Pala Band of Mission Indians announces tribal election results

PALA – The Pala Band of Mission Indians recently announced that all of the incumbent candidates for the Tribal Council were overwhelmingly re-elected, including chairman Robert Smith, tribal treasurer Theresa Nieto and council member Sheila Lopez.

Chairman Smith has served as tribal chairman since first being elected in 1990. Theresa Nieto has served on the Tribal Council since 2001 and Sheila Lopez was re-elected to a third term as councilmember at-large, a position she has held since 2012.

“I am extremely proud to continue to serve the tribe as chairman,” said Robert Smith. “We had a great election turnout and the strong support for our current Tribal Council members illustrates confidence in the progress we have made culturally, socially and economically. The Tribal Council and I look forward to continuing this progress and achieving even more in the years to come.”

The election was held Nov. 15. Tribal council members each serve a two-year term, with half of the Tribal Council up for election each year. The other offices of vice-chairman, secretary and the second tribal councilmember at-large are voted on in odd-numbered years.

The Pala Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized tribe whose reservation is located along the Palomar Mountain range approximately 30 miles northeast of San Diego. The majority of the over 900 tribal members live on the 12,000-acre reservation, established for Cupeño and Luiseño Indians, who consider themselves to be one proud people - Pala.