H.R. No. 962
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to
    1-2  commend the First American League, Southwest Texas State
    1-3  University, the City of San Marcos, Hays County, the Texas
    1-4  Department of Agriculture, and boy and girl scouts from Texas and
    1-5  Oklahoma on the momentous occasion of a Sacred Springs Pow-Wow and
    1-6  Western Swing Festival; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, The significance of the event is the celebration of
    1-8  the "Return of the Native American," beginning with a public
    1-9  welcoming ceremony being held in San Marcos at Southwest Texas
   1-10  State University near the ancient Sacred Springs at Aquarena Park;
   1-11  and
   1-12        WHEREAS, In 1988, the State of Texas officially welcomed back
   1-13  to the state those Native American tribes who had lived in Texas
   1-14  prior to their banishment in the 1880s; Governor Bill Clements,
   1-15  Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, and Speaker of the House Gib Lewis
   1-16  formally welcomed the tribes on the Capitol grounds in Austin, and
   1-17  they sealed their agreement by smoking a peace pipe which had not
   1-18  been used since the Treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, For three days beginning on May 19, 1995, Texas will
   1-20  celebrate the "Return of the Native American" with a special
   1-21  ceremony that will officially welcome Native American tribes,
   1-22  including the four major nations originally from Texas, the Kiowa
   1-23  Nation, the Comanche Nation, the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, and the
    2-1  Wichita Tribe, as well as all other Native Americans residing in
    2-2  Texas; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, This historic greeting by state, university, county,
    2-4  and city officials of a distinguished group of American Indian
    2-5  leaders and their people will kick off a Texas-sized three-day
    2-6  weekend entitled the Sacred Springs Pow-Wow and Western Swing
    2-7  Festival; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, This gala weekend hosted by Southwest Texas State
    2-9  University, the City of San Marcos, Hays County, and the State of
   2-10  Texas will include a Pow-Wow, concert, Western Swing dance, special
   2-11  exhibitions of history and culture, Native American arts and
   2-12  crafts, plays at the courthouse, and many other entertaining
   2-13  events; and
   2-14        WHEREAS, The First American League, a nonprofit Native
   2-15  American Organization, will sponsor the festival with production by
   2-16  Texas World Records Production Company; the First American League's
   2-17  major areas of interest are young people, education, and cultural
   2-18  preservation and revival; the league is working with Southwest
   2-19  Texas State University to establish scholarships for deserving
   2-20  Native Americans and other long-term projects for the study and
   2-21  preservation of native cultures indigenous to this region; and
   2-22        WHEREAS, All scouting organizations in Texas and Oklahoma
   2-23  will be invited to attend; there will be certain events and
   2-24  exhibitions designed to enable interested scouts to earn credit
   2-25  toward their Indian Lore Merit Badges; now, therefore, be it
    3-1        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    3-2  Legislature hereby welcome Native American Tribes and the four
    3-3  major nations, the Kiowa Nation, the Comanche Nation, the Apache
    3-4  Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Wichita Tribe, as well as other Native
    3-5  Americans residing in Texas, to the Sacred Springs Pow-Wow and
    3-6  Western Swing Festival; and, be it further
    3-7        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-8  prepared for the participants and sponsors as an expression of the
    3-9  highest esteem of the Texas House of Representatives.