TITLE: Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.

SUMMARY: Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, For more than 300 years, the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro played a vital role in the history, economy, and culture of Mexico and the American Southwest; and WHEREAS, Centuries before Europeans came to North America, Native Americans maintained extensive trade routes between groups in what is now Texas and New Mexico and civilizations further south; when the first Spanish explorers arrived in the region in the early 16th century, native peoples often guided them through this striking landscape along these traditional footpaths; and WHEREAS, In 1598, Don Juan de O ate and his party crossed the Rio Grande near present-day El Paso and established a colony in New Mexico; for the next three centuries, what came to be known as the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, or the Royal Road of the Interior, functioned as the principal conduit of commerce, agriculture, technology, languages, and religion between central Mexico and the American Southwest, running 1,600 miles from Mexico City at its southern end to San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico in the north; and WHEREAS, In 2010, UNESCO added the portion of the Camino Real that lies in Mexico to its prestigious World Heritage List; the designation highlighted five of the route's existing urban World Heritage sites that exemplify its cultural, commercial, religious, and geographical significance, as well as 55 historic sites, including bridges, chapels, former haciendas and convents, and other natural and manmade features, related to the use of the road; the American section of the Camino Real, which passes through El Paso, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe, was designated as a National Historic Trail by an act of Congress in 2000; and WHEREAS, Recognized by UNESCO for its "outstanding universal value," the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro represents the rich heritage of hundreds of years of human interchange between the cultures of Europe and the New World, and it serves as a vital and tangible reminder of the inextricable links between two great nations; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby recognize the cultural and historical significance of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and commend all those involved in efforts to raise awareness of and preserve the legacy of this extraordinary international landmark. Gonz lez of El Paso Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2192 was adopted by the House on My 29, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House