Cenizo Indians

The Cenizo (Cenis, Ceniz, Seniso, Zenizo) Indians were well-known Coahuiltecan Indians of northeastern Mexico during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Some entered Mission San Antonio Galindo Moctezuma (north of Monclova, Coahuila) in 1698, and shortly thereafter others entered San Francisco Solano Mission near the site of present Eagle Pass, Texas. In 1718, when San Francisco Solano was transferred to San Antonio and became known as San Antonio de Valero, some of these Cenizos moved with it. The baptismal records at Valero include such names as Censoc, Censoo, Seniczo, Senixzo, Sinicu, and Siniczo, all of which seem to be variants of Cenizo. However, H. E. Bolton has identified two groups: Cenizo (with Siniczo as a synonym) and Sinicu (with Censoc, Censoo, Seniczo, and Senixzo as synonyms). J. R. Swanton followed Bolton by listing Cenizo (Seniso) as separate Coahuiltecan bands. Reanalysis of the primary documents is needed in order to clarify this matter.