ition, the Tiguas fight to maintain their culture and acquire their tribal lands has been an uphill battle. Red tape and bureaucracy have bogged down advancement. The Tiguas filed claim in 1983 to reclaim in accordance with the Indian Claims Limitation Act of 1982. They wanted a return of lands still being held by the state and financial compensation for their other losses. In 1987 the law changed allowing the sale of state land to raise money for the Permanent School Fund. The land that is most speculative is the Indian land. Protests made by Diamond on behalf of the Tigua were acknowledged then discarded. They tried to protest again in 1991 to Stroud Kelly, the head attorney at the General Land Office. Diamond says that Kelly told him that several closings were about to take place. Later, however, denied any knowledge of transactions that were taking place in El Paso County. Diamond wrote a letter to Garry Mauro, The Texas Land commissioner, on March 3rd 1991 informing him “that the tribe will hold the state accountable for any conveyances by the state within the claim area to third parties.” Mauro replied that since the Tigua had a pending suit he did not wish to discuss except that he would defend title to state lands. The Tigua continued to build their case cave paintings and other historical evidence. The Tigua claim was outlined by Diamond in December of 1992. It included twenty sections of land at Fort Bliss, twenty sections on the Hueco Mountains, forty thousand acres in Hudspeth County, as well as large tracts in Culberson, Jeff Davis, Brewster, and Presidio counties. The Hueco Tanks were of the most concern, as they are ancient burial grounds. “We do have valid deeds to the land,” said former Tigua governor Miguel Apedraza, “We don’t really want it back. What we want is to be compensated for it.”In 1992 the Tiguas decided to consider putting in casinos this would prove to be another...
