Honoring Chief Russell Martin of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma.
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.
