HOUSTON, TX — The Heritage Society is hosting a panel of speakers to complement its new exhibit, “Karankawa: An Enduring Culture of Texas,” which examines the history and vibrant culture of the Karankawa people. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 9, at 5 p.m. and will feature A’uil Atch (“Moon Sparkle”), Nami Tuuk Hoh’k (“She Brings Together”), Dr. Timothy Seiter and curator Cian Hardin.
“We’ll be reflecting on historical injustices that have tainted the potential relationships between Indigenous communities and museums,” says exhibit curator Cian Hardin. “Apart from the research methodology and artifact recreation process, an instrumental component we’ll be discussing is the trust and friendship that made this whole process possible.”
The Karankawa—a group of five distinct tribes with a rich but long-overlooked history—once inhabited the central Texas Gulf Coast from Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi, with one group living in or near present-day Houston. In a groundbreaking collaboration, The Heritage Society worked with the Karankawa tribe to develop the exhibit, granting the community full authority over its content. This partnership empowers the tribe to tell its own history and redress the injustice of having their narrative dictated by outsiders.
“It’s crucial for Houstonians to recognize that the land we inhabit was not empty—it was taken from living people whose descendants continue to preserve their history through tradition, language and storytelling,” said executive director Alison Bell.
The exhibit is on view at the Herzstein Museum Gallery, 1100 Bagby Street. Tickets cost $5 and include access to three additional exhibits and a wine-and-cheese reception. Free parking is available at 212 Dallas Street. For more details, visit https://www.heritagesociety.org/karankawa-exhibit.