Arizona: Pasqua Yaqui

ARIZONA: PASQUA YAQUI

The federal government recognized the Pascua Yaqui as a tribe in 1978, even though the state of Arizona resisted, contending that these poverty-stricken people should be shipped back to Mexico. 

Ancestry 
While the Pascua Yaqui culture is rooted in Mexico, most of the Pascua Yaqui people descend from those who came to this country in 1884, fleeing persecution and abandoning their rich agricultural homelands. 

Today: Today, the Pascua Yaqui communities near Phoenix and Tucson are vibrant and healthy, and nearly all the people are U.S. born citizens. The culture is strong, bonding both Christianity and Yaqui spirituality, and multiple cultural societies support survival and teach Yaqui traditions. 

Health care is provided by the Pascua Yaqui Health Services Division with a wellness center and multiple other programs like employee wellness and behavioral health services. 

Reservation lands are approximately 1,400 acres and there are 3,484 residents as of the latest reported Census (2010). With a median household income of around $31,800, poverty rates reach 39% — more than twice that of the surrounding county and state. Homes in the Pascua Yaqui tribe are also four times more likely to house other relatives than homes in the state or county.