Pastia people facts for kids

The Pastia people (also called Pastias or Paxti) were a group of hunter-gatherers. They were part of the larger Coahuiltecan family of tribes. The Spanish called them "chamuscados", which means "scorched" or "singed."

The Pastias lived in what is now southeastern Texas. Their home was mostly between the Medina River and San Antonio River. It also stretched to the bend of the Nueces River. This area includes parts of modern-day La Salle and McMullen counties. Spanish explorers first met the Pastia people in the early 1700s. By the mid-1800s, the Pastia people no longer existed as a separate group.

The Pastia People's Story

Early Spanish explorers found many different Native American groups near the Medina River. These groups spoke a similar Coahuiltecan language. They also shared many traditions and ways of life. The Pastia were one of these groups. Others included the Anxau, Pampopa, and Payaya. The Payaya were the largest group and were known to the Spanish since 1690.

The Pastia people were not known to Spanish explorers in the 1500s and 1600s. Their main area was along the lower Frio River, where it met the Nueces River. This land was far from the usual Spanish trade routes. Because of this, the Spanish and Pastia did not meet until the early 1700s.

On April 24, 1709, a Spanish expedition crossed the Medina River. This group included Espinosa, Olivares, and Aguirre. They were exploring the San Antonio River valley for the first time. This is when they first met the Pastia tribe.

Who Were the Pastia?

The name "Pastias" means "scorched" or "singed" in Spanish. This name might have come from their body art. The Pastia people liked to use tattooing, body painting, and other decorations on their bodies. They spoke a dialect of the Coahuiltecan language. However, not much is known about their specific language. An old document from 1707 mentioned their name and its meaning. But other records from that time do not talk about their skin decorations.

The Pastia people were skilled at finding and storing food. They ate a lot of pecans and other nuts and seeds. Prickly pear cacti were also a big part of their diet. During times when food was scarce, they would eat roots, insects, lizards, and worms.

Records show that the Pastias and other local tribes had camps near the Spanish missions of San Antonio. This was during the early years of mission building, from 1707 to 1737. Many Pastia people worked as laborers to help build the San Antonio mission network. The Pastia were one of the three groups present when Mission San José y San Miguel was founded in 1720.

Why the Pastia Population Declined

The Native American tribes in southeastern Texas faced a big drop in their numbers. This happened after many outbreaks of diseases. These diseases started around the time the missions were being built. The tribes had no natural protection against diseases like smallpox from Europe. These illnesses were very deadly to the people living near the missions.

After Mission San Antonio de Valero was built in 1718, many Native American groups were moved. They left their traditional homes and went to live on the San Antonio mission lands.

The few Pastia people who survived reportedly gathered only at Mission San José. We do not have exact numbers for how many people lived there. The records of the early mission residents have been lost over time. As late as 1789, some settlers in the area still identified themselves as Pastia.

Mistaken Identities

Over time, the Pastia people have sometimes been confused with other tribes. They were sometimes mistaken for the Pasxa (Patzau) and Pachal (Pacal, Pasteal) peoples.

For example, the Patiri tribe was sometimes wrongly called Pastia residents. This happened at the Mission San Ildefonso in Milam County. However, the Pastias never lived or visited that area. Also, some people living at the Mission Concepción de Acuña used "Pastias" as a surname. But it is not proven that they were actually members of the Pastia tribe.

After the Pastia and nearby tribes declined, their lands were later settled by the Apache people. Today, there is no longer a living tribe of the Pastia people.