October 12, 2000

PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE OF ARIZONA
7474 S. Camino De Oeste
Tucson, Arizona 85746
Phone: (520) 883-5000
FAX: (520) 883-5014

Resolution No. C10-189-00

RESOLUTION OF THE PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE OF ARIZONA STRONGLY OPPOSING THE PROPOSED ARIZONA PROPOSITION “ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS”, AND DIRECTING THE PASCUA YAQUI EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO INFORM AND EDUCATE YAQUI PARENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND VOTERS, OF THE CONTENT AND CONSEQUENCES OF THIS PROPOSITION 203.

WHEREAS, The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona is a federally recognized Indian tribe, recognized by Congressional Act, P.L. 95-375, 92 Stat. 712, (1978); as amended by P.L. 103-357, 108 Stat. 3418, (1995); and 

WHEREAS, Article VI, Sect. 1 (d) of the Constitution of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona authorizes the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council to appropriate available Tribal funds for public purposes serving the general welfare of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe; and

WHEREAS, Article VI Sect. 1 (o) of the Constitution of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona authorizes the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council to develop and adopt ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations; and

WHEREAS, The Yaqui language is a gift for Itom Achai, the creator to our people and, therefore shall be treated with respect; and

WHEREAS, Our ancient language is the foundation of our cultural and spiritual heritage without which we could not exist in the manner that our creator intended; and

WHEREAS, According to the Yaqui Language Policy for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, “It shall be the policy of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe that no member of the tribe shall be coerced by any outside non-Yaqui authority or system to deny or debase the Yaqui language; and

WHEREAS, Proposition 203 is an “English only” initiative that would place all children with limited English in an “intensive one-year (only) English program” which they call “sheltered English immersion” or “structured English immersion”; and

WHEREAS, Pascua Yaqui children attend state funded public schools where Yaqui language enrichment is taught therefore providing the only source of formal bilingual instruction in the Yaqui language for our children; and

WHEREAS, Proposition 203 severely limits parental options by restricting a parent’s choice to have bilingual instruction in the Yaqui language for our children; and

WHEREAS, The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona must protect their language and what ever resources are available to keep the language alive; and

WHEREAS, The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona strongly supports all Arizona tribes in their efforts to defeat Proposition 203.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council strongly opposes the efforts of the Arizona Initiative entitled “English Language Education for Children in Public Schools.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona Tribal Council directs the PYT Education Department to inform and educate Pascua Yaqui communities in order to defeat Proposition 203.
 

CERTIFICATION

THE FOREGOING was on October 12, 2000, duly adopted by a vote of 9 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstained, by the Tribal Council of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona pursuant to the authority vested in it by Article VI, Section 1 (s) of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe on January 26, 1988, pursuant to Section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984).
 

CHAIRMAN OF THE PASCUA YAQUI TRIBE
 

SECRETARY OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL