With the star set to play Tonto in a big screen reboot of "The Lone Ranger," the New Mexico-based tribe formally made him one of their own.

One of the reasons that Johnny Depp was long dedicated to updating the seminal western series The Lone Ranger was his interest in re-defining the role of Tonto, the masked Texas lawman's loyal Indian sidekick. Depp already claimed a sliver of Native American heritage (Cherokee or Creek), and now, he's got a much bigger stake in the transformation.

Last week, Depp was formally adopted by the Comanche Indian tribe, a New Mexico-based group of Indians to which Depp's Tonto belongs. LaDonna Harris, a Comanche and president of Americans for Indian Opportunity, heard about his film role and invited him to join the tribe.

“I reached out, and Johnny was very receptive to the idea," she told the website Indian Country. He seemed proud to receive the invitation, and we were honored that he so enthusiastically agreed.”

The Lone Ranger, directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, is set for a May 31, 2013 release.