 Click map to enlarge: Payaya territories (within the orange area) in south-central Texas, ca. 1500 CE | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| extinct as a tribe | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| present-dayBexar County, Texas | |
| Languages | |
| aCoahuiltecan language | |
| Religion | |
| Indigenous religion,Roman Catholicism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| otherCoahuiltecan peoples |
ThePayaya people were Indigenous people whose territory encompassed the area of present-daySan Antonio,Texas. The Payaya were aCoahuiltecan band and are the earliest recorded inhabitants ofSan Pedro Springs Park, the geographical area that became San Antonio.[1]
The Payaya people lived near the San Antonio River, theFrio River to the west, near thePastia tribal lands; andMilam County to the east, where they lived among theTonkawa.
The Payaya called their villageYanaguana. It was located next to the river which the Spanish named theSan Antonio. Some historians believe the band referred to the river as Yanaguana, but the Spanish Franciscan priestDamián Massanet recorded this as the name of their village.[2][3]
The Payaya first made contact withSpanish colonists in the 17th century, when the tribe had ten different encampments.[4]
By the year 1706, the Spanish had converted some Payaya among the Indigenous converts baptized atMission San Francisco Solano, 5 miles (8.0 km) from theRio Grande inCoahuila, Mexico. Today's municipality ofGuerrero is the approximate location of Mission San Francisco Solano.[5][6] The Payaya were a small band of sixty families by 1709.[7]
In 1716, the Payaya befriended Franciscan priestAntonio de Olivares. They became the mission Indians at San Antonio de Valero Mission, founded in 1718, later known as theAlamo Mission in San Antonio.[8] The mission began assimilation of the Payaya by teaching them Spanish and trade skills. The tribe had an elected form of self-government within the mission. Infectious diseases took a high toll of the mission Payaya during the 18th century.[8]
The Payaya, like other Coahuiltecan peoples, had ahunter-gatherer society. The Spanish recorded their nut-harvesting techniques. Historians have speculated that the band's movements in theEdwards Plateau is an indication thatpecans were a substantive protein source to the Payaya.[9]
Spanish Franciscan priest Damián Massanet wrote about the Payaya on the June 13, 1691, in his journal. He described an Indigenous people who were friendly toward the Spanish, but warlike and combative within their own group. Massanet described a tribal war dance, their deerskin clothing, and the practice of stealing horses and capturing women from other tribes. He said the Payaya were adept at learning the Spanish language and enjoyed Spanish clothing.[10]
Massanet portrayed the Payaya as having a respectful attitude towards a higher spiritual power and noted they had erected a wooden cross in their village. Massanet recounted that the day after the Spanish arrived, he and his group observed theFeast of Corpus Christi with aMass, during which the Payaya were present.[11]
| Payaya | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Texas |
| Region | aroundSan Antonio |
| Ethnicity | Payaya |
| Era | 18th century |
unclassified (Coahuiltecan) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | paya1237 |
The Payaya language is not sufficiently attested to classify.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)indian people payaya.
| Federally recognized tribes | |
|---|---|
| Other consulted tribes | |
| Indigenous languages | |
| Historical Indigenous peoples of Texas (Several are in Oklahoma today) |
|
| Related topics | |
† extinct language /≠ extinct tribe / >< early,obsolete name of Indigenous tribe /° people absorbed into other tribe(s) /* headquartered in Oklahoma today | |
