Texas Band of Yaqui Indians
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States ( Texas) | 320 |
| Languages | |
| Yaqui, English, Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Indigenous Tribal, Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mayo Uto-Aztecan people | |
The Texas Band of Yaqui Indians are descendants of a band of Mountain Yaqui Indian Fighters who came to Texas in 1870 after being chased out of Sonora Mexico wanted for killing Mexican Soldiers around 1850. The existing 10 families formed the Texas Band of Yaquis when younger generation members broke out of mandatory silence from years of hiding their Yaqui Indian Identities to State and Local authorities due to the cultural genocide inflicted on the Yaqui Indians in Mexico.[1] Many Yaquis who fled Sonora to the U.S. fled in mass numbers and with power in numbers did not hide their identities to government authorities. Not all Yaqui families or raiding bands of fighters had that luxury of exposing they were Yaqui Indians to authorities. Lesser number of Yaquis were subjugated to executions by Mexican firing squads or were sent away. Forced deportations, executions and slavery was the fate of Yaqui families, and thousands of Yaqui people scattered throughout the entire southwest displacing many Yaqui individuals and families. Founders of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians began the long process of genealogy to obtain proof and documentation's of their Yaqui Indian ancestry. The Texas Band obtained original documents tracing back to 1700 Yaqui Territory. In 2013 all records and documentations of Yaqui ancestry were submitted to the State of Texas and on May 27, 2015 the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians was recognized by the State of Texas as Native Americans under Resolution SR#989.[2] In October 2015, Authorities from the Yaqui Pueblos in Sonora Recognized the Texas Band of Yaquis as descendants and blood relations to the Yaqui Nation. A meeting took place in the pueblo of Vicam where all Yaqui Governors and authorities met and made the Texas Band of Yaquis part of the traditional pueblos granting them Indigenous Rights on an International level and International Laws. The Texas Band of Yaquis are now based in Lubbock, Texas with support from the 8 Traditional Pueblos in Sonora.
Mountain Yaquis
Sierra Yaquis or Mountain Yaquis were different from very well known pueblo or village Yaquis. Mountain Yaquis protected the outer regions of the Hiakim or the Yaqui homelands.[3] They were fierce fighters and warriors who fought against the Mexicans and Americans who came into Yaqui boundary lands in Sonora. They were known to raid villages and farms taking women, children, livestock and supplies similar to Comanches and Apaches. Nomadic in groups they would travel from the southwest to northern regions of the U.S. long before Mexico or the U.S. was ever established. Weaponry of the Sierra Yaquis from the beginning was bows and arrows, Spears were often laced with dried poisons from various venomous species. Later after foreign encroachments they changed and adopted firearms. They then in time began to dress like Mexican farmers to not be identified as fighters. Evidence of Mountain Yaquis near Texas was photographed by war photographer Otis Aultman in his collections at the State of Texas Historical Archives [4] Mountain Yaqui fighters prayed to patron saints for protection especially Our Lady of Guadalupe who protected them from bullets or harm from their enemies. In tribal history it is said the Mountain Yaquis disappeared after the wars and deportation's of the Yaquis and merged with other cultures and faded into history. The Texas Band of Yaquis held on to their Mountain Yaqui tribal culture and continue to do so within families. There are now over 900 documented tribal members in the states of Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico.
Texas Yaqui leader
Ave'lino Cobajori Domingues [5] born in Baviacora, Sonora in 1832, was Chief and Leader of the Mountain Yaquis that killed Mexican soldiers trying to invade a small Yaqui village. He was not made Yaura (leader) until the Band of Yaquis arrived in the Sierra Madres of the neighboring State of Chihuahua then hiding in the town of Jimenez, Chihuahua, bringing to safety Yaqui families and women they captured along the way. Ave'lino known as "Lino" changed his last name of Domingues to Urquides in the town of Jimenez and had six children with his captured Yaqui wife Natividad Carrasco. Ave'lino by description was very mean and strong in stature, always wearing a black rimmed hat and long black hair often braided. By 1870 Mexican Authorities became aware of Yaqui rebels in Jimenez and the Band of Yaquis fled Jimenez into Ojinaga and into the Texas border town of Presideo. Lino Urquides became his name in Presidio and Fort Davis in the years of 1880 to the 1900s. He and the other Yaqui fighters and families hid within families and did not speak to any authorities and were forbidden to say they were Indios Hiaki in fear of death wanted for killing Mexican soldiers. Many of the now Texas Yaquis became laborers and workers for the railroad and many Yaquis went to New Mexico to work. Other Texas Yaquis went to Arizona to be with Arizona Yaquis and many went as far as California and Michigan. Ave'lino was last known to have three different wives and lived to be an old Yoowe in Presidio to 1910. Local people knew him as "Hefe" and he was always surrounded by Yaqui men who never left his side.
Texas Band Yaquis
Texas Yaquis are not easily compared to Arizona Yaquis and are different in the sense that the Texas Band Yaquis descend from Mountain Yaqui Military Fighters and not Pueblo Village Yaquis. Texas Band Yaquis were the "warlike" Yaquis like many other Bands that robbed trains and villages. Many disappeared and vanished among other cultures except the Texas Band who remained hidden within families forbidden to speak to outsiders they were Hiaki. Devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe they are known as the fiercest fighters and the most feared Warriors, the Texas Band descend from the names, Cobajori, Bacasegua, Valenzuela, Bacomea, Usacamea and Tonopomea. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the wars in Mexico, The U.S. still had to deal with raiding Indians in Mexico along the U.S. Mexican border of Texas. The Federal Government set aside land for a Texas Indian Reservation specifically for Apaches and Yaquis along with other "unidentified" Indians. The Reservation was never established due to the lack of Indian agents to oversee the Reservation and Chief Lino did not want himself and his band to go to the Reservation to be executed or abused by authorities. Generations later, family descendants of Chief Lino gathered to form the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians forming the very first Texas Yaqui Tribal Council reuniting other Texas Yaquis families (Lujan, Arrietta, Valenzuela, Buitemea, Delarosa/Cuevas, Urquides, Gomez, Flores, Ochoa, Carrasco, Galindo, Galvan) who scattered throughout Texas and New Mexico bringing in original Yaqui families. The Texas Band of Yaquis formed it's very first open enrollment for other Yaqui families in the U.S. in need of Native rights who preserved their Yaqui identity. Using online genealogical database records, all Texas Band members have proof of Yaqui Indian ancestry on file dating back to 1700 Sonoran Yaqui Territories. Original Texas Band Families observe Standard Catholic observances such as Easter, Saints days, and many others. These observances are usually celebrated by the Texas Band Coyote Dances held at night, Inherited from their Military Yaqui descendants and hold homage and devotion to "Our Lady of Guadalupe".
Tribal Council
Texas Band of Yaqui Indians / PO Box 12076 / Lubbock Texas 79452
- Governor, Iz Ramirez
- Commander, Sam Sotelo Ramirez
- Captain, Jr. Ramirez
- Captain, Roberto Garcia
- Secretary, Olivia Lovato
- Treasurer, Ismael Ramirez
- Administrator to the Council, Vanessa Burleson
- Administrator to the Council, Sylvia Rios
- Administrator to the Council, Joe Hernandez
Tribal Member Population 946, includes, California, Arizona and Texas.
Yaqui Indians in Chihuahua
Evidence of Yaqui Indians in the State of Chihuahua are found in online database records in Mexico. They were recorded and documented by the Mormons and include material dating back to the early 1700s.[6]
References
External links
- Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, official website
- Texas Band of Yaqui's Facebook Newsletter,
- State Resolution SR#989
- Yaqui Indigenous People
- Yaqui Nation Link