Look at a map of Mexico and find Cancun near the eastern most tip of the Yucatan peninsula, just between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Now visualize a diagonal line from Cancun towards the northwestern tip of Mexico's border with the US. Not including the Baja California Sur peninsula, that entire region was the location of a 396 year long series of wars. When the Caste Wars began on the Yucatan peninsula, the Yaqui wars had already been raging for almost three hundred years. In fact, by the end of it all an entire Native American tribe had been obliterated. Let's take a look.
The Yaqui were a Native American people who made their home in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, just beneath what is now Arizona. They were an agricultural people, growing corn, beans and squash. As the Spanish gradually made their way north from the Caribbean region, they continued their efforts to colonize and convert locals to Christianity. Of course this was often met with resistance, beginning in 1533. The Yaqui were accomplished warriors, so the Spanish definitely experienced casualties in great numbers, yet still they persisted.
Conflict continued over the years, even as the Spanish were struggling to hold their existing colonies further south. The French, English and other European entities were trying to get a piece of the "New World", and the Spanish found their lands on the east coast being violently overtaken. They needed help with establishing new colonies in the north in case the southern ones were lost. So, they recruited as many native Mexican people they could (who had no doubt been steadfastly converted to Catholicism and were left no choice but to fight), ordered new troops from Spain and pushed forward with the war.
Casualties and hostages on both sides of the conflict periodically rose and fell, but the largest dent in the population of Yaqui was made by disease. The Spanish and their recruits brought many new sicknesses with them, and of course the Yaqui had no method of defense. When the Mexican Republic was formed in the 19th century, they took up the task of depleting the Yaqui people as well. Heads of state ordered the deportation of all Yaqui to Yucatan, but was largely unsuccessful because it was voluntary. The next step taken was the formation of organized manhunts, which sent more than 10,000 Yaqui to slavery.
As the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, all Yaqui who had avoided or escaped captivity joined the rebel forces. By the end of the revolution they had begun resettled their previously stolen land and new political leaders promised restitution. Unfortunately, peace didn't last and promises were forgotten. Mexican generals began taking over Yaqui land again, which led to more battles with Mexican military. Then the US military got involved and the last battle of the American Indian Wars was fought. It was just a 30 minute fight, but the last Yaqui commander was killed and his warriors were taken prisoner. Today there are approximately 11,000 Yaqui living in small communities close to the US-Mexico border. The California Yaqui Association in Fresno keeps the ancient culture alive, fostering the continuation of the tribe in future generations.
The Yaqui were a Native American people who made their home in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, just beneath what is now Arizona. They were an agricultural people, growing corn, beans and squash. As the Spanish gradually made their way north from the Caribbean region, they continued their efforts to colonize and convert locals to Christianity. Of course this was often met with resistance, beginning in 1533. The Yaqui were accomplished warriors, so the Spanish definitely experienced casualties in great numbers, yet still they persisted.
Conflict continued over the years, even as the Spanish were struggling to hold their existing colonies further south. The French, English and other European entities were trying to get a piece of the "New World", and the Spanish found their lands on the east coast being violently overtaken. They needed help with establishing new colonies in the north in case the southern ones were lost. So, they recruited as many native Mexican people they could (who had no doubt been steadfastly converted to Catholicism and were left no choice but to fight), ordered new troops from Spain and pushed forward with the war.
Casualties and hostages on both sides of the conflict periodically rose and fell, but the largest dent in the population of Yaqui was made by disease. The Spanish and their recruits brought many new sicknesses with them, and of course the Yaqui had no method of defense. When the Mexican Republic was formed in the 19th century, they took up the task of depleting the Yaqui people as well. Heads of state ordered the deportation of all Yaqui to Yucatan, but was largely unsuccessful because it was voluntary. The next step taken was the formation of organized manhunts, which sent more than 10,000 Yaqui to slavery.
As the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, all Yaqui who had avoided or escaped captivity joined the rebel forces. By the end of the revolution they had begun resettled their previously stolen land and new political leaders promised restitution. Unfortunately, peace didn't last and promises were forgotten. Mexican generals began taking over Yaqui land again, which led to more battles with Mexican military. Then the US military got involved and the last battle of the American Indian Wars was fought. It was just a 30 minute fight, but the last Yaqui commander was killed and his warriors were taken prisoner. Today there are approximately 11,000 Yaqui living in small communities close to the US-Mexico border. The California Yaqui Association in Fresno keeps the ancient culture alive, fostering the continuation of the tribe in future generations.
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