87R11525 BPG-D
 
  By: Hunter, Pacheco H.C.R. No. 62
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, Since the early 1990s, dozens of cities and a
  growing number of states have adopted the observance of Indigenous
  Peoples' Day to celebrate the history and contributions of Native
  Americans; and
         WHEREAS, Indigenous Peoples' Day was first proposed in 1977
  as part of the International Conference on Discrimination Against
  Indigenous Populations in the Americas; coinciding with Columbus
  Day, the observance has become an important means of focusing
  attention on the native peoples of the Americas, past and present;
  and
         WHEREAS, More than 14,000 years ago, ancient peoples arrived
  in North America from Asia and migrated south; over the millennia,
  they built empires, constructed sophisticated cities, and
  developed elaborate trade networks and complex social systems; the
  area now known as Texas became home to numerous indigenous tribes
  with their own unique cultures and ways of life; and
         WHEREAS, Early inhabitants of our state's Gulf Coast included
  the semi-nomadic Atakapa, Karankawa, Mariame, and Akokisa, who
  lived on the shore for part of the year and moved some 30 to 40 miles
  inland on a seasonal basis; the Caddo in East Texas and Jumano in
  West Texas were farmers and traders, with economic ties to other
  tribes and, later, to Europeans; the Comanche and Apache were
  bison-hunting warriors who traversed large regions of the Southern
  Plains on horseback; a host of other groups inhabited the Plains
  area as well, among them Coahuiltecans, Cocoimes, Chisos, Tobosos,
  Tawakonis, Wacos, and Kiowas; and
         WHEREAS, Today, the Lone Star State is home to Native
  Americans from diverse tribal nations, and the effort to retain
  ancestral memories, languages, and cultures is ongoing and vital;
  the observation of Indigenous Peoples' Day raises awareness of this
  rich heritage and the wide-ranging contributions Native Americans
  have made and continue to make to our state and nation; now,
  therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous
  Peoples' Day; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
  391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
  until the 10th anniversary of the date that this resolution finally
  is passed by the legislature.