TX HR684

Honors Chief Russell Martin of the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma for his visit to the Texas State Capitol on February 6, 2025

Recognizes the historical contributions of the Tonkawa Tribe to Texas, including serving as scouts and trackers for the U.S. Army and Texas Rangers, protecting Austin from Comanche raids during the Archives War, and aiding Anglo settlers in the Cherokee War

Acknowledges the tribe's ancestral roots in Central Texas and their forced removal to Indian Territory in 1884 via the "Tonkawa Trail of Tears" despite their assistance to settlers

Notes the tribe's 2023 purchase of Red Mountain, a sacred site in Milam County, and the establishment of Tonkawa Friendship Day on September 12, 2024, by Travis County and the City of Austin

Adopted by the Texas House on April 17, 2025, with a vote of 133 Yeas, 7 Nays, and 2 present not voting