ABOUT

The Lipan Apache Band of Texas

The Lipan Apache Band of Texas membership consist of 745 members and is composed of the Cúelcahén Ndé (People of the Tall Grass), Tú é diné Ndé (Tough People of the Desert), Tú sìs Ndé (Big Water People), Tas steé be glui Ndé (Rock Tied to Head People), Buií gl un Ndé (Many Necklaces People), and Zuá Zuá Ndé (People of the Lava Beds) that have continuously lived in Texas prior to First Contact 1528.   Texas House and Senate Resolutions given to the Lipan Apache Band of Texas. "Lost Ones - White Man's Club: Schools, Race, and the Struggle of Indian Acculturation." Click here for more about the Lipan Apache Band of Texas history Click here for more about Apaches The Lipan Apache Band of Texas geographic location encompasses a large part of Texas that extends from El Paso northeast to Lubbock extending southeast to Austin extending down south to Victoria extending southwest to Brownsville and back north to El Paso , Texas . The 2000 U.S. Census identified that many of our members lived in the nation’s poorest counties located on the Texas-Mexico Border ( Hidalgo , El Paso , and Starr Counties ) and California ’s (Kings, and Fresno Counties ) counties. Daniel Romero, Jr. General Council Chairman of Lipan Apache Band of Texas, was of only one of three Native American persons in the United States selected to attend the 8 th Session of the United Nations.

Lipan History

The Lipan Apache had their own culture and valued their freedom to move around their land as they saw fit.  Much of our culture, such as songs and traditions are still protected today and we do not share them publicly.  The Apache remembered the 1500s, when the Spaniards landed on what is now Mexico and conquered the Indians of Mexico by killing their leaders and dividing the rest against each other then taking Mexico’s riches and all the land.  They were able to conquer Mexico in a matter of a few years, claiming it for Spain.  The Apache, however, were a different people who lived in a desert and very difficult land to maintain control of or rule over our people.  For over two hundred years Spain was not able to conquer the Apache.  We had a leadership tradition that the Spaniards minds could not understand and do not yet understand today.  This also made it difficult for other European nations to settle on Apache land because we did not fit into their “traditional” molds. more…

Settlement of Apache Land  

Many efforts were made to befriend the Lipan Apache by giving us or trading medal products, horses, cloth, beads, etc. in an effort to keep us in one place but did not work.  Instead, the Apache accepted the new ways and products as they wished but did not change their customs to fit the Spaniards.  The Apache would use what the Spaniards brought them to become more effective hunters, and warriors.  The horse was useful to the Apache to make traveling easier and faster.  Medal arrowheads and lances helped the Apache to be more effective in hunting and in warfare.  The Apache saw the Spaniards and other Europeans as tools or friends that could be useful to the Apache, after all, this had always been Apache land.  Yet the Europeans continued to want all land and riches.  As the years went by the Spaniards encouraged settlement of Apache land to increase their numbers against the Apache.  Spaniards built missions and presidios to help them as they infiltrated Apache land. more…