Archaeology dig helps Tonkawa Tribe rediscover Texas roots

Rediscovering Red Mountain for Tonkawa Tribe

An archaeological dig underway in Milam County is helping a Native American tribe rediscover and preserve its past.

MILAM COUNTY, Texas - An archaeological dig underway in Milam County is helping a Native American tribe rediscover and preserve its past.

Red Mountain in Milam County was recently purchased by the Tonkawa Tribe.

Rediscovering Red Mountain

The backstory:

The rocky sandstone outcropping was called Sugarloaf Mountain by early pioneers. It is located near the Little River and with a commanding view above the Brazos Valley.

The natural landmark between Rockdale and Herne was also known as La Tortuga, the turtle, by Spanish explorers.

But for members of the Tonkawa Tribe, the sacred peak was Naton Samox, which means Red Mountain.

"It's the place they originated from. They came from this mountain, so for them this is their birthplace," said Steven Gonzales, with El Camino Real de los Tejas.

The group is managing the Red Mountain property for the Tonkawa Tribe, which purchased the site in 2023. The goal is to eventually develop Red Mountain into a park.

"You know, I think this is the biggest historic preservation project going on in Texas at this time," said Gonzales.

The Tonkawa Tribe was forced out of Central Texas in the late 1800s and relocated to Oklahoma.

Groundwork to help reclaim and rediscover what the tribe lost started earlier this week.

"We arrived on Saturday," said Aaron Norment, with the Texas Archeological Society.

Norment and 300 volunteers are doing this as part of the society's annual field school.

"This is a very unique and amazing opportunity. We are able to work with ELCAT and the Tonkawa to foster a relationship because we are not just out here recording sites. This has deeper meaning than that. We are not just doing research, we are giving back to a community who is trying to share their story with us, make us a part of it, make everybody a part of it," said Norment.

From day one, artifacts have been found. Mostly parts for hunting and some rock tools have been recovered.

"It's just proof that people lived here and had a community. All from that tiny rock? Right and what we are doing is we are shovel testing to find where this stuff is so we can better delineate were the actual sites are located," said Brad Jones, with the Texas Historical Commission.

Red Mountain was once surrounded by a network of villages. Spanish missionaries called the complex Rancheria Grande.

A public hiking trail to one village site is already provided by Joyce and Mike Conner. They are among several local property owners helping with the dig.

"We believe in the history, and we believe in sharing, and we want people to treasure the land and to protect the land and protect the assets that are on the land rather than just feeling they are the owner. They are not the first owners, there is a whole history behind every one of us," said Joyce Conner.

Older trails through this part of Milam County were once sections of the Camino Real. It's believed the long depression in the ground is part of that famous road.

Red Mountain was a key stop along what essentially was the first super-highway in Texas.

"So it's a very important place to a lot of people, whether it be the native people, the Spanish and the people who live here now, it's a very special place that we will get to experience in the future," said Gonzales.