OPINION
Last week’s news that Alamo Trust President Kate Rogers resigned after officials called for her ouster over a social media post acknowledging the existence of Indigenous People’s Day drew sharp criticisms from all quarters over what seems like the ever-advancing War on Woke being waged by Texas’ elected officials.
The Concho Observer republished an original report from The Texas Tribune on the subject, which was followed by an editorial on Texas history written by Editor & Publisher Jon Mark Hogg on Sunday.
The Observer received a response to that opinion piece from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) who issued the following statement titled: “The Alamo Deserves the Whole Story, Including Its Indigenous Roots.”
The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) affirms the importance of preserving the Alamo as one of the most significant historic sites in the world and a landmark deeply tied to the story of Texas. Restoration of the site is an essential act of cultural stewardship that benefits everyone.
However, preservation must go beyond restoring walls. It must also include restoring truth. The story of the Alamo began long before the 1836 battle. It began with Indigenous peoples whose homelands, labor, and lives shaped the mission and the surrounding region.
The descendants of the Coahuiltecan, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, and other Native peoples continue to carry the living memory of that place. Their presence is not a sidebar to the Alamo’s story; it is the foundation upon which the story rests.
There would be no Alamo without the Indigenous peoples who built it.
ATALM believes that historical reconciliation is not a political act. It is an ethical and cultural responsibility.
Acknowledging Indigenous, Mexican, African-descended, and other historically excluded voices enriches public understanding and ensures that history reflects the full humanity of those who lived it.
The 1836 battle remains a defining moment in Texas history, but it cannot stand alone. The Alamo is more than a single chapter of resistance. It is a layered narrative of survival, exchange, and resilience.
To preserve the Alamo faithfully, we must tell its story completely. ATALM urges the inclusion of Indigenous scholars, historians, and community leaders in shaping interpretation and educational programming at the site. Only through such collaboration can visitors encounter the Alamo not as myth, but as a place where many peoples’ histories meet and continue.
There is a place for reconciliation at the Alamo. Indeed, reconciliation is the pathway to truth. And truth is the most enduring form of preservation.
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About the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums
The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums is an international nonprofit organization that supports Indigenous cultural institutions and knowledge keepers in the preservation and advancement of language, history, and lifeways. The organization provides training, resources, and advocacy to strengthen sovereignty and ensure that Indigenous peoples control and share their own stories.
