Native Americans lived in the Gulf Coast region of Texas for thousands of years. They lived in small groups. Each group had its own name and clothing styles and spoke a slightly different language. Most of them belonged to one of two cultures: the Atakapa or the Karankawa.

The Atakapas lived in the northern part of the coast. The Karankawas lived on the southern part of the coast. Both Atakapas and Karankawas hunted ducks and geese and ate turtles.

They moved around the countryside at different times of the year to find food. In spring and summer, the Karankawa moved away from the coast to hunt deer and harvest pecans. In the fall and winter, they lived on the coast and ate oysters, fish and roots.

Source: History in the Gulf Coast
Copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department