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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, With a proud heritage that spans many centuries, the |
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Jumano Indians of Texas have been a vital part of the history of the |
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Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, The Jumano were living in parts of present-day Texas |
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when Europeans first arrived in the area, and they may have |
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encountered the Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca in 1535 near the |
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site now occupied by the city of Presidio; they were first |
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identified as "Jumano" in 1582 by another explorer, Antonio de |
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Espejo; and |
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WHEREAS, In this era, the Jumano were a seminomadic people |
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who hunted buffalo, farmed, and served as salt traders, following |
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the Colorado River to where it joins the Concho River; early on, |
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they adopted the use of the horse, and some Jumano were associated |
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with pueblo villages; their original territory stretched from what |
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is now the Chihuahua region of Mexico, through West Texas, and into |
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New Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, Between 1621 and 1631, a Catholic nun named Sor |
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Maria de Jesus of Agreda, also known as the "Lady in Blue," is said |
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to have appeared to the Jumano and spoken to them in their native |
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language, beginning their conversion to Christianity; in recent |
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years, Jumanos have played an important role in the effort of the |
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Catholic Church to canonize Sor Maria; and |
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WHEREAS, The Jumano endured many hardships over the |
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centuries, including warfare with rival Native American groups and |
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non-native settlers and the spread of infectious diseases; during |
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the 1700s, the Jumano began to disappear from the historical record |
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as a distinct people, and it is thought that some members of the |
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tribe were absorbed into other groups; they became less prevalent |
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in Texas during the turbulent period that stretched into the 1800s, |
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but after 1875, Jumanos began to return to their traditional |
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homeland, including such Texas locations as Candelaria, Valentine, |
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Presidio, and Balmorhea; and |
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WHEREAS, In recent years, many Jumano families have begun to |
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reclaim their heritage, and at present there are more than 5,000 |
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people who can claim descent from this ancient people; Jumanos have |
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served in the United States military in every war since the Civil |
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War, and they continue to be active and vital members of their |
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communities; on May 22, 2016, the council of the Jumano Indian |
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Nation of Texas was established under the leadership of chair Felix |
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Bonilla Salmeron; and |
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WHEREAS, Heirs to a rich legacy, the members of the Jumano |
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Indian Nation of Texas are strengthened by the cultural traditions |
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and close ties of kinship that have been passed down from their |
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forebears, and it is indeed fitting to gratefully pay tribute to |
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their contributions to the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the Jumano Indian Nation of Texas and |
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extend to its members sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the nation as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |