We acknowledge and give honor to the Caddo, Cherokee, Comanche, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Tawakoni, and Wichita tribes, who are the traditional land owners and inhabitants of this region.
As a transplant to North Texas, I would often find myself wondering about the history here. Who lived here? How did they live? I didn’t know much about the Indigenous population that originated in this region and wanted to know more.
After asking my community members and visiting some local sites, I’ve compiled this list of museums and historic sites to help others learn about the rich Indigenous history of North Texas.
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Local Museums
1. Amon Carter Museum of American Art :: Forth Worth :: This free museum houses an extensive collection of vintage 19th century portraits of Native Americans, as well as handwritten historical notes about the Plains’ tribes way of life.
2. Dallas Museum of Art :: Dallas :: In addition to the permanent Indigenous American Art exhibit, this free museum is home to many art pieces, such as jewelry, pottery, instruments, and weapons that highlight the rich cultural history of Native Americans. (Tip :: Get free admission to the special exhibits every first Sunday!)
3. Fort Worth Museum of Science & History :: Fort Worth :: Within its walls is the Plains Gallery. This exhibit focuses more on bison, but there is a bison robe that once belonged to Cynthia Ann Parker. She was the Comanche captive and mother of Chief Quanah Parker.
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4. Log Cabin Village :: Fort Worth :: This living history museum is home to six log cabins that were preserved from the 1800s, including the Parker Cabin where Cynthia Ann Parker was brought when the Texas Rangers removed her from the Comanche tribe in 1860.
5. National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame :: Fort Worth :: Meet the Native American women who shaped the American west. The hall of fame houses portraits of Native American artists and female chiefs as well as the sculpture of Sacagawea — the Shoshone woman who led Lewis and Clark on their expedition in the early 1800s.
6. National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum :: Fort Worth :: This museum highlights historical figures of color in Texas history, including many Native American chiefs.
Historical Markers and Sites
Visit nearby historical sites for a fun adventure! It’s a great way to learn about the Indigenous people who first called North Texas home.
7. Cross Timbers area :: Grand Prairie :: This strip of land is significant to the tribes of North Texas because it is where the Blackland Prairie meets the Grand Prairie. Many Natives camped here due to its favorable location for food resources.
8. Village Creek :: Arlington :: Nearby in Arlington, an excavated area unearthed evidence of prehistoric villages dating back almost 9,000 years! You can find the historical marker at the Arlington Golf Course on Lakewood Drive.
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I hope this article inspires you to get out and learn about the Indigenous people who call North Texas home. Take a look back in time, as it were, to what life was like on the southern plains and appreciate the cultures that helped influence our lives today.
