The Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation, and The American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions, live on the unceded lands their ancestors lived on for centuries.

The Coahuiltecan people of 60+ nomadic bands, including the Payaya and Pajalat, reside on the lands of what is now called Northern Mexico and South Texas. And have since 12,000-8,000 B.P. Most recorded history accounts for only the last 300 years, or ~2%, of the land’s and peoples’ history. (1, 2, 7, 8)

Despite the Spaniard invasion, stolen lands, subjugation under the encomienda system, missionization, cultural genocide, and assimilation, the Coahuiltecan Mission Indians, later recognized as part of the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation, are not extinct. The Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation is actively reclaiming their indigenous identity, language, histories, and excavated ancestral remains. (1, 2)

TheTāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation currently advocates that Texas Missions history include histories of Indigenous peoples, communities of color, and enslaved peoples. (1,3)

Recent renovation plans for the Mission San Antonio de Valero, now called The Alamo, sparked debates on how to present historical fact. (3)

Currently, the history presented at the site focuses on a single 1836 battle while excluding thousands of years of Indigenous history and culture in the area. The site’s ties to racism and slavery are also ignored. (3)

Additionally, the Mission San Antonio de Valero is a sacred burial ground.  Over a thousand Coahuiltecan Mission Indians are buried there. Each year, two million tourists tread over this cemetery. Previous requests to designate the burial ground as a historic Texas cemetery have been denied. (4, 6)

Since 1994, the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation has recovered their ancestral remains from universities and museums around the country. 

The Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation wants to ensure that the “Lineal Descendants of the people buried at the Alamo be consulted with and new Human Remains protocols be developed with their input”. The Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation also wants representation on the Alamo Mission Archaeology Advisory Committee.

The Petition for representation is ongoing. (4, 6)

The American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions is a nonprofit organization established by the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation. AIT-SCM serves to preserve, protect, and celebrate their culture and traditions with events like the Annual Mission Heritage Dinner, art festivals, and the Coahuiltecan Language Program. 

A mini-Online Yanaguana Heritage Tour, given by Lineal Descendants, tells the Indigenous history of the land as an introduction/sample of their in-person tour. (5)

The AIT-SCM also provides community support through programs like Healing the Wounded Spirit, The Fatherhood Campaign, and Warrior Roots training, as well as services for mental health counseling, youth services & mentorship, maternity care, and census & voter registration outreach. (5)