 Galveston Island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes who used the name "Auia" for the island.In 1519, the Alonso Álvarez de Pineda expedition sailed past Galveston Island en route from the Florida peninsula to the Pánuco River.Pineda may or may not have actually seen the island, however, Spain lay claim to the entire Gulf Coast, including Galveston Island, based on the 1519 Pineda expedition.