The Southwest region of the United States is home to a number of Native American Tribes. The Pascua Yaqui in southern Arizona is among the tribes that reside in the Southwest. According to Ernesto Quiroga Sandoval, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Historian, their people passed down history for generations using oral history.

Pascua Yaqui tradition states that the Creator allowed some ocean animals to surface on land, allowing some to evolve into short human forms called Surems. The Sureni were peaceful people who didn’t need government. Life in the Sonoran Desert was harmonious until God “spoke through a little tree and prophesied about new horticultural techniques, Christianity, savage invaders, and disunity.” Fearful of this message, the Surems morphed into taller, forming people called Yaqui (Hiakim) or Yo’emen (The People).

By 552 A.D., Yaquis lived in family groups along the Yaqui River, north to the Gila River. They lived off the land, gathering wild desert foods, hunting game and cultivating corn, beans, and squash. They traded food, furs, shells, salts, and other goods with other indigenous groups of Central America. By 1414, the Yaquis had trained themselves to fight in order to protect their land and family life, becoming organized cultural and military groups.

Like many native cultures, their lives changed when white men arrived. In 1533, when a Spanish expedition came in search of slaves, they fought the Yaquis and lost, but killed thousands in the process. The Spanish continued attaching them between 1608 and 1610.
However, the Yaquis preferred peace, allowing Jesuit to conduct missionary and economic work within the villages.

When silver was discovered in the Yaqui River Valley in 1684, the Spaniard pillaged sacred land and disrespected the Yaqui people. In order to defeat the Spaniards and drive them out of their god-given land, the people allied with the Mayo tribe in 1740. The Yaquis fought the Spaniards and the Mexicans for the next 190 years. The Yaquis suffered greatly during this time, losing many to execution or battle while others dispersed to other locales.

The Yaquis continued resisting the advances of the federal government of Mexico despite relentless attacks by the government. Like many tribes in North America, they endured a number of atrocities, from enduring massacres to being used as slave labor. However, smallpox proved to be a force that no amount of military strength could fight, leaving only 4,000 Yaquis in the Rio Yaqui region. Yet, the people did not give up easily and fought even as the Mexican and United States governments tried overtaking them.

Treaties, a sore spot in Native American history, continued to be broken by Mexico and the United States. Because of these broken promises, the Pascua Yaqui bounced back and forth between Sonora and the United States. Eventually, Sonoran Governor Izabal established a policy to arrest both peaceful and rebellious Yaquis, forcing them to Arizona communities and joining family groups who resided there. Ironically, because of the relocations, many Yaquis escaped the effects of the Mexican Revolution.

In the early part of the 20th century, the Yaquis continued battling Mexico. Finally, in 1939, Mexican Cardenas changed attitudes about the people and officially recognized the tribe and gave them title to their land. It wasn’t until 1978, however, that the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona became federally recognized; therefore, the Pascua Pueblo Pueblo of the Pascua Yaqui Reservations officially came into existence. Like many tribes in North America, they are a self-governing Sovereignty, but receive specific services from the government.

Source:

The Official Website of the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Government
http://www.pascuayaqui-nsn.gov/history_and_culture/history/history4.shtml