Texas activist’s claims of Indigenous ancestry face scrutiny

An environmental activist from Texas, Juan Mancias, is facing scrutiny over his claims of Indigenous ancestry. Grist, a U.S.-based nonprofit media organization, recently investigated Mancias' claim and found inconsistencies that raise doubts about its validity. In 2017, Mancias traveled to France and advocated for French banks to cease supporting oil and gas projects that threatened the ancestral lands of the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe, which he chairs.

Since his efforts, the tribe has gained recognition from the United Nations and secured financial backing for environmental initiatives. However, it's important to note that the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe is not recognized by U.S. federal or state governments. To be recognized, Indigenous groups must demonstrate a substantially continuous tribal existence as an autonomous entity, which experts believe the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe lost following violence, disease, or assimilation.

Mancias has long maintained that his grandfather and multiple tribal families relocated from their Rio Grande homeland in the 1940s to the Texas panhandle, where they assimilated into the Mexican farm worker community. They allegedly maintained their culture by speaking their native language and sharing oral histories. Mancias cites his grandmother's advice to "Know your people, know who you are" and his grandfather's words "Go get our land back" as guiding principles in his life.

While Grist acknowledges that the story is compelling and shared by other Native American peoples, they found discrepancies in Mancias' account that warrant further scrutiny.