Pala Band of Mission Indians Documentary Nominated for Emmy Award

PALA, Calif. – The Pala Band of Mission Indians is proud to announce that their documentary, Defending the Homeland: Native American Veterans in the United States Armed Forces, has been nominated for a 2013 Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter.

In the documentary, Chairman Robert Smith and members of the Pala Band of Mission Indians share intimate details of the Tribe’s history of military service in the United States Armed Forces.

“This documentary was dedicated to the many Pala Tribal members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service and we are proud it has been nominated for this very distinguished award,” said Robert Smith, Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians. “Our Tribe has a prominent tradition of participation in the United States military, so developing this documentary was a way for us to both preserve the stories of our courageous military leaders and share those stories with the world.”

The documentary was nominated in the Military – Program/Special category. The Emmy Award winners will be announced on June 15 at the 39th Annual National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To view the documentary and to learn more about Defending the Homeland: Native American Veterans in the United States Armed Force, visit www.defendingthehomeland.com.



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.