Ervipiame facts for kids

The Ervipiame (also called Hierbipiame) were a Native American group who lived in what is now Coahuila, Mexico, and Texas, USA. They were one of many groups living in this area before Europeans arrived.

Early Life and Spanish Arrival

The Ervipiame people mainly lived on the western or southern side of the Rio Grande river. This area is now part of Coahuila, Mexico, south of a town called Guerrero, Coahuila.

Starting in the 1500s, Spanish settlers began moving into northern Mexico. This brought many changes for the Native American groups. Diseases spread, and some Spanish settlers captured Native Americans to work as slaves on ranches and in mines. These changes greatly affected the people living along the lower Rio Grande Valley.

Around the year 1700, some Ervipiame people went to live at Spanish missions. These missions included Mission San Juan Bautista and Mission San Francisco Vizzaron.

Life in the Rancheria Grande

Later, many Ervipiame became part of a large community called the Rancheria Grande. This community was located along the Brazos River in what is now eastern Texas. They lived there by the 1710s.

By 1719, a man named El Cuilón became a leader among the Ervipiame. The Spanish tried to make him the main leader of the entire Rancheria Grande.

Moving to Missions

In 1722, El Cuilón led a group from the Rancheria Grande, including many Ervipiame, west to settle at Mission San Francisco Xavier de Najera.

Later in the 1720s, some Ervipiame moved to Mission San Antonio de Valero. However, they often did not stay long. The Spanish sometimes called them "runaways" because they would leave the missions.

A Spanish priest named Mariano Francisco de los Dolores y Viana made yearly trips to the Rancheria Grande. Starting before 1735, he tried to convince the Ervipiame and other groups to move to the missions near San Antonio.

Asking for a New Mission

Even though many Ervipiame left the San Antonio missions, they saw some benefits to the mission system. In 1745, they sent a group of leaders to ask for a new mission. They went with leaders from the Yojuane, Deadose, and other groups from the Rancheria Grande. They wanted a mission to be built closer to them, along the Brazos River.

In 1747, some Ervipiame moved to Mission San Francisco Xavier de Horcasitas. This mission was located on the San Gabriel River in Texas.