The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-09-02
A TROUBLESOME INDIAN ace.
Interesting Information About the Yaqui,
Mode OF warfare.

interesting information About the IaQut9
Mode Of Warfare.
The Yaquis do not want to have local
self-government, but they absolutely re-
fuse to obey the laws of Mexico and TO
recognize the sovereignty of the Mexican
| governmet. This Indian tribe numbers
about 1000 people, who live in the dis
trict between the Yaqui and Mayo rivers.
Their territory is divided into eight town.
ships, of which Belem, Tiron, Palanm,
Rebeira are the leading ones. Each
town is governed by patriarch, elected
for life, and these patriarchs IN turn elect
a generalissimo, or chief, likewise for
life.
The chief of the Yaquis en- joys abso-
lutte power over the property and even
the life of the members of the tribe, and
his viii is checked by no law. He is en-
titled to one-fourth of all the crops raised
on Yaqui territory, and can take all the
land and even personal property he may
want, besides. The present chief makes
full use Of his power. He is about 46
years old, is married, and has one
daughter. In cattle and real estate he
now worth about SOS, 900, but his 70
sources are practically only limited b
the power of the Yaqui people to fulfh
his desires.
The Yaquis who live in the river val
leys are the most civilized and as a rule
quite industrious farmers They are
rather good-looking, dress fairly well,
and take great pride in having their wo-
men dress in American fashion. They
are peaceably inclined. The mountain
people, however, spurn all civilization.
49,.
ing but fighting. The feeling Of indie
pendence is very strong among the
Yaquis, who, besides, jealousy guard
the purity of their race. There is little
mixing with other Indians, and even
with white people in times Of peace, but
nobody who has not pure Yaqui blood
in his veins is ever admitted to full fell
lOwship. No @Yari," that is, foreigner
or person other than pure Yaqui parent
age can fight in tine Yaqui army or hold
any position of trust, and in all quarrels
about property or ether matters tho
"Yari" has no standing before the Yaqri
authorities. This absolute seclusion Of
the Yaquis and their tenacious resistance
against all civilization have been the
principal causes of the trouble they have
given to Mexico ever since the Spanish
conquest.
The fighting strength of the Yaquis is
somewhat in excess of 9, 200 men. In the
open field Yaqui troops can not stand up
against trained soldiers, even if they
outnumber them two to one, but in
guerilla warfare they are next to mcon-
querable. Only about 1, 800 firearms are
in the entire Yaqui army. These arms
have been obtained by Yaoui farmers
for Chief Cajeme in Guaymas and other
market towns, where they sell their
grain and other produce, for some time
past, and as a consequence Cajeme has
plenty of ammunition. Most of the
Yaquis are armed with bow and arrow
and tomahawk, most terrible weapons
in their skilled hands. They fight like
devils incarnate, and know hos 10 take
the slightest chance for ambush and
treachery. They neither give nor ask
quarter, and are cruel in the extreme.
At night they never fight, running away
when attacked between sanset and sun
riser Their mode OF warfnre makes it
hard for the Mexican troops TO battle
with them, yet there is every prospect
that the troops now operating against
them will succeed in suppressing them.
The Yaquis are nominally Catholics but
their rites are largely. taken from heath
endom, and their fanaticism is bound
less. Among themselves they observe
fair moral status, and enforce strictly
laws against robbery, adultery, swind-
ling, ETC., but the "Yaris" have in their
eyes no rights which Yaquis are bound
10 respect.-Mexico Two Republics.