The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1921-03-05

SiSu fSakJ
The last tribe of Indians of North
America, and the last but two In the
new world, has yielded to the march of
civilization and. after nearly 4O years
of constant warfare against the whites,
laid down its knives to pick up shovels
and hoes, and turned in its rifles in ex-
change for tractors and harrows. The
tribe, which still numbers somewhat
more than 5000 individuals, Is the
Yaqui, who have held their mountain
valleys and villages in the state of
Sonora, In the northwest corner OF
Mexico, against all corners, ever since
they arrived there, supposedly IN the
Athapascan migration, possibly later,
but certainly before the coming of the
Spanish Conquistadores, in 1920. for
these Iberian Adventures found the
Yaqui a powerful tribe. whom neither
they nor their Mexican successors In
the land of manana have been able to
subdue.
Yet, this fall, Fl. 81. Dunn tells the
Dearborn Independent, the Yaqui eel
der men," led by Chief Mort, went vol
unfairly to Hermosillo, the capital of
the Mexican state of Sonora, and there
bound themselves by treaty, not only to
forego their raids on the Mexican vii
lagos of the coast and to permit ex-
ploration of their country by biologists
and m~ineralogists, but also to send their
young men and women with such of the
older ones as may wish to go, to the
reservation set apart for them at
Potam, Sonora, on which the Mexican
government is now erecting buildings
for their use, and installing the latest
agricultural machinery for their use In
a farm demonstration school. Later, It
is announced by the Sonoran govern
ment, a general industrial school will
be established there, teaching mechan-
ical trades as well as farming.
Tools Of Peace.
In addition to this reservation and
school, the Yaqui have been given per-
manent hereditary titles to all the do
main they now occupy in the mountains
at the headwaters of the Yaqui and
Mayo and Fuerte rivers, with prefer
ence in the filing on any and all gov
eminent lands they may wish to take
up, especially In the cases of those who
have no title or right to any of the
,ribal lands. The Yaqui agree to fur
nish 200 young men annually for train
ing in the Mexican federal army, each
years quota to he released from It's en-
listment at the expiration of three
years service. The government pledges
itself to send no armed expeditions to
enforce any of its laws, but to leave
the policing of the tribe-except those
on the Potam reseryation-to the
council of elder men of the tribe.
In return for the surrender of some
1000 Mauser and other modern rifles,
which the Yaqui have taken in their
raids, the government furnishes hunt
ing rifles and ammunition, not to ex-
coed LOCO, estimated to be the number
of men and boys who will hunt. The
government also agrees to furnish
every adult male Yaqui head of a fam
lily. who will agree to cultivate faith
fully a tract of land, a team of mules,
wagon, seed and such farming nipple
ments as he may need, at cost, the In
dian to pay for them in longtime
yearly payments. Some 300 Indians
already have asked for this equip
ment.
The story of this surTender-which
carries the memory back to the days Of
the Five Nations, and follows down to
Geronimo's last outbreak and arrest
was brought to the United States by
the first Yaqui ever to come to this
country on a mission of peace. He is
Capt. Cajeme Mort, son Of the ruling
chief of the Yaqui. who arrived In New
Orleans. on his way TO the agricultural
demonstration stations in the sugar
cotton and rice districts Of Louisiana
and the Mississippi Agricultural and
Mechanical college, to study farming
methods and the use of modern agri.
cultural machinery.
Captain Mort. who has been for FIVE
years on the staff of General Plutarco
Elias-Cailes, former governor of the
state Of Sonora, and one of the leaders
In the recent revolution which estab-
lished n new goy0Anment in Mexico,
was largely instrumental in bringing his
father and the Yaqui tribesmen to bend
their knees to civilization, but he gave
all the credit for the peace treaty to
Gen. AIyaro obregon and to Gen. Elias
Gales
Four Centuries OF Warfare Ended.
The cry Of all Mo~ico," he said, lis
Lei Us have ic2ce. 1t is natural that
tie mas OF the people. who have been
Al war among themselves for over ten
years. shou.d be weary of war, but
sometimes il seem impossible for me
to believe ihat my people, who have
been fighting some invader or another