Less than 20 years ago, members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Texas used to live under a bridge. Now, they have a reservation, a brand-new casino and have set their sights on a brighter future.

Tribal members used to spend most of their time in Mexico, where they were granted a land base in the 1850s. They traveled to the U.S. for seasonal work, living in a small village of cardboard shacks and reed huts below the International Bridge.

But the community grew larger and larger, leading to the establishment of a 125-acre reservation in Texas. That's where the casino, a health clinic and a school where kids learn in Kickapoo, English and Spanish are located.

The change in lifestyle has some fearing a loss of traditional culture. Fewer tribal members are returning to their Mexico reservation, considered their spiritual home.

Get the Story:
Tribe knows all about hitting it big (The Austin American-Statesman 11/13)
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