Mapped: Austin's Indigenous population
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More than 790,000 Texans — or 2.6% of the state's population — are American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination with other ethnicities, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Why it matters: Texas has recognized Indigenous Peoples' Week in October since 2021.
- President Biden was the first president to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021.
State of play: Neither Indigenous Peoples Day nor Columbus Day is an official holiday in Texas, which is why state offices weren't closed Monday. More than half of U.S. states don't recognize either day.
- Austin recognizes Indigenous Peoples Day, but it's not an official city holiday.
Zoom in: About 57,500 people across Travis, Williamson and Hays counties identify as American Indian or Alaska Native alone or in combination with other ethnicities, according to Census Bureau data.
- Native people account for 2.6% of the population in Travis County, 3.2% in Hays County, 1.9% in Williamson County.
Flashback: The Comanche, Caddo, Cherokee, Coahuiltecan, Lipan Apache, Karankawa, Tonkawa and Wichita tribes all have claimed Central Texas as part of their territory.
- Relics include Comanche marker trees along Shoal Creek, per a fascinating KUT story.
Zoom out: Oklahoma has one of the largest Native populations in the country, with 14.3% of the state's population identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native.