Texas (Indian tribe)
The term "Texas" originally referred to the Hasinai Indigenous groups residing in East Texas. Derived from the Caddo word "táysha'," meaning "friends" or "allies," it was used generically to describe various Indigenous peoples in the region, including the Hasinai and Caddo, as well as those who opposed the Apache. Interestingly, the Hasinai themselves did not adopt this term as their own; instead, they identified as Hasíinay, meaning "our own people." The name's first recorded use appeared in a Spanish report from 1683, which misinterpreted the term's local significance, associating it primarily with the Hasinai. This misunderstanding continued despite other records that identified the correct names used by the Indigenous peoples, such as "Aseney" or "Asenay." The history of the term "Texas" reflects a complex interplay of Indigenous identities and European interpretations, highlighting the rich cultural landscape of the region. Understanding these roots provides valuable context for the state's history and the diverse narratives of its Indigenous communities.
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Texas (Indian tribe)
The term “Texas” was originally used to designate the Hasinai Indigenous groups of East Texas. It was extended from the Indigenous Americans to the adjacent country and finally to the territory that became the state of Texas. The word (pronounced “techas”) meant “friends” or, more technically, “allies,” and was derived from the Caddo word "táyshaʼ." The name was used generically to identify the Hasinai (“our own people”), Caddo, and others who were enemies of the Apache.
The Hasinai did not use the term for themselves; it was used as a greeting. The term was apparently first written in a 1683 Spanish report that talks of the “Gran Reyno de los Texas,” first identified by West Texas Indigenous Americans. The Spanish misunderstood the everyday use of the term and applied it to the Hasinai, who were the largest politically organized allies that they encountered and the people identified in the early report. In the 1690s, Father Francisco de Jesus María, who had lived among the Hasinai, said that the correct name of the Indigenous Americans living in the upper Neches and Angelina Valleys, “which in New Spain they called Texias,” is “Aseney” or “Asenay.” Records show the Hasinai did refer to themselves as Hasíinay, meaning "our own people." There is ample evidence from other Spanish and French sources to this effect as well, but the error persisted.
Bibliography
Bowles, David. "Mexican X Part IX: True Chiefs and False Friends in Texas." Medium, 9 Dec. 2018, davidbowles.medium.com/mexican-x-part-ix-true-chiefs-and-false-friends-in-texas-5e8763b10db9/ Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“Caddo Voices.” Texas Beyond History, 6 Aug. 2003, www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/voices/homeland.html. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Meredith, Howard. “Hasinai.” The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=HA045. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Rizzolo, Allison. "Taysha and the Caddo: The Origin of 'Texas.'" Medium, 22 Nov. 2018, medium.com/@AllisonRizz/taysha-and-the-caddo-the-origin-of-texas-d0cb680dca4c. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Smith, Mike. “Where Did the Name ‘Texas’ Come From?” KXAN, 4 Nov. 2022, www.kxan.com/news/texas/where-did-the-name-texas-come-from. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.