DALLAS — The City of Dallas and the state of Texas are gearing up to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

What You Need To Know

  • The City of Dallas will celebrate its third Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 11

  • Leroy Strongcloud was one of the native Texans behind the effort for the recognition

  • Leroy Strongcloud, of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas and the Red Handed Warrior Society, hopes to make changes in San Antonio next.

Leroy Strongcloud is a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas and the Red Handed Warrior Society. Strongcloud and his son, also named Leroy, visit a plot of land in Dallas to collect fresh, chemical-free spring water and cedar for rituals.

“It’s the only one in all of North Texas that’s untainted,” Strongcloud explained. “It’s not the consumption of it, it’s the use of it in ceremony. Like we have sweat lodges, we use the water. Usually we use tap water,  but first, we have to clear the negative energy.

“Because we’re coming here. We don’t want to bring bad energy here. We want to make sure that we come here in a good way. And we end up leaving in a good way,” he said.

Texas was occupied by Indigenous people first.

“They would come here to pursue the bison herds. It was a home to many tribes here.”

That is why he has been one of the driving forces behind the City of Dallas implementing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“We already had this in Dallas two years ago. So that was part of the whole plan for us. Last year, we got Fort Worth and Tarrant County. And the year before, it was Dallas and Dallas County. Then we got Corpus Christi.”

Next, they are wanting San Antonio to go back to its original name, Kii-Aah-ii, which meant place of many houses, for one day on Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get them to leave it permanent, but, it’s good for that one day. San Antonio just started observing Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” he said. “My group is one of the ones that headed the effort to have Indigenous Peoples’ Day throughout Texas. So we just got that resolution passed this past legislative session, the 87th.”

Their efforts paid off.

“It was passed in both houses and Gov. Abbott signed it. So now it’s part of state law. So now every second Monday in October is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or week,” he said.

Dallas will celebrate the third Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Oct. 11.