 at the 2000 census....
, and has been assigned feature ID 272502. Historic variant names used to describe the area include Mission Indian Reservation and Mission Indian Reserve. The reservation has a land area of 52.163 km² (20.140 sq mi) and reported an official resident population of 1,573 persons in the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, about 44 percent of whom were of solely Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
heritage. Robert H. Smith is the Tribal Chairman.
The reservation occupies parts of four 7.5 minute topographic maps: Boucher Hill, Pala, Pechanga, and Vail Lake, California. The area consists of area in and around Pala, California
Pala, California
Pala is a small, mostly Native American, community located in San Diego County, California near Fallbrook. It is east of Carlsbad in the San Diego-Carlsbad metro area. In the National Geographic Names Database it is officially catalogued as feature number 1661174...
. The enrolled tribal members descend from two Indian groups: a band of the Luiseño tribe, and the Cupeño Indians.
The tribe has about 1,000 members. It is a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Cupeño people were evicted in 1901 from their ancestral homeland, called Kupa, on what is now called Warner's Ranch east of Pala. This event is referred to by the tribe as the "Cupeño Trail of Tears." Upon their eviction, the Luiseños at Pala offered them a haven.
During the mission period of Spanish colonial times, Pala was the site of San Antonio de Pala Asistencia, an asistencia - an arm of the Catholic Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, also known as Mission San Luis Rey or San Luis Rey Mission Church, was founded on June 13, 1798 in coastal Las Californias, in the present day U.S. city of Oceanside in California. The local Quechnajuichom Native American tribe became known as the Luiseño 'Mission...
, downstream toward the coast. The grounds of the former asistencia include a historic cemetery.
Traditionally a modest and sometimes poor tribe, the Pala Band now has one of the largest and most successful casinos and resort hotels in Southern California, Pala Casino Resort and Spa
Pala Casino Resort and Spa
Pala Casino Spa and Resort is a casino and hotel located in northern San Diego County, in the state of California near I-15 in Pala on the Pala Indian Reservation...
. It uses proceeds from the gaming and hospitality enterprises for social services, education, and infrastructure improvements to the reservation.
Another major tribal group, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians
Mission Indians
Mission Indians is a term for many Native California tribes, primarily living in coastal plains, adjacent inland valleys and mountains, and on the Channel Islands in central and southern California, United States. The tribes had established comparatively peaceful cultures varying from 250 to 8,000...
(Luiseño) resides to the southeast along State Route 76
California State Route 76
State Route 76 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is an important east–west route in the North County region of San Diego County that begins in Oceanside near Interstate 5 and continues east past Interstate 15 to State Route 79...
.