UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FIELD SERVICE
P.O . Box 746
Riverside, California
February 7, 1951
Y.iI'. James B. Ring, Area Director
Sacramento Area Office
P.O. Box 749
Sacramento 4, alifornia

Dear Mr . Ring:
In Mr. Berger's letter of January 29~ 1951, information was requested
relative to B la allotments with which there may be some dissatisfaction
on the part of certain Pala Indians . Old Pala was allotted in 1895 and
trust allotments were made to unallotted Indians in 1915 . It is probable
that friction exists between the original Pala Indians and the Warner's
Springs Indians moved to Pala about the turn of .the century.
Indians ·have been residing at Pala for many years" an Executive Order
reserving land for then having been issued as early as December Zl , 1875.
Since then many vdthdrav;als, restorations and purchases have been ma.de .
The Smiley Commission reported in December, 1891, that parts of Sections
33 and 34 in Township 9 South, Range 2 West, S.B. M. , had been occupied for
a long time and that the land should be allotted and that 11 surplus Indians
for whom there is no land,. induced to go to some other reservations. 11
There were about sixty Indians at Pala at this time.
Part of the Warner Springs Indians were tragically moved from their
homes at Agua C liente in San Jose Valley about fifty years ago.
Allotments were made in 1895 on Lands pa.tented to the band under
authority contained the Act of Januar1J 12, 1891 (26 Stat . L., 794). Those
made in 1915 were made on lands patented to the band under authority of
this act, an Act of >fa.rch 1, 19CY7 (34 Stat. L. , 1015- 1022). but mostly on
lands purchased under authority contained in the Act of May Zl, 1902 (32
Stat. L. , 257) .
The ct of May Z7 , 1902 provided an appropiation of $100,000.00 for
the purchase of a suitable tr ct of land in Southern California for the
'Varner I s Ranch Indians 11 and such · other ti.ssion Indians as may not be pro-
vided with ,suita.ble lands elsewhere, as ·the Secretary of the Interior may
see fit to locate thereon.," Under this act the Salmons Ranch consisting of
several thousand acres was purchased October 11, 1902 at a cost of $46, 280 .
 Many of the Indians residing at ala are expecting additional allot-
1
ments to be made in the near future. ndians moved from Warner Springs
and their descendants contend that they are the only Indians entitled to
allotments and that no other Indians should be allotted at Pala . They
probably feel that some allotments already made should not have been made.
They insist that the lands were reserved and bought for .them and that
the Old Pala Indians should be confined to the lindted area which they
inhabited in 1891 when the Smiley Comrnission visited Pala and stated that
the land was inadequate to pro"Vide for sixty people . The Old Pala group
insists that its members were and still are entitled to allotments. on the
Pala Reservation.
Yours truly,
7~
' I
H. W. Gilmore
District Agent

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