Before the Spanish established formal "ownership" or colonial presence in Texas in the late 17th century, the land was inhabited and effectively "owned" by a diverse array of indigenous Native American tribes who had occupied the region for thousands of years. These included the agricultural Caddo people in the east, who built complex social structures and permanent settlements, and the nomadic Karankawa along the Gulf Coast. In the western and central regions, tribes like the Jumano, Tonkawa, and Coahuiltecan adapted to the harsher climates through seasonal migrations. It is a common misconception that the land was "empty" or unclaimed; these nations had established territories, trade networks, and sophisticated cultures long before European contact. The first European "claim" was actually a brief and ill-fated French attempt by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who established Fort St. Louis in 1865. This French encroachment is what ultimately spurred the Spanish to aggressively settle and formalize their own claim to the territory to prevent it from falling under the control of the French Crown.