By Turner of Coleman                                   H.R. No. 787
         77R11685 JLZ-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, Although the United States government acknowledged
 1-2     receipt of the Tap Pilam-Coahuiltecan Nation's petition for federal
 1-3     recognition in 1997, the tribe is currently unrecognized by the
 1-4     State of Texas or by the United States; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, There are now more than 550 federally recognized
 1-6     tribes in the United States; this unique designation conveys a
 1-7     legal relationship between these tribes or groups and the U.S.
 1-8     government; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, The Coahuiltecan tribe's distinguished history in
1-10     the Lone Star State merits strong consideration for official
1-11     acknowledgment from the State of Texas and the United States; and
1-12           WHEREAS, In the late 1600s Spanish explorers first
1-13     encountered the Coahuiltecan tribe, whose name is derived from the
1-14     state of Coahuila in Mexico; the tribe members had seasonal
1-15     attachments to their campgrounds and relied on their hunting and
1-16     gathering acumen and skills to survive; and
1-17           WHEREAS, To increase the number of Spanish citizens on the
1-18     frontier, various Native American groups were converted to
1-19     Christianity, and five missions were established between 1718 and
1-20     1731 in San Antonio, including the San Antonio de Valero, San Jose,
1-21     Concepcion de Acuna, San Juan Capistrano, and San Francisco de la
1-22     Espada; moreover, the Coahuiltecan language was translated into
1-23     Spanish to make the conversion process easier; and
1-24           WHEREAS, Members of the Coahuiltecan tribe and other Native
 2-1     American groups performed important duties at the missions, such as
 2-2     constructing dams and irrigation canals, working in the fields and
 2-3     as the first cowboys, and helping to build what became communities
 2-4     in present-day Texas and northeastern Mexico; and
 2-5           WHEREAS, While many Native American tribes eventually became
 2-6     displaced and assimilated in the 18th and 19th centuries, the
 2-7     Coahuiltecan tribe's proud rituals and traditions have endured, and
 2-8     aspects of its daily life are the same as those in use at the time
 2-9     of its first contact with Europeans; and
2-10           WHEREAS, Descendants of this intrepid tribe celebrate
2-11     time-honored occasions, such as Indian Decoration Day, and also use
2-12     ceremonial music and dress as ways of upholding tribal customs; in
2-13     addition, renewed efforts to ascertain more knowledge about their
2-14     ancestry are ongoing; and
2-15           WHEREAS, Throughout the years, the Coahuiltecans have played
2-16     an integral role in Texas' development, and the Native American
2-17     tribes who were the first Texans have greatly enriched our shared
2-18     heritage with their culture; and
2-19           WHEREAS, Given the tribe's justifiable pride in its distinct
2-20     history and culture, the Texas House of Representatives finds that
2-21     it is indeed appropriate to bestow such recognition as will
2-22     encourage the preservation of the Tap Pilam-Coahuiltecans' unique
2-23     cultural heritage and to support those activities consistent with
2-24     the state's interest in preserving all of Texas' diverse cultural
2-25     and natural resources for future generations; now, therefore, be it
2-26           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-27     Legislature hereby recognize the Tap Pilam-Coahuiltecan Nation for
 3-1     its immeasurable contributions as an indigenous people of Texas and
 3-2     commend the tribe's efforts to preserve its cultural and spiritual
 3-3     heritage and traditions.