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Native American tribes in Texas are the Native American tribes who are currently based in Texas and the Indigenous peoples of the Americas who historically lived in Texas.
Many individual Native Americans, whose tribes are headquartered in other states, reside in Texas. The Texas Historical Commission by law consulted with the three federally recognized tribes in Texas and as well as 26 other federally recognized tribes headquartered in surrounding states.[1]
In 1986, the state formed the Texas Commission for Indian Affairs, later renamed the Texas Indian Commission,[2] to manage trust lands and assist three federally recognized tribes headquartered in Texas. However, the commission was dissolved in 1989.[3]
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Texas has three federally recognized tribes.[1] They have met the seven criteria of an American Indian tribe:
- being an American Indian entity since at least 1900
- a predominant part of the group forms a distinct community and has done so throughout history into the present
- holding political influence over its members
- having governing documents including membership criteria
- members having ancestral descent from historic American Indian tribes
- not being members of other existing federally recognized tribes
- not being previously terminated by the U.S. Congress.[4]
The three federally recognized tribes in Texas are:
- Alabama–Coushatta Tribes of Texas, originally from Tennessee and Alabama
- Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, originally from the Great Lakes
- Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas[5] originally from New Mexico.
These three tribes are served by the Southern Plains Regional Office of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs located in Anadarko, Oklahoma.[6]
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These are three Indian Reservations in Texas:
- Alabama–Coushatta Reservation, in Polk County, Texas
- Kickapoo Reservation, in Maverick County, Texas
- Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, in El Paso County, Texas.
State-recognized tribes do not have the government-to-government relationship with the United States federal government that federally recognized tribes do. Texas has "no legal mechanism to recognize tribes," as journalists Graham Lee Brewer and Tristan Ahtone wrote.[7] The Texas Commission for Indian Affairs, later Texas Indian Commission, only dealt with the three federally recognized tribes and did not work with any state-recognized tribes before being dissolved in 1989.[2] Texas has no state-recognized tribes.[8]
Several groups have claimed to be state-recognized based on congratulatory resolutions; however, "Resolutions are statements of opinions and, unlike bills, do not have the force of law."[9] For example, the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas were honored in Texas Senate Resolution 438 in 2009[10] and Texas State Concurrent Resolution 61[11] and Texas House Concurrent Resolution 171, both in 2019.[12]
Texas Senate Bill 274 to formally recognize the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, introduced in January 2021, died in committee,[13] as did Texas Senate Bill 231 introduced in November 2022.[14] Texas Senate Bill 1479, introduced in March 2023, and Texas House Bill 2005, introduced in February 2023, both to state-recognize the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation also died in committee.[15][16]
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These are some of the tribes that have existed in what is now Texas. Many were forcibly removed to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, in the 19th century, and few to New Mexico or Louisiana.[1] Others no longer exist as tribes but may have living descendants.
- Adai people, formerly eastern Texas[17]
- Apache people, western Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma
- Biloxi, formerly Neches River in the 19th century,[25] now Louisiana
- Caddo, formerly eastern Texas, now Oklahoma[26]
- Cacachau, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Eyeish, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Hainai, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma
- Kadohadacho, formerly northeast, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nabedache, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nabiti, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nacogdoche, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nacono, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nadaco, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nanatsoho, formerly Red River, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nasoni (Upper), formerly Red River, now Oklahoma[26]
- Natchitoches, formerly Red River, now Oklahoma[26]
- Nechaui, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Neche, formerly eastern, now Oklahoma[26]
- Comanche, formerly north and west,[18] now Oklahoma
- Coahuiltecan, formerly southern
- Comecrudo, formerly southern[27]
- Ervipiame, formerly south and central Texas[28]
- Geier, formerly south central[29]
- Pajalat, formerly central[30]
- Pastia, formerly south-central[31]
- Payaya, formerly south-central[32]
- Quepano, formerly south-central[33]
- Unpuncliegut, formerly south coast[34]
- Xarame, formerly south-central[35]
- Dotchetonne, formerly northeastern[36]
- Escanjaque Indians, formerly north-central[37]
- Jumano, formerly southwestern[38]
- La Junta, formerly west
- Karankawa, formerly south coast[39]
- Kiowa, formerly panhandle,[18] now Oklahoma
- Manso, formerly west[40]
- Quems, formerly southwest[41]
- Quicuchabe, formerly west[42]
- Quide, formerly west[43]
- Suma, formerly west, joined Apaches[44]
- Teyas, Panhandle[45]
- Tonkawa, formerly southeast,[18] now Oklahoma
Contemporary tribes headquartered outside of Texas
Descendants of the tribes with historical ties to Texas that are now headquartered in surrounding states are:
- Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma[1]
- Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town,[1] Oklahoma
- Apache Tribe of Oklahoma[1]
- Caddo Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Cherokee Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes,[1] Oklahoma
- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma[1]
- Comanche Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana[1]
- Delaware Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Jena Band of Choctaw Indians,[1] Louisiana
- Jicarilla Apache Nation,[1] New Mexico
- Kialegee Tribal Town,[1] Oklahoma
- Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma[1]
- Mescalero Apache Tribe,[1] New Mexico
- Muscogee (Creek) Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Osage Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Quapaw Nation,[1] Oklahoma
- Seminole Nation of Oklahoma[1]
- Shawnee Tribe,[1] Oklahoma
- Thlopthlocco Tribal Town,[1] Oklahoma
- Tonkawa Tribe,[1] Oklahoma
- Tunica-Biloxi Tribe,[1] Louisiana
- United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians,[1] Oklahoma
- Wichita and Affiliated Tribes,[1] Oklahoma
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More than 30 organizations claim to represent historic tribes within Texas; however, these groups are unrecognized, meaning they do not meet the minimum criteria of federally recognized tribes[5] and are not state-recognized tribes.[52] Some of these cultural heritage groups form 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
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