|« Back to Article| Alabama-Coushattas seeking fair share of
resources taken from their lands By Kyle Williams | July 20,
2012 | Updated: July 20, 2012 8:50pm As chairman of the Alabama-
Coushatta Tribe of Texas, I am responsible for educating others
about the history of our tribe and the issues we are facing. The
tribe's presence in the Big Thicket region of East Texas dates
all the way back to the days of Spanish Texas. Since then, we
have contributed in various ways to the well-being of our fellow
Texans. During the war for Texas independence, for example, our
forebears used the trails and forests of the Big Thicket to help
Gen. Sam Houston and his Texian forces elude the advancing
Mexican army under Santa Anna. As a gesture of gratitude,
Houston later granted our tribe land in East Texas - and
promised that our rights would always be respected by Texas.
Members of our community have also fought in the United States
military in every conflict since World War II - and some of
these tribal members made the ul