Coahuiltecan Indians, Coahuila Indians, Coahuila Tribe, Cahuilla Tribe, Cahuilla Indians. The Spanish missions, numerous in the Coahuiltecan region, provided a refuge for displaced and declining Indian populations. Fewer than 10 percent refer to physical characteristics, cultural traits, and environmental details. lvar Nez Cabeza de Vaca in 15341535 provided the earliest observations of the region. In the late 20th century, they united in public opposition to excavation of Indian remains buried in the graveyard of the former Mission. Missions as a Place of Refuge called wickiups. There is no mention of them being dirty, smelly, eating rotten food, or The Spaniards had little interest in describing the natives or classifying them into ethnic units. They may have had some body piercings and tattoos, but since they were poor, elaborate and decorative clothing was not emphasized, and all clothing was worn mainly for practical reasons or for basic modesty. Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. without food, these were just ways of getting more to eat. She says it is a cure for of people with a chief. Also, it is impossible to identify groups as Coahuiltecans by using cultural criteria. Others refer to plants and animals and to body decoration. After a long decline, the missions near San Antonio were secularized in 1824. They are dirty and smell. This is wrong. The hunter received only the hide; the rest of the animal was butchered and distributed. This encouraged ethnohistorians and anthropologists to believe that the region was occupied by numerous small Indian groups who spoke related languages and shared the same basic culture. their territory with other bands of Indians. Men refrained from sexual intercourse with their wives from the first indication of pregnancy until the child was two years old. But