The Chitina leader. [volume] (Chitina, Alaska) 1910-1928, 1915-07-20
History Of the Yaquis
An Interesting Race

NOGALES, Ariz., July 15-Although
the Yaqui Indians of Sonora are said
to have declared war on the United
States-at least so far as American
settlers in this region are concerned
and United States warships have been
dispatched to cope with the situation
Information as to the process by
which this declaration of war was
made is still lacking. 1t is known that
the tribe retains a political organiza
ton. What appears to be an almost
mythical supreme chief reigns in the
hills above their valley and is said to
direct the actions of the minor chiefs
who have taken groups of the tribe
into the Mexican warfare.
The Associated Press correspondent
during recent trip to the west coast
with Carranza learned this and a
number of other interesting things
concerning the Yaquis, about whom
little true material has hitherto been
published.
Although they have been in almost
constant warfare since the organiza-
ton of the Mexican nation, the Yaquis
never have been fully conquered or
won over to European civilization. But
their struggle against the advance of
civilization did not assume threaten
ing proportions until the recent revo-
lutionary activities gave them mod
ern war munitions and military
training. Previously this most war
like Mexican Indian had confined him
self to guerilla fighting. The arming
of the Yaquis to take part in Mexico's
domestic quarrel made possible their
more extensive military movements,
not only the American
colonists in the Yaqui valley about
Guaymas, but the sovereignty OF the
Mexican race along that rich portion
of the west coast.
The Yaqui region lies a few miles
inland from the important California
gulf port city of Guaymas. The
Indians years ago lost most of their
rich agricultural lands in the valley.
Their strongholds are in the hill
from which strong positions
they make frequent raids on the
Mexican settlers in the valley below.
It has been only recently that their
assaults were directed against the
American settlers in the valley, who
mad given the Indians profitable EN-
ployment as laborers.
The Yaqui was not considered an
dangerous neighbor until
the advent of the Constitutionalist
revolution. With the separation of
he Carranza and Villa factions a
struggle began between those two
parties in Sonora state. The Indians
already had been armed and enlisted
as troops in the Constitutionalist
army, doing the bulk of the desperate
lighting in the contests for the towns
along the Arizona-Sonora border.
These Indians were considered "paci.
fico." or peaceful Yaquis. But on op-
perfume occasions they demanded the
return of their tribal lands, and only
would remain in the revolution service
after securing promises from the fac
tional leaders. For more than year,
however, it has become evident that
the supposedly friendly Yaqui was
working in conjunction with his wilder
brother who had remained in the
hills. Arms and ammunition in large
quantities given to the Indians en-
listed in the Constitutionalist army
were smuggled on the backs of Yaqui
runners into the mountain passes and
there were hidden. The enlisted In
dams would return after an insignifi-
cant skirmish and demand more am
muniton. Their Mexican officers did
not dare to refuse it.
The situation became more seri-
Gus when Jose Maria Maytorena, the
Villa governor of the state, brought
the Yaqui troops into northern Sonora.
they had been used only
against Huerta's federal troops about
Guaymas. Maytorena's Yaquis took
part in the attacks on the Carranza
garrisons at Nogales, Naco and
Cananea. In former years under the