Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, an nationally observed day honoring Native peoples and commemorating their histories and cultures. The Austin City Council replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2017.
For tens of thousands of years, Central Texas was home to Comanche, Caddo, Cherokee, Coahiltecan, Lipan Apache, Karankawa, Tonkawa, Wichita, and other nations. However, several waves of disease and violence brought from white settlers has eradicated much of Central Texas’ Native American population. Today, it is estimated that ~12,000 Travis County residents identify as American Indian.
Learn more about Central Texas’ Indigenous history and culture by:
- Using resources offered by the Austin Public Library or Austin Powwow
- Exploring exhibits at the Bullock Texas State History Museum
- Taking in art at WYLD, the only Austin gallery focused on Native American art
Do you know of more resources on Central Texas’ Native American communities? Let us know.
