VARGAS, ISSA BRING BACK BILL FOR TRIBAL SITE TRUST

Legislation reintroduced to protect 721 acres of land considered sacred

Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, and Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, reintroduced legislation last week to place into trust around 720 acres considered sacred to the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

The bill passed the House of Representatives on Nov. 2, 2021, and was reported to the Senate by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in June 2022, where no further action was taken.

“This bipartisan legislation will preserve a 700-acre span of sacred tribal land and ensure the protection of timeless heritage, culture, tradition and history,” Issa said. “I am proud to join my friend Rep. Vargas and provide the Pala Band of Mission Indians with new stewardship and the ability to manage and preserve their historical land into the future.”

The legislation is intended to authorize Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to transfer 721 acres of land — which includes a sacred site known locally as Gregory Mountain or as Chokla in Luiseño — that was acquired by the Pala into a trust for the benefit of the tribe and its members.

Chokla is next to state Route 76 and looms above the San Luis Rey River, the Pala Casino and an old quarry. A controversial 20-year fight to build a landfill at its foot in Gregory Canyon was stopped in 2016 when the Pala Band of Mission Indians purchased a portion of the site for $13 million.

In 2019, Pala Band Chairman Robert Smith testified to Congress that the land was historically occupied by Native peoples and is a site of an ancestral village, rock art paintings and ancient artifacts.

“This legislation would place culturally significant ancestral lands into federal trust and ensure the people of Pala can continue to preserve our legacy and traditions for future generations,” Smith said. “We are grateful for Congressman Issa’s long-standing commitment to support this important effort.”

The Pala Band — made up of descendants from both Cupeño and Luiseño peoples — have used