During September-November 30 Pala Casino Spa & Resort and the Pala Band of Mission Indians will host a ½ size replica of the American Indian Alaska Native Veterans Memorial that the committee of the same name is raising funds for to place in a site in Riverside County.
The statue is called “The Gift,” and it is an exact copy of a 12-foot bronze statue that is one tour of all California’s Indian casinos. When it is finally installed it will be surrounded by soaring golden eagles on pedestals.
“The Gift” was created by sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg. It will be the first national memorial to Indian veterans. Its location will be the Riverside National Cemetery, sometimes called the Arlington of the West because it includes the Medal of Honor Memorial, the Veterans Memorial and the Prisoner of War / Missing in Action Memorial.
The goal is to raise $3 million to complete its installation.
