November 15, 2022 - The Mission Dolores State Historic Site will host a celebration of Native American Heritage Month Saturday, November 26. The all-day program will feature the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. Tribal members will provide a glimpse into their culture through dance performances, drumming and traditional singing as well as sharing tribal history and stories, demonstrating beadwork and basket making, and teaching attendees how to play stickball including an exhibition game.
This event is free to the public and appropriate for all age groups. Pre-registration for this program is not required and the program will run from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mission Dolores State Historic Site is currently open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Schedule of events (subject to weather conditions):
- 10 a.m. - Opening of Bead Work & Basket Demonstrations
- 10:30 a.m. - Alabama-Coushatta History and Ties to East Texas
- 11 a.m. - Stickball Demonstration
- 12 p.m. – Lunch Break
- 1 p.m. - 1:45pm Alabama-Coushatta Dance Performance
- 2 p.m. - Alabama-Coushatta Legends and Storytelling
- 2:45 p.m. - Stickball Demonstration
- 3:30 p.m. - Closing
At least 13,000 years of human history has occurred within the geographic boundaries of what we now call Texas. This encompasses modern tribes and the Paleo-Indian groups whose names have been lost in time—Jornada Mogollon rock painters, Jumano farmers and coastal Akokisa. Three federally recognized tribes have reservations in Texas—the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe near Livingston, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe south of Eagle Pass and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso. Another 26 tribes maintain connections to the state. More than 135,000 individuals are affiliated with at least one federally recognized tribe.
About Mission Dolores State Historic Site:
Mission Dolores was a Spanish mission built in 1721 in what is now San Augustine County, just 20 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border.
The site tells an important history about the Native American experience with Texas’ earliest European settlers. Visitors can explore the site’s history at the museum, where interpretive displays tell the story of Mission Dolores. The property also has a campground, picnic area, walking trails, disc golf course and group pavilions.
Mission Dolores is currently open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
For more information, please call 936-275-3815.
