A Native American’s View of Life, Politics and Society

Ever wondered how Native Americans would view what is going on in the world of politics and social change? We may never know for sure what the ancient ones would think of today’s world, but you might be interested in my take on things. My name is Larry Ramirez and I am a member of the Pascua Yaqui tribe.  I’m a mixed blood of two tribes .

Although I’m native and have visited many reservations, I’ve never lived on one. Still my ties to my heritage run deep. I was raised in the 50′s and 60′s as a renegade. I know how my family grew up with the fear of being taken back to the reservation or Identified as Yaqui.  The fear of being picked up by the authorities and be taken to a Indian school. We had no rights. Most people don’t realize we didn’t have the rights as citizens . Yaqui are know as the only tribe in North America to have never been defeated or have surrender by the American Government or the Mexican government. The Arizona territory was a place where Mexican government could have bounty on  Yaqui. Yes , I found a newspaper article in the Arizona paper that reminded Americans not to participate in the bounty for Yaqui, That Mexican government would give 100 pesos  for a male and 50 for a female 25 for a child. The article said , if you brought the ears of these Indian you would be paid.  This is why many Indian would have been Mexican rather  than Indian, even though Mexicans are Indians. We have come a long way but most young people have know Idea of what some people had to do to survive . There spirit lives with all of us. Its with these understandings of our people that we will look at contemporary life.