Later, when Spanish soldiers encountered the Caddos around 1689, the American Indians greeted them with the word “techas,” meaning “friendly,” a word that evolved into “Tejas” — Texas. One tribe that lived along the Texas coast was known as the Karankawas. They were the first to greet Cabeza de Vaca and his Spanish soldiers in 1528.

Contrary to the physical traits of other American Indians, many Karankawas were 6 feet tall, and some scholars surmised they arrived on Texas soil from some Carribean island. Cabeza de Vaca lived among them and wrote of their culture and lifestyle. They lived in small huts and were hunters and fishermen who tattooed their bodies.

Another band of Indians was the Coahuiltecans, who also lived in South Texas and comprised several groups, including the Comecrudos and the Jumanos. During the late 18th century, the Spanish authorities established Christian missions where the American Indians were Christianized and taught Spanish. They were also taught how to farm, and to perform other activities brought in by the Spanish during that time. This allowed for the slow integration of Indians into the new social order, and their lives started to change.

By the mid-19th century, they had faded to a small recognizable number, having integrated themselves fully with the present Hispanic population of South Texas and other parts of this state. Regarding the impact of these pioneers, we have only to look around to view the American Indians' eternal presence still among us.