Honoring Chief Russell Martin of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma.

89(R) HR 684 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.R. No. 684

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Chief Russell Martin of the Tonkawa Tribe of

Oklahoma was welcomed to the State Capitol on February 6, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Based on the Chikaskia River in northern Oklahoma

since the 1880s, the Tonkawa Tribe maintains a strong connection to

its ancestral roots in Central Texas; in its early history, the

tribe was composed of a number of warrior, nomadic subtribes that

shared a distinct language and hunted buffalo and deer across a

region extending west from south Central Texas and western Oklahoma

to eastern New Mexico; called "Tonkaweya," meaning "they all stay

together," by the Waco tribe, they are known in their own tongue as

"Tickanwa-tic," or "real people"; and

WHEREAS, The Tonkawa came into conflict with other tribes but

offered friendship to Anglo settlers in Texas; when Stephen F.

Austin arrived in 1822, he encountered the Tonkawa along the west

bank of the Brazos River, and they began trade relations that

flourished under Chief Plácido; the Tonkawa aided the colonists as

scouts and helped defend the frontier against hostile tribes in the

Cherokee War and other conflicts; during the 1840s, the Tonkawa

camped in the middle of present-day Austin along Shoal Creek, and

they traded with pioneers in Travis County and provided critical

support at a perilous juncture; during the Archives War, as Anglo

families fled for safety, the Tonkawa protected the city's western

edge from Comanche raids; and

WHEREAS, Between 1867 and 1874, Tonkawa scouts and trackers

worked for the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers at Fort Griffin, fending

off the Comanche and Kiowa; despite all their assistance, however,

the Tonkawa were not granted any land in Texas; instead, they were

exiled and sent on a long journey on the Tonkawa Trail of Tears to

Indian Territory in 1884; and

WHEREAS, Only a few Tonkawa members reside in Texas today,

but Chief Martin, who serves as president of the tribe, has worked

tirelessly to strengthen ties to its ancient homeland; in 2023, the

Tonkawa purchased and reclaimed a sacred site, Red Mountain, in

Milam County, northeast of Austin; Chief Martin and his fellow

tribal leaders accepted official acknowledgment of the Tonkawa's

foundational contributions by both Travis County and the City of

Austin at Tonkawa Friendship Day on September 12, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Chief Russell Martin has enriched our knowledge of

Texas history by raising awareness of the vital role played by the

Tonkawa, and it is truly a pleasure to commemorate his visit to the

land of his forebears and pay respect to his people; now, therefore,

be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas

Legislature hereby honor Chief Russell Martin and extend sincere

best wishes for many more occasions to celebrate the proud heritage

of the Tonkawa Tribe; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be

prepared for Chief Martin as an expression of high regard by the

Texas House of Representatives.

Hinojosa

______________________________

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 684 was adopted by the House on April

17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 122, Nays 18, 2 present, not

voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House