Mission Statement The Mission of the American Indians in…read moreTexas at the Spanish Colonial Missions is to work for the preservation and protection of the culture and traditions of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation and other indigenous people of the Spanish colonial missions in south Texas and northern Mexico through: education, research, community outreach, economic development projects and legislative initiatives at the federal, state and local levels. San Antonio has the 10th largest population of urban Native Americans in the United States per capita. AITSCM strives to strengthen and enhance the ties Native Americans have to the practices that are universal to indigenous people, building on them to educate and inform others of their presence and history. AITSCM is a non-profit organization in the San Antonio area that provides: * Economical Development with Mission tours, native plants, native food café * Cultural Programs with dance, music, art, food * Languages for all ages with storytelling and instruction * Advocacy with both a youth and elder council for the missions, sacred sites, and Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation. Family Health & Wellness: San Antonio Fatherhood Campaign Rites of Passage Healing the Wounded Spirit Indigenous Arts: AIT Dance Theater Yanaguana Singers Economical Development through Cultural Arts Civic Engagement: Native Voices Network Native Youth for Equal Voices REAL Dads (Resident Engaged Advocate Leaders) AITSCM hosts two Mission Heritage fundraising dinners each year... May is based on the Cactus Blossom and Dec is based on the Pecan. Dec 2017 Pecan Harvest dinner was held at Casa Hernan (a Chef Johnny Rodriquez Catering event venue) with plenty of food, drink, entertainment, and presentations... one in particular one honoring the Sisters of Incarnate Word for their help in preserving the Blue Hole Sanctuary... all of this for only $23... we got a steal of a deal that night! ... Plus lots of door prizes! One of the comments I caught that night is that the younger generations are not interested in keeping up the traditions (for various reasons)... if this keeps happening, the traditions of language, dance, art will be lost forever. This org is here to support the local Native American community and it really is up to us to support them as well. Yanaguana Mission Heritage Tours are also hosted by AITSCM. What better way to see the missions as to be guided by local decedents of the Missions. Private groups tour are available at $50 per person... or you can watch their site in case they may host a public tour which is happening Sat 17 Mar 18 $20 per person. This will be a #SA300 event. Oh and check my review here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/yanaguana-mission-heritage-tours-san-antonio The United San Antonio Pow Wow in Feb at Mission County Park was the perfect place to hold this event. Check the link for my review... https://www.yelp.com/biz/united-san-antonio-pow-wow-san-antonio . You will find AITSCM at all the local Pow Wows around town as well as other events, so be sure to stop by, say hi, and donate as much as you possibly can to this much needed organization for our community.

I have been to the San Antonio missions on many occasions, but today I went on a guided tour by the…read moreAmerican Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AITSCM) and it really was awesome. They didn't focus too much on the architecture, etc., instead they focused on what life was really like for the American Indians and the cultural issues that still exist today. A lot of history was covered, and they spoke about their current mission to bring cultural awareness to the public and the descendants of the American Indians who lived and worked at the missions. We met at Mission San Jose and after touring that one, we boarded a bus for the other three missions. Ramon was our guide and it is obvious he has a passion (and a wealth of knowledge) about his ascendants and passing the culture on to future generations. We learned SO much that we never knew about. At the end of the tour, his mother had some cultural dishes prepared for us to sample and they were REALLY good. Ramon and his sons also sang a couple of traditional ceremonial songs and performed a ceremonial dance to one of them. Keep in mind, the American Indians of South Texas were not like the stereotypical American Indians you see in the movies and on television. Don't expect to see what you have seen in pop media. Ramon, his mother, and his sons are all AWESOME. To sum it up, I have to say I came away with a lot of new knowledge and was very enlightened. In addition to the mission tours, this organization hosts several other events throughout the year. Check out their website for more information.

Had an amazing time laughing during the Friendly fire comedy show…read more Out group enjoyed the adult beverages and the socialization with other veterans. Plenty of room for our event. Thank you for hosting the event.

Patriotic, veterans, women veterans appreciated and recognized. Friday evening fish specials. Full…read morebar. Live music on occasions . DJ on occasions. Spacious area for tables, chairs, stage, dance floor.

I have to say , y'all got it going on in San Antonio . We walked all over this area for 6 days …read more... Saw everything . I'll tell you what, being a tourist in your city I felt very safe and welcome . People are friendly . They stop and speak to you . I like the police presence. I like the ambassadors. The ambassadors are people with name tags on that are out on the street they stop you say hello and ask if you need directions or anything .. the city is pretty clean . The general area is clean and pressure washed early in the morning . You don't see trash and cigarette butts everywhere . All cities should take notes . Good job San Antonio !

Great place to have San Fernando Fiesta at Main Plaza. I have fun & a great time there. have bean &…read morecheese gordita & I was so delicious. I bought a new Guayabera shirt at a great price.

What a great & organized volunteer experience we had on "Day of giving" with my work group. Love…read morethe handwashing stations, lockers, and clean facility. Most of all I loved giving back to the community!

Love! Love ! Love! Signed up to volunteer and will be doing it again. The staff is so helpful and…read morewalk you through everything to make sure everything is packaged correctly and that expired or opened food is not being distributed.

This is a review of disappointment between what the institute of Texan cultures used to be and how…read moreit became now. My main disappointment is I used to volunteer for the Texas Folklife festival which used to be held at the old institute location. If you have been you know exactly what I am talking about. In this new location they have everything almost mixed up together in a very small space. The entrance is $10 for a moment we thought the whole building is the institute... no! It is just one upstairs. I truly felt so disappointed when we went back down my friend joked with the girls at the register wanting a refund. They took her seriously and promised a refund. They tried to do it which it didn't go through then said the manager will... I looked at my bank statement and the charge was there... I let it go! I will never return

"Just getting started" is how one of the attendants put it while we were here- great start!…read more Good mix of modern and classic antiquities that make Texas everything that it is cracked up to be. After all, it is the diverse background of the people that settled here that created the uniqueness that we take for granted as Texan culture. So many influences.... Worth learning how things evolve! The staff here mentioned many things yet to come. We are really looking forward to seeing more of the items that we were all introduced to in childhood if you grew up in San Antonio.

Avenida Guadalupe is located next to the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, no relation. The main…read morebuilding houses the offices of several community-orientated, non-profit organizations. I am familiar with AIT (American Indians in Texas) who works with the local Native community offering family services such as counseling and group sessions, but also hosts the Four Seasons Indian Market at Mission San Juan. They have several Native American vendors and I especially love the jewelry. They also showcase traditional dances and talk to the audience about the meaning of their performances. I've also attended events at Progreso Hall. This is a good venue for parties and large lecture-type of events. The hall is spacious and well-lit. There were maybe 100 people seated at the event I attended. In addition, I like their outdoor plaza that is great for public performances with a built-in stage, canopy, and seating. Just watch out for the pigeons! It also has a nice playground for children, however, I wouldn't stay there past sunset.

My husband is a Veteran and we were looking for a way to give back to the community as the VA…read morecommunity has been so good to him. We decided to apply to volunteer with Paws for Purple Hearts. They train service dogs for Veterans and we were trained to be puppy parents through a series of classes so we could learn how to maintain consistency in their training. We bring dogs in training into our home for short periods of time so they can adapt to various environments as part of their training. We reinforce their training and maintain consistency for them while helping them acclimate to different homes and environment. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful experience. The staff is so dedicated to the animals and the cause and so knowledgeable about training and caring for these dogs that they are preparing to become service dogs for Veterans. There is so much that goes into training these amazing animals. It has been a truly rewarding experience for us to be able to work with these amazing future service animals.

Great Hamburger Night on Wednesdays and they're now offering BLT's as well. Comfortable relaxing…read moreatmosphere.

Went there on a bus tour at the end of June. Friendly people, but the bar gets super overwhelmed…read morewhen it is too busy. Not even a smile or thank you when they finally get to you. I was very uncomfortable with the fact that one of their members video tapes all the alcohol purchases on his tablet. It is a little worrisome as I don't know what is to become of all the footage. I don't mind being taped on a proper video security system; in fact, it is expected. I emailed the Exalted Ruler when I got back to the hotel and nearly 3 weeks still no response. Next time I am in the area I would probably drive to New Braunfels, one of our other stops. At least they smiled and made us feel welcome.