The Opelousas courier., 1899-11-18
HISTORY OF THE TRIBE.
Struggle of the Yaquis to Maintain
Their Independence.

GU uR
Their Independence.
The Va iui Indians, who have again
taken up arms against the Mexican
government, have maintained their
semi-independence by force of arms
for a century and a half against
the white invaders. They say that
they hold the title to the territory they
occupy from the king OF Spain, from
whom they forced it, and they have
never recognized Mexican sovereignty.
As a nation they are ruled by their
own laws, and they make their towns
asylums, " surrendering a fugl-
tive to the Mexican authorities. They
are naturally a mild and peaceful peo-
pie, but they are brave and able in
wal when itcannot be avoided without
sacrifice Of their principles and their
independence. They hate the Mexi-
cans, who, they allege, sold part OF
their land lying in the Gadsden Pur-
chase to the United States. They
have revolted with more or less sue
cess against Spanish and Mexican rule
in 1875, 1925, 1882 and 1871, and since
1885 have almost continually retaliated
on Mexico for various wrongs.
The Yaquis occupy a large district
Of Sonora, including the towns OF
Cocorin, Bacum and TORN, as we'll as
five other towns on the Yaqui river.
They are Industrious; they make good
farm laborers, miners and boatmen,
weave cotton, raise large stocks of
horses, sheep and cattle, and sell pro-
ducts valued at many thousands of
dollars every month at Guaymas. The
Yaquis speak in a rough, loud tone,
and their name is said to mean "He
who shouts" They are believed to
number about fifteen thousand, of
whom more than five thousand are
adult males, most of them armed. In
June, 1885, when the Mexican govern
ment was trying to force them to pay
taxes, they defeated and slaughtered
General Garcia and four hundred
soldiers.
The last serious fight which these
descendants of the Aztecs had with
Mexico was in 1896 and 1897, when a
young girl named Teresa Urea, after
ward called Santa Teresa, announced
that she had the gift OF healing the
sick, and offered to lead her people
into paradise. She gathered several
THOUSAND Yaquis. who made pilgrim
ages to her fathers ranch and started
a revolution. The Mexican authori-
ties captured her and took her across
the United States frontier to Nogales.
Many of the indians followed her,
and, after r~escaing her, she led them
against the Mexican troops in Chihua-
hua, where she was captured and her
force nearly annihilated. She was
again sent over the line to the United
States with the warning never to re-
turn, but the Indians and some Next
cans soon rallied around her and de-
feated small Mexican forces at a num-
Der Of points. st. Ter sa's band was
finally routed, but she raised another
army in the United States, and in
August the Yaquis seized the Mexican
half of the town of Nogales, being
subsequently driven out by Americans.
The war" continued for a year, until
in June, 1897, Jetlabale, chief Of the
Yaquis, marched into Guaymas at the
head of 800 warriors and made treaty
of peace with a commission sent by
President Diaz, by whose authority
the Yaquis were enrolled in a militia |
for the state of Sonora, with Jetiabale
as commander, with the rank and sal
airy of a Mexican officer. This policy
of Cancellation now seems to have
and the attempt at conquest,
was unsuccessful from the time
Of Spanish sovereignty, is again to be
renewed.