The vast, embracing Texas with its complex landscape is the tapestry of textures and colors into which I am woven deeply in my life. With this journey of building a living land acknowledgment, I am driven by the need to delve into my relationship with what is now home and respect the Indigenous and the treaty territory that it rests upon.
Contrasts and diversity characterize the state of Texas, and its indigenous history and cultures are very diverse. The current area where I live had previously housed the populations of various Native American tribes who spoke different languages, observed diverse rituals, and enjoyed varying degrees of lifestyle (Anderson, 2019). The territory was forever changed because of the Comanche, Apache, Caddo, and many more tribes whose myths and monuments defined its beautiful landscape. It is essential to acknowledge that even the soil beneath my feet has a past dating back to before human beings came.
Because the US government has established treaty relationships with Indigenous peoples, it is essential to consider those treaties and their impacts on these same people. While I live in Texas, my interstate experience is a lot more complex after being exposed to the historical treaties that define the relationship between the American nation and the Indigenous population (Anderson, 2019). The treaties are usually violated or overlooked, yet they show a sad era in these Indigenous tribes’ history and also their relationship to the land.
I am, in a way, negotiating between my own experience of the land and its historical background while also thinking about this region on an individual level. Seeing the differences between the untouched, pristine nature and city development in Texas, where I was born and raised, brought back to mind again how fragile this equilibrium point is (Anderson, 2019). I have been rooted in the Texas region because my family has lived there for many years as they tell their stories.
When I analyze Indigenous and treaty land, it is my duty to mention the impacts of colonization on Texas’s indigenous groups. These areas are still marked by forced migrations, land grabs, and cultural genocide. Indigenous peoples are resilient and fight to restore their own identity and relationship to the land; however, we must humbly approach this realization (Calvert et al., 2020). This land and I share a very unique, personal connection. I have trekked through some of its very dense forests, driven on the thriving plains, and was really amazed by the diversity in ecosystems.
For the sake of recognizing a land as “alive,” I choose to carry on and spread awareness about Texas’ Native people. This recognition is a pledge to understand, respect, and amplify the voices of the indigenous communities, not just an announcement (Calvert et al., 2020). I am participating in a relationship that proudly celebrates the cultural diversity and richness inherent in Texas, with its recognition of the traditional lands upon which I live.
In conclusion, my living land acknowledgement honors the complications of my relationship with Texas by highlighting its indigenous and treaty territory. It is also an appeal to reflect on our joint histories and the responsibility that we have as the guardians of this region. I am praying that this commemoration will, at least in part, help us to create mutual respect for the Indigenous communities that have inhabited Texas over the past few centuries.
References
Anderson, G. C. (2019). The Conquest of Texas: Ethnic Cleansing in the Promised Land, 1820–1875. University of Oklahoma Press.
Calvert, R. A., De León, A., & Cantrell, G. (2020). The history of Texas. John Wiley & Sons.
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