American Indian languages Native American people Indian heritage

Teyas (Teya Apaches)

"Teyas" was the historical name for a band of Texas Indians probably affiliated with the Apache tribe, although they might also have been Caddoan or Puebloan. The name "Teya" may have been a Spanish corruption of the Apache word for "people," ndee, or the Caddo word taysha, which was also the origin of the name "Texas." Since the Teyas tribe no longer exists as a cultural or political unit today and few written records remain of them, it's difficult to be sure of their true identity, but Mescalero people describe them as an Apache offshoot in their oral traditions. If so then they probably merged into other Apache communities after colonization.

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Here are links to our webpages about the Teyas tribe and language:

Teyas language
Apache culture
Apache tribes
Apache pronunciation
Athabascan
The Southwest Native Americans

Here are links to more Internet resources about the Teyas Apaches:
Teya Indians
Teyas Indians

Here are a few good books about the Teyas:
Coronado's Querechos and Teyas in the Archaeological Record of the Texas Panhandle
Culture and Customs of the Apache Indians
Wisdom Sits In Places
Mescalero Apache-English Dictionary

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