Locations of American Indian tribes in Texas, ca. 1500 CE
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]
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]
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]
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.
Newland, Bryan (30 April 2022). "Federal Tribal Recognition". Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. US Department of the Interior. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
DeMallie, Raymond J. (2001). Handbook of North American Indians: Plains, Vol. 13, part 2. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. p.ix. ISBN0-16-050400-7.
Wilhelm, Kerri (10 February 2015). "The Akokisa and the Atakapans". Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory. University of Texas, Austin. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
Rogers, J. Daniel; Sabo III, George (2004). Fogelson, Raymond D. (ed.). Handbook of North American Indians: Southeast, Vol. 14. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. p.617. ISBN0-16-072300-0.
