History and Nonprofit organization
The contemporary use of the term Coahuiltecan refers to a 20th century "belief that the Coahuilteco language was spoken over a very large area in southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, and that all other languages documented for the same region were closely related to Coahuilteco." This linguistic concept has been met with significant controversy, and some scholars prefer using more specific linguistic terms when writing on Central Texas indigenous languages and communities. Members of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation refer to their community as being descended from the over 500 tribes that lived in the regions of northeast Mexico and South Texas, whereas anthropologists have used this term to refer to the "hunter-gatherers in general who inhabited South Texas when Europeans arrived." Members of the group also claim that the name Tap Pilam was used by early Europeans to refer to Coahuiltecans. In 1994, American Indians in Texas–Spanish Colonial Missions, also known as AIT-SCM was formed. Based in San Antonio, Texas, the group is aChurch
In 1994, the tribe organized the Yanaguana Tap Pilam Native American Church of the Americas Church, a Texas affiliate of the Native American Church of North America. In the 1997, the church was named Tlecuauhtlacupeuh Tap Pilam Native American Church of the Americas. As of March 2021, the church administration included: * President: Raymond Hernandez * Treasurer: Mickey Killian * Secretary: Isaac A. Cardenas * Agent: Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez.Petition for federal recognition
In 1997, Tap Pilam: The Coahuiltecan Nation sent a letter of intent to petition for federal recognition. They have not followed up with a petition for federal recognition, however.Texas legislation
In 2023, State Representative Mark Dorazio introduced Texas House Bill 2005 and Texas Senate Bill 1479 for state recognition of the Tap Pilam, and the bills were referred to the committee on state affairs in March 2023.Lawsuits
The organization claims descent from the American Indians who were Roman Catholic Christian converts, buried at the Alamo Mission in San Antonio. In 2020, the Tap Pilam filed a lawsuit against the Alamo Trust, Texas General Land Office (GLO), Texas Historical Commission, the City of San Antonio and their leaders in the U.S. District Court. The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal district judge. A second lawsuit in 2021 was dismissed by a district judge. "The joint dismissal with prejudice, approved by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, means the claims can’t be re-filed against the defendants." The Tap Pilam's appeals were settled, and while they did not gain a seat on the committee overseeing archaeological digs at the Alamo and treatment of human remains, they are allowed to attend the committee meetings. Following the settlement, Art Martinez de Vara, representing the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation said, “The Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, as lineal descendants of the indigenous residents of Mission San Antonio de Valero looks forward to working with ATI lamo Trust, Inc.to preserve, protect and proclaim the indigenous presence and heritage at Mission San Antonio de Valero for future generations of Texans." Stephen Chang of the GLO said: “The GLO has won every case that Tap Pilam has brought against the state. ... Courts have consistently rejected Tap Pilam’s claims because of their baseless claims."See also
* Carrizo Comecrudo Nation of TexasReferences
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