The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-01-19
yAQU| INDIANS
old OFFENDERS
DEPRIVED OF RICH LANDS
MTHEY HAVE BECOME
WARLIKE

HERMOSlLLO, Mex, Jan. H.
The Yaqui Indian has been the trou-
BILE maker of northwestern Mexico
for generations and his recent out
break is but one of a large num-
Der which have occurred during the
administrations of Diaz, Madero and
other leaders.
Starting with the Bronco YaQuis
along the Rio Yaqui in northwest
ern Sonora early in September, the
revolt has spread to many of the
allied tribes, including the Mansos
Yaquis, who have been peaceful
in the past and who derived their
names from the fact they worked
with their hands.
In the rich Yaqui River Valley of
northwestern Sonora the Indian up
rising has had it's center. The In
dian towns of Potam, Vacuum, Ba-
cum, La Colorado and Suaqui Gran
de have been scenes of various In
dian raids and Mexican federal
troops have been unable to make
n great Roadway in %conquering
these warning tribesmen.
The revolt reached it's height
after the fall harvests OF corn, beans
and garbanzo had been harvested.
S~torehouses where these crops were
put away for the winter were loot
ed and the Indians extended their
field of operations far into the
north toward HermosilIo, the CAPT.
tai. Ammunition and rifles were
struggled across the Sonora border
for them and a number of engage
ments fought between the Yaquis
and the federals resulted in the
routing of the government troops.
The basic cause of the unrest
among these northwestern Mexico
Indians is the land problem. At one
time these Indians owned and titled
thousands of acres of the most fer
tile land in the republic, which was
watered by the Yaqui River. These
lands were gradually confiscated by
the various governments and par
celed out to favorites of the rul-
ing powers.
The Indians claim they were given
inferior lands in place of their orig
inal holdings and insist upon the
restoration of these tribal holdings.
One American company now n
trolls 100000 acres Of land In the
Yaqui country, much of which is
claimed by the Indians.
The Yaqui tribes were originally
agricultural people with a bent for
hunting in the mountains during
the winter. They are stocky, sturdy
aud possess many Of the traits of
the American Indian. Fighting has
lately been one of their chief Occu-
pations as they have been on the
warpath either in their own inter-
ect or for the various de facto gov
ernments for Is years.
During the days of President Diaz
the Yaquis were dispossessed of
much of their fertile valley lands by
General Torres, the federal COVER
nor of Sonora. Large numbers were
deported from the state by boat to
the hot lands of Yucatan and to
Tres Marias Island, off the coast OF
Topic. This was n of the chief
grievances which caused the Yaqui
a This wal continued until the
outbreak of the Madero revolution
when the Indians Joined with Ma
dero against their sworn enemies of
the old federal regime.
Numbers of attempts have been
made to convert these Indians to
peaceful ways. President Madero
had a commission of Indians visit
him in Mexico City. Later he sent
a commission to treat with the tri-
bal leaders. But the Indians claim
ed they were not given back their
promised lands and were soon on
the warpath. The present uprising
is said by officials of the govern
ment to be one of the most threat
ening since the days of Diaz.