The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona will soon have 30 acres put into federal trust for it. This action was accomplished by the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act passed by Congress last December and signed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Local Today reported that the bill recognizes the tribal state gaming compact reached in 2021 which allows gaming at the Old Pascua Community on land adjacent to the original reservation.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who authored the bill, said during a hearing, “In 1920, 40 acres of land were donated by A.M. Franklin for the establishment of a ‘Yaqui Nation’ in Arizona. Several families moved to this new Pascua Village, now known as ‘Old Pascua.’” He added, “Since 1921, this location has been a sacred ceremonial site for the tribe.”
The tribe gained federal recognition in 1978 and was awarded land for a reservation that didn’t include Old Pascua, the tribe’s traditional home. Many tribal members, including Peter Yucupicio, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, live there today.
Yucupicio told Local Today, “For hundreds, possibly thousands of years the Yaqui have been part of the landscape of Southern Arizona. Along the Santa Cruz River you will find remnants of the tribal folks that lived there.” He added, “We’ve been here way before, but people think [we came] in the 1920s.”
According to Yucupicio, the Tumacácori area was the tribe’s earliest recorded settlement, around the 1690s. However, he said, countless generations have lived in the area. Old Pascua has great cultural significance to the tribe, he said.
He added, “This is about preserving our ways and customs,” he continues. “There’s no guarantee that a business is going to be a success. But the preservation of who we are as Yaqui — our religion, traditions and way of life — no amount of money can replace that.”
Besides restoring their homeland, the bill will also authorize the tribe to build its third casino.
Kim Van Amburg, chief executive officer of Casino Del Sol, estimates that the third casino will create 500 new jobs and help provide “essential funding sources for tribal education, healthcare, housing, water infrastructure and other essential services.”
Van Amburg said the tribe has reached out to the City of Tucson and sent contractors to the site. “Our hope is that in a couple of years we can break ground on something that will be a win-win for the Tribe and the community,” he said.
According to Local Today, Yucupicio sent written testimony to Congress declaring,
“We looked at this property for its highest and best use, not only for us, but for the whole Tucson economy,” he concludes. “It’s an honor to work with all the jurisdictions to see how well we can take care of that area and make it a great place for people to get a chance to win right here [in Tucson] instead of going to Vegas.”
