Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HR684 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.R. No. 684
	1	+	89R16833 BPG-D
	2	+	By: Hinojosa H.R. No. 684
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5	6
6	7		R E S O L U T I O N
7	8		WHEREAS, Chief Russell Martin of the Tonkawa Tribe of
8	9		Oklahoma was welcomed to the State Capitol on February 6, 2025; and
9	10		WHEREAS, Based on the Chikaskia River in northern Oklahoma
10	11		since the 1880s, the Tonkawa Tribe maintains a strong connection to
11	12		its ancestral roots in Central Texas; in its early history, the
12	13		tribe was composed of a number of warrior, nomadic subtribes that
13	14		shared a distinct language and hunted buffalo and deer across a
14	15		region extending west from south Central Texas and western Oklahoma
15	16		to eastern New Mexico; called "Tonkaweya," meaning "they all stay
16	17		together," by the Waco tribe, they are known in their own tongue as
17	18		"Tickanwa-tic," or "real people"; and
18	19		WHEREAS, The Tonkawa came into conflict with other tribes but
19	20		offered friendship to Anglo settlers in Texas; when Stephen F.
20	21		Austin arrived in 1822, he encountered the Tonkawa along the west
21	22		bank of the Brazos River, and they began trade relations that
22	23		flourished under Chief Plácido; the Tonkawa aided the colonists as
23	24		scouts and helped defend the frontier against hostile tribes in the
24	25		Cherokee War and other conflicts; during the 1840s, the Tonkawa
25	26		camped in the middle of present-day Austin along Shoal Creek, and
26	27		they traded with pioneers in Travis County and provided critical
27	28		support at a perilous juncture; during the Archives War, as Anglo
28	29		families fled for safety, the Tonkawa protected the city's western
29	30		edge from Comanche raids; and
30	31		WHEREAS, Between 1867 and 1874, Tonkawa scouts and trackers
31	32		worked for the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers at Fort Griffin, fending
32	33		off the Comanche and Kiowa; despite all their assistance, however,
33	34		the Tonkawa were not granted any land in Texas; instead, they were
34	35		exiled and sent on a long journey on the Tonkawa Trail of Tears to
35	36		Indian Territory in 1884; and
36	37		WHEREAS, Only a few Tonkawa members reside in Texas today,
37	38		but Chief Martin, who serves as president of the tribe, has worked
38	39		tirelessly to strengthen ties to its ancient homeland; in 2023, the
39	40		Tonkawa purchased and reclaimed a sacred site, Red Mountain, in
40	41		Milam County, northeast of Austin; Chief Martin and his fellow
41	42		tribal leaders accepted official acknowledgment of the Tonkawa's
42	43		foundational contributions by both Travis County and the City of
43	44		Austin at Tonkawa Friendship Day on September 12, 2024; and
44	45		WHEREAS, Chief Russell Martin has enriched our knowledge of
45	46		Texas history by raising awareness of the vital role played by the
46	47		Tonkawa, and it is truly a pleasure to commemorate his visit to the
47	48		land of his forebears and pay respect to his people; now, therefore,
48	49		be it
49	50		RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
50	51		Legislature hereby honor Chief Russell Martin and extend sincere
51	52		best wishes for many more occasions to celebrate the proud heritage
52	53		of the Tonkawa Tribe; and, be it further
53	54		RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
54	55		prepared for Chief Martin as an expression of high regard by the
55	56		Texas House of Representatives.
56		-	Hinojosa
57		-	______________________________
58		-	Speaker of the House
59		-	I certify that H.R. No. 684 was adopted by the House on April
60		-	17, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 122, Nays 18, 2 present, not
61		-	voting.
62		-	______________________________
63		-	Chief Clerk of the House