Lipan Apache are a band of

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

, a

Southern Athabaskan Southern Athabaskan (also Apachean) is a subfamily of Athabaskan languages spoken primarily in the Southwestern United States (including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah) with two outliers in Oklahoma and Texas. The languages are spoken in ...

Indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

, who have lived in the

Southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

and

Southern Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include the mix ...

for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and northern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. Historically, they were the easternmost band of Apache.Swanton, ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', p. 301 The descendants of the Lipan Apache live primarily in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Some are enrolled in three federally recognized tribes: the

Mescalero Apache Tribe Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico. In ...

,Mescalero Apache Research Report
(2020), p. 3. the

Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma The Tonkawa are a Native American tribe from Oklahoma and Texas. Their Tonkawa language, now extinct, is a linguistic isolate. Today, Tonkawa people are enrolled in the federally recognized Tonkawa Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, headquartered in ...

, and

Apache Tribe of Oklahoma The Plains Apache are a small Southern Athabaskan tribe who live on the Southern Plains of North America, in close association with the linguistically unrelated Kiowa Tribe. Today, they are headquartered in Southwestern Oklahoma and are federally ...

, which is also known as the

Kiowa Apache The Plains Apache are a small Southern Athabaskan tribe who live on the Southern Plains of North America, in close association with the linguistically unrelated Kiowa Tribe. Today, they are headquartered in Southwestern Oklahoma and are federally ...

Plains Apache The Plains Apache are a small Southern Athabaskan tribe who live on the Southern Plains of North America, in close association with the linguistically unrelated Kiowa Tribe. Today, they are headquartered in Southwestern Oklahoma and are federally ...

. The Lipan Apache, however, are not a federally recognized tribe. Additionally, Lipan Apache descendants are members of non-federally recognized groups.

Name

The name "Lipan" is a Spanish adaption of their self-designation as ''Łipa-į́ Ndé'' or ''Lépai-Ndé'' ("Light Gray People"), reflecting their migratory story. The earliest known written record of the Lipan Apache identified this tribe as ''Ypandes''. Nancy McGown Minor wrote that the word ''Lipan'' stems from the Lipan words ''lépai,'' which means 'the color gray', and ''ndé,'' which means 'the people', which would make Lipan mean 'The Light Gray People'. The name ''Apache'' may be of Zuni origin, coming from the word ''apachu'', which means 'enemy', or perhaps from the

Ute Ute or UTE may refer to: * Ute people, a Native American people of the Great Basin * Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah * Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah * Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern ...

, who referred to this group as Awa'tehe. Apaches' autonym is Inde or Nde, meaning "the people." The terms ''Eastern Apache'' and ''Texas Apache'' can also include them as well as the

Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua historically shared a common area, language, customs, and intertwined family relations with their fellow Apaches. ...

and Mescalero. ''I Fought a Good Fight: A History of the Lipan Apaches'' notes that Spanish explorers recorded their encounters with the Chipaines, Conejeros, Rio Colorados, and Anchos living along the Canadian River, who were ancestors of the Lipan.

Language

Lipan Apache is a

Southern Athabaskan language Southern Athabaskan (also Apachean) is a subfamily of Athabaskan languages spoken primarily in the Southwestern United States (including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah) with two outliers in Oklahoma and Texas. The languages are spoken in ...

, considered to be closely related to the

Jicarilla Apache language Jicarilla () is an Eastern Southern Athabaskan language spoken by the Jicarilla Apache. History The traditional homelands of the Jicarilla Apache (Tinde) were located in the northeast and eastern regions of New Mexico. The Jicarilla Apache ex ...

. Linguist Harry Hoijer noted that in 1938, the Lipan people in South Texas spoke a Southern Athapaskan language. As of 2009, there may be no remaining speakers, and the language is considered almost extinct or dormant. By 1981, only two or three elderly speakers of Lipan remained on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. There are ongoing efforts and funding aimed to revitalize the language.

History

Confederated eastern Apache bands had a homeland that spanned from the Southern Great Plains to the Gulf of Mexico, with significant presence in what is now Texas. While there is little archeological evidence of the Lipan Apache, some

pictographs A pictogram (also pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto) is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. Pictograms are used in systems of writing and visual communication. A pictography is a wri ...

in Paint Rock, Texas–located in Concho County–depict the Lipan's stories of emergence, sacred ceremonies, monsters, and mythic heroes. These pictographs span 12,000 years and may have contributions from as many as 300 tribes. The nomadic Lipan Apache, Jumanos, Tonkawa, and Comanche peoples inhabited the Concho Valley and are believed to have contributed to the drawings found at the pictograph site. Pictographs depicting a structure featuring crosses and a devil may relate to the mission and are believed to have been created by the Lipan.

16th and 17th centuries

Ancestors of the Lipan Apache living along the Canadian River made the first known European contact during the Expedition of

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed " Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comm ...

, who traveled there in 1541, and were still in the region when

Diego de Vargas Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras (1643–1704), commonly known as Don Diego de Vargas, was a Spanish Governor of the New Spain territory of Santa Fe de Nuevo México (currently covering the modern US states of New Mex ...

arrived in 1694. Historians believe the

Teya Indians Teyas were a Native American people living near what is now Lubbock, Texas, who first made contact with Europeans during the 1541 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado expedition. The tribal affiliation and language of the Teyas is unknown, although many ...

of the Texas Panhandle likely merged into the Lipan. Lipan Apache obtained horses from the Spanish by 1608 and adopted a nomadic lifestyle. They were excellent horsemen and freely raided settlements. Throughout the 17th century, Spaniards raided Apache communities for

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

.Mescalero Apache Research Report (2020), pp. 10, 18 The Acho, a branch of Lipan, fought with

Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos language, Taos-speaking (Tiwa languages, Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan peoples, Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. T ...

and

Picuris Pueblo Picuris Pueblo (; Tiwa: P'įwweltha ’ī̃wːēltʰà is a historic pueblo in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. The federally recognized tribe of Pueblo people inhabit the community. Picurís Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueb ...

people against the Spanish in the 1680

Pueblo Revolt The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, also known as Popé, Popé's Rebellion or Po'pay's Rebellion, was an uprising of most of the Indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish Empire, Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, larger t ...

.Mescalero Apache Research Report (2020), p. 16 In 1684, Spanish colonists completed the Mission San Francisco de los Julimes near

Presidio, Texas Presidio is a city in Presidio County, Texas, United States. It is situated on the Rio Grande (''Río Bravo del Norte'') River, on the opposite side of the U.S.–Mexico border from Ojinaga, Chihuahua. The name originates from Spanish and mean ...

, to serve

Jumano The Jumanos were a tribe or several tribes, who inhabited a large area of western Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, especially near the Junta de los Rios region with its large settled Indigenous population. They lived in the Big Bend area ...

, Julime, and neighboring tribes. These tribes taught the peyote ceremony to the Tonkawa and Lipan, who in turn, shared it with the Comanches, Mescalero Apaches, and Plains Apaches. In the 1860s, Spanish chroniclers wrote that some Lipan Apache lived near the Gulf Coast and adopted lifeways of the neighboring

Karankawa The Karankawa were an Indigenous people concentrated in southern Texas along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, largely in the lower Colorado River and Brazos River valleys."Karankawa." In ''Cassell's Peoples, Nations and Cultures,'' edited by Joh ...

18th century

By 1700, Lipan had settled across southern Texas and into

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

. They still lived in agricultural settlements, where they farmed indigenous crops such as pumpkins, corn, and beans, as well as watermelons, introduced from Africa. French explorer

Bénard de La Harpe Benard or Bénard is a surname or given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Abraham-Joseph Bénard (1750–1822), French actor of the Comédie-Française * Aimé Bénard (1873–1938), Canadian politician * André Bénard (192 ...

encountered the Lipan Apache near present-day

Latimer County, Oklahoma Latimer County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its county seat is Wilburton. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,444. The county was created at statehood in 1907 and named for James L. Latim ...

, in 1719. The Lipan were first mentioned in Spanish records in 1718 when they raided Spanish settlements in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

. They frequently raided Spanish supply trains traveling from Coahuila to the newly established San Antonio. In 1749, two Lipan Apache chiefs joined other Apache leaders in signing one of the earliest recorded peace treaties with Spain in San Antonio.Mescalero Apache Research Report (2020), p. 28 Some Lipan Apache people settled northwest of San Antonio during the mid-18th century. Spanish colonists built forts and missions near Lipan settlements. A mission on the

San Sabá River The San Saba River is a river in Texas, United States. It is an undeveloped and scenic waterway located on the northern boundary of the Edwards Plateau. Course The river begins in two primary branches. The North Valley Prong runs east throu ...

was completed in 1757 but destroyed by the Comanche and the Wichita.Swanton, ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', p. 322 That same year, the Lipan Apache fought the Hasinais, a band of

Caddo people The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language. The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...

. The Lipan participated in a Spanish expedition against the Wichita and

Comanche The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...

in 1759 but were defeated in the

Battle of the Twin Villages The Battle of the Two Villages was a Spanish attack on Taovaya people, Taovaya villages in what is now Texas and Oklahoma by a Spanish army in 1759. The Spanish were defeated by the Taovaya and other Wichita people, Wichita tribes with assistance f ...

. Missions established for the Lipan at Candelaria and San Lorenzo were destroyed by the Comanche in 1767.Swanton, ''The Indian Tribes of North America'', p. 323 By 1767, all Lipan had completely deserted the Spanish missions. In the same year, Marquis of Rubí started a policy of Lipan extermination after a 1764

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

epidemic had decimated the tribe.

19th century

In the early 19th century, Lipan Apache primarily lived in south and west Texas, south of the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

and east to the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

. They were allied to the Tonkawa beginning in this century. To resist their enemies the Comanche and the Mexicans, the Lipan Apache allied with the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

in the 1830s. They served as

scouts Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

to the Texas Militia during the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

of 1835–36. The State of Texas owned massive war debts and used land sales to raise funds following statehood, leaving almost no land to American Indians. Texas established the Brazos Reservation in 1854, where around 2,000 members of the Caddo, Anadarko, Waco, and Tonkawa tribes, but then the tribes to relocate to

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

by 1859. In 1855, some Lipan Apache joined the Brazos Reservation; however, most did not. Some joined the Plains Apache in Oklahoma; others joined the Mescalero in New Mexico, and others fled to Mexico. In 1869, Mexican troops from Monterrey were brought to

Zaragosa Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the Huerva and the Gállego, roughl ...

to eliminate the Lipan Apache, who were blamed for inciting conflict. Chief Magoosh (Lipan, ca. 1830–1900) led his band from Texas and joined the

Mescalero Apache Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan languages, Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the M ...

on the

Mescalero Reservation Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico. In ...

in 1870. Troops attacked many Lipan camps; survivors fled to the Mescaleros in New Mexico. From 1875 to 1876,

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

troops undertook joint military campaigns with the Mexican Army to eliminate the Lipan from the state of Coahuila in northern Mexico. In 1879, a group of 17 Lipan settled near

Fort Griffin, Texas Fort Griffin, now a Texas state historic site as Fort Griffin State Historic Site, was a US Cavalry fort established 31 July 1867 by four companies of the Sixth Cavalry, U.S. ArmyCarter, R.G., ''On the Border with Mackenzie'', 1935, Washingto ...

, but in 1884 they were forcibly removed to

, where they joined the Tonkawa. In 1891, the Lipans negotiated with President of Mexico

Porfirio Diaz Porfirio is a given name in Portuguese and Spanish, derived from the Greek Porphyry (''porphyrios'' "purple-clad"). It can refer to: * Porfirio Salinas – Mexican-American artist * Porfirio Armando Betancourt – Honduran football player * ...

to preserve the Lipan’s tribal land in Zaragosa. This agreement lasted about 12 years until they were displaced from Zaragosa after resisting joining the Mexican Army.

20th century

In October 1903, 19 Lipan Apaches who fled Texas into Coahuila were taken to northwest Chihuahua and kept as

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

until 1905. They were released to the Mescalero Reservation.

Bands

The Lipan Apache emerged from an amalgamation of several Eastern Apache bands united within a large confederacy and who shared a cultural and historic bond. As a confederacy, they united to defend against the Comanche and their allies. By about 1720, the Comanche drove the Lipan Apache from the southern Great Plains. By the early 18th century, the Lipan were divided into regional groupings/divisions comprising several bands - the Forest Lipan division (Lower Lipan bands), the Plains Lipan division (Upper Lipan bands), and bands who lived primarily in northern Mexico (Mexican Lipan bands).

Lower Lipan bands; Forest Lipan division

* Red Hair People (Tséral tuétahäⁿ): absorbed later into the Sun Otter band or the Green Mountain band, lived south of the

Nueces River The Nueces River ( ; , ) is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nu ...

in Texas, no longer existed in 1884. * Sun Otter band (Tcheshä’ⁿ): ranged from

, Texas, south to the

. * Green Mountain band (Tsél tátlidshäⁿ): absorbed later by the High-Beaked Moccasin band, lived in the lower Texas Gulf Plains along the lower Colorado, Guadalupe and Nueces Rivers. * High-Beaked Moccasin band (Kóke metcheskó lähäⁿ): lived south of San Antonio as far as northern Mexico. * Tall Grass band (Cuelcahende): lived from southwestern Kansas to northeastern Durango. * Heads of Wolves People (Tsés tsembai): lived above the Colorado River, possibly in the Lubbock area. May represent an early Lipan presence in north Texas before the Commanche moved in. * Trees Tall Standing People (Tcic n’ti óané) & Red Mud People (Gocłic Łit’xuné): merged to form the Canneci Tinné, the easternmost band of Apache, whose territory includes present-day St. Martin & Lafayette parishes in Louisiana. The Canneci were noted as early as 1700 by Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne, Sieur de Bienville

Upper Lipan / Plains Lipan division

* Fire or Camp Circle band (Ndáwe ɣóhäⁿ): lived west to southwest of

Fort Griffin Fort Griffin, now a Texas state historic site as Fort Griffin State Historic Site, was a US Cavalry fort established 31 July 1867 by four companies of the Sixth Cavalry, U.S. ArmyCarter, R.G., ''On the Border with Mackenzie'', 1935, Washingto ...

, from the San Saba River to the Rio Grande River. * Pulverizing or Rubbing band (Tchóⁿ kanäⁿ): absorbed later by the Little Breech-clout band, lived west of Fort Griffin, Texas, to the western side of the Rio Grande, believed extinct by 1884. * Little Breech-clout band (Tchaⁿshka ózhäyeⁿ): lived along the lower Pecos River in Texas. * Uplander band (Täzhä'ⁿ): lived along the upper Rio Grande in southern New Mexico but would migrate to the upper Nueces River in Texas to hunt buffalo. * Prairie Men (''Kó'l kukä'ⁿ''): known as the ''Llaneros'' by the late 18th century, lived west of Ft. Griffin along the upper Colorado and Concho Rivers and ranged to west of the Pecos River. * Wild Goose Band (Teł kóndahäⁿ): possibly absorbed by the Prairie Man band in the late 18th century, lived along the upper Colorado River west of Fort Griffin in Texas, were renowned and fierce warriors. * North Band (''Shä-äⁿ''): lived in the mid-19th century in northwestern Texas in territory inhabited by the Kiowa Apache. Mexican Lipan bands * Big Water band (''Kú’ne tsá''): in the mid-18th century, this band broke from their kin in San Antonio and moved into northern Coahuila near Zaragos, lived along the Escondido and San Rodrigo Rivers and in the Santa Rosa and Sierra El Burro Mountains of Mexico. * Painted Wood People (''Tsésh ke shénde'' or ''Tséc kecénde''): lived in Lavón, Coahuila, Mexico, between Zaragosa and Morelos, believed extinct by 1884. The Spanish associated these groupings with the Lipan: * Lipiyánes: a coalition of Lipans, ''Nastagés'', and other Lipans who lived along the Pecos, joined together by 1780 under the leadership of ''Picax-Ande-Ins-Tinsle'' (Strong Arm), to battle the Comanche’s southern expansion. * Natagés (''Mescal People''): culturally affiliated with the Mescalero Apache, lived along the Pecos River and were strong allies of the Lipan Apaches. * Pelones (''Bald/Hairless Ones''): name given to the Forest Lipan division by the Spaniards probably in reference to Lipan custom of plucking facial hair, lived in the upper Brazos area along the Red River of north-central Texas.

Population

Ethnographer

James Mooney James Mooney (February 10, 1861 – December 22, 1921) was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. Known as "The Indian Man", he conducted major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as of tribes on the Great ...

estimated that there were 500 Lipan Apache in 1690. Missionary priest Friar Diego Ximenez estimated the Lipan population to total 5,000 in 1762, 3,000 in 1763, and 4,000 in 1764. In 1778, Spanish military commanders meeting in Monclova, Coahuila, estimated the population of Lipan men to be 5,000. By 1820, Mexican government official Juan Padilla estimated that there were 700 Lipans in Texas. Opler and Ray estimated that the Lipan population between 1845-1855 ranged from 500 to 1000. The 1910 U.S. census lists 28 Lipan Apache people.

21st century

Lipan Apache descendants are enrolled in three federally recognized tribes: *

in New Mexico, * Tonkawa Tribe in Oklahoma, *

. The Lipan Apache do not have their own distinct federally recognized tribe. Several non-federally recognized tribes in Texas and Louisiana assert Lipan Apache heritage. These include the following.

Louisiana

Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb The Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Louisiana. The members of the Tribe are descendants of Choctaw and Lipan Apache people and are required to prove lineal descent as part of their state-app ...

, also known as the Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb, in Zwolle, Louisiana * Canneci Tinné Apache Tribe, in

Carencro, Louisiana Carencro (; historically ) is a city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The population was 7,526 at the 2010 census, up from 6,120 in 2000; at the 2020 census, its population was 9, ...

Texas

* Apache Council of Texas in

Alice, Texas Alice is a city in and the county seat of Jim Wells County, Texas, Jim Wells County, Texas, United States, in the South Texas region of the state. The population was 19,104 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Alice was established in 18 ...

* Cuelgahen Nde Lipan Apache of Texas in

Three Rivers, Texas Three Rivers is a city in Live Oak County, Texas, Live Oak County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,474 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Mrs. Annie T. Hamilton of Cuero, Texas, Cuero owned a tract of land in the ...

Lipan Apache Band of Texas The Lipan Apache Band of Texas is a cultural heritage organization of individuals who identify as descendants of Lipan Apache people The organization LABT is based in Edinburg, Texas; with members living in Texas, Louisiana, California, and Mexi ...

Brackettville, Texas Brackettville is a city in Kinney County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,341 at the 2020 census, down from 1,688 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kinney County. History Founded in 1852 as "Las Moras" (the name of a ne ...

. * Lipan Apache Nation of Texas, also known as the Kuné Tsa Nde Band of the Lipan Apache Nation of Texas, in

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Texas. Members of the tribe descend from the Lipan Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people. The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas is headquartered in M ...

McAllen, Texas McAllen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Hidalgo County. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexican border. The city limits extend south to the Rio Grande, acros ...

The State of Louisiana recognized the Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb by legislative action, House Concurrent Resolution 2, in 1978. Although Texas currently has "no legal mechanism to recognize tribes"; state recognition can occur through various means, including state law, administrative actions, legislation, and gubernatorial proclamations or executive orders, but most often through legislation. On March 18, 2009, Senate Resolution 438 and House Resolution 812, both titled "Recognizing the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas," were passed by their respective chambers during the 81st Texas Legislative Session. These jointly issued congratulatory resolutions expressed the sentiments of both chambers in acknowledging the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas as a historical tribe and commended the tribe's contributions to the state. In 2019, State of Texas 86th Legislature, adopted concurrent resolutions, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 61 and House Concurrent Resolution No. 171, that affirmed the Texas Legislature's views that the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas was "the present-day incarnation of a proud people who have lived in Texas and northern Mexico for more than 300 years". The resolutions also commended the Tribe for its valuable contributions to the state. The Senate, House, and the Governor signed each concurrent resolution. Texas senate bills for formal state recognition of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas were introduced in 2021 and in 2022. Both bills died in committee. The

was honored by the Texas state legislator in 2011 through House Resolution 540. In December 2024, the Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb and the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas were registered members of the

National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian and Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Indigenous rights, rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist U.S. ...

(NCAI) as

state-recognized tribe State-recognized tribes in the United States are Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by state government through laws, governor's executive orders ...

tribes. NCAI requires annual registration with membership dues. Also, member organizations are required to select a delegate who will represent their interests at NCAI's Annual Convention, Executive Council Winter Session, and Mid-Year Conference.

Notable Lipan Apache chiefs

Below are historical chiefs with estimated times of when they were active. * Bigotes () (middle of the 18th century): In 1751, he left Texas and crossed the Rio Grande into

. About this date, they lived along the Rio Escondido and Rio San Rodrigo in Coahuila. * Poca Ropa () ( 1750 – 1790) was Chief of the Little Breech-clout band along the lower

Pecos River The Pecos River ( ; ) originates in north-central New Mexico and flows into Texas, emptying into the Rio Grande. Its headwaters are on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County north of Pecos, New Mexico, at an elev ...

* Cavezon/el Gran Cavezon (): 1760 – 1790) was Chief of the Fire/Camp Circla band, lived along the

San Saba River The San Saba River is a river in Texas, United States. It is an undeveloped and scenic waterway located on the northern boundary of the Edwards Plateau. Course The river begins in two primary branches. The North Valley Prong runs east throu ...

towards the upper

. * Yolcha/Yolcna Pocarropa ( 1822 – 1828) was Chief of several bands of the Littel Breech-clout band in western Texas, grandson of Poca Ropa. He was allied with Cuelgas de Castro. He moved his band from the lower

area in West Texas to the Laredo and lower Rio Grande region in late 1820s. * Cuelgas de Castro ( 1821 – 1842) was Chief of the Sun Otter band in the territory of San Antonio across the Rio Grande in Tamaulipas and played a large role in interactions between the Republic of Texas and the Lipan Apache. He was an ally of chiefs Flacco and Yolcha Pocarropa. * Flacco ( 1821 – 1843) was Chief of the High-Beaked Moccasin band east of San Antonio who had a history of aiding Texas Militian units. He was a friend of President of the Republic of Texas

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...

. * Magoosh (Ma’uish): 1850 – 1900) was Chief of the Sun Otter band in southeastern Texas. Because of a severe epidemic, one part of this band went to

in Coahuila, while the other part of Magoosh's band took refuge by the

Mescalero Mescalero or Mescalero Apache () is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-central New Mexico. In ...

and accompanied them in 1870 onto the

Notes

References

* * *

External links

Mescalero Apache Tribe
official website
Lipan Apache Band of Texas
official website
Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas
official website
Spanish Relations with the Apache Nations East of the Río Grande.

Treaty between the Republic of Texas and the Lipan and other Indian tribes, 1844

* ttp://www.tshaonline.org/publications/journals/shq/online/v017/n4/article_2.html The Apache Mission on the San Sabá River; Its Founding and Failure {{DEFAULTSORT:Lipan Apache People Apache tribes Athabaskan peoples Native American tribes in New Mexico Native American tribes in Oklahoma Native American tribes in Texas Plains tribes Pre-statehood history of Texas Indigenous peoples in Mexico