🏛️ Guiding Governance: Pascua Yaqui Chairman Hernandez's Vision for 2025
Explore the intricate dynamics of tribal leadership as Chairman Hernandez navigates cultural heritage and modern administration for the Pascua Yaqui community
Quotes from the meeting:
On Financial Power and Federal Dependencies
Jason Buckner (Executive Director of Finance and Operations):
"I am happy to report that the tribe is very sound in its finances... the tribe has secured plenty of funding for a rainy day fund in case issues like this happen"
Context: Attempting to assuage community fears about federal funding instability - but note how this frames tribal sovereignty through the lens of federal dependency
On Immigration Rights and Community Protection
Oscar Flores (Attorney General):
"We would encourage the community to question the source of the information, question social media on some of those reports"
Context: Addressing ICE activity concerns - but observe how this places the burden of verification on community members rather than establishing proactive protections
On Land Rights and Bureaucratic Barriers
Valerie Valencia (Community Member):
"I am emotional because my body is passed. I am aware now that it has been tabled. Is there an explanation?"
Context: Emotional testimony during public comment about her tabled land transfer resolution - a powerful moment exposing how administrative processes can perpetuate dispossession
On Cultural Preservation and Resistance
Francisco Valencia (Department of Language and Culture Director):
"Chiquitapo, Yaak Noquitanokne, and Yo-Yo Omsukau, and Chimjikaha" (speak language every day, your ancestors are listening)
Context: Announcing International Language Day - note how this connects current governance to ancestral wisdom and resistance
On Community Development and Off-Reservation Needs
David N. Galaz (Community Member):
"Maybe one of these years after you pay off the new casino...maybe you can start thinking about making like a Yoem store...so we don't have to come into town so far"
Context: Highlighting the ongoing neglect of off-reservation community needs
On Traditional Values and Modern Governance
Vice Chairman Yucupicio:
"It takes a whole lot of doing to turn this wheel of this tribe... The machine has become you're looking at hundreds of millions of dollars of grants, hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue"
Context: Reflecting on tribal growth while subtly highlighting the tension between traditional values and corporate-style governance
Key Players and Power Structures
Tribal Leadership
Chairman Hernandez
Position: Tribal Chairman
Role: Primary executive leadership
Notable for: Careful positioning on federal relations and funding stability
Vice Chairman Yucupicio
Position: Vice Chairman
Role: Cultural preservation advocate
Quote about elders: "They're warriors even at 80-some years old and they won"
Treasurer Cooper
Position: Tribal Treasurer
Role: Financial oversight
Key focus: Pay scale reform and Arctic IT implementation
Council Members
Councilwoman Andrea Gonzalez
Position: Education Co-chair
Notable work: Head Start governance training
Advocacy for: Early childhood education
Councilwoman Alvarez Gomez
Position: Housing chair
Key initiative: Off-reservation housing solutions
Quote: "This council is committed to helping the local governments"
Councilwoman Irene Sanchez
Position: Senior services co-chair
Notable for: Advocacy for senior center renovations
Administrative Leadership
Jason Buckner
Position: Executive Director of Finance and Operations
Key role: Financial stability messaging
Notable for: Emphasis on "rainy day fund" preparation
Oscar Flores
Position: Attorney General
Key focus: Immigration protection strategies
Approach: Emphasis on documentation and federal partnerships
Community Voices
Valerie Valencia
Role: Community member seeking land rights
Critical moment: Emotional testimony on tabled land transfer
Represents: Ongoing struggles with bureaucratic barriers
David N. Galaz
Role: Off-reservation community advocate
Key issue: Access to basic services
Represents: Neglected off-reservation needs
Francisco Valencia
Position: Department of Language and Culture Director
Key initiative: International Language Day
Represents: Cultural preservation and resistance
Mentioned but Notable
Mando (deceased)
Context: Community elder from Rigito
Cultural significance: Remembered for dancing, community leadership
Quote about him: "Porisito se lo fue" (Poor thing, he's gone)
Principal Cota
Position: Principal of Johnson Primary School
Key focus: Kindergarten enrollment
Challenge raised: Staffing issues due to late registrations
Systemic Analysis
This network of actors reveals the complex power dynamics within tribal governance:
Tension between traditional values and modern administrative demands
Struggle between community needs and bureaucratic processes
Balance between cultural preservation and economic development
Gap between on-reservation and off-reservation services
Ongoing negotiation of tribal sovereignty within federal constraints
These voices and roles paint a picture of a community in transition, wrestling with questions of identity, power, and justice. The challenge ahead: how to honor traditional values while meeting modern needs, how to preserve sovereignty while navigating federal relationships, and how to ensure every community member's voice is truly heard.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council's February 2025 meeting highlighted both progress 🌟 and struggles 🤔 within the community. Leaders shared promising news about financial security 💰 and housing developments 🏠, but members like Valerie Valencia and David N. Galaz spoke out 🗣️ about the everyday challenges faced by the community. Important discussions regarding land rights 🗝️, expanded services 🚀, and cultural preservation 📚 made this meeting a vital step in addressing community needs.
🗝️ Takeaways
🎤 Chairman Hernandez set a tone of cautious optimism with important implications for federal relations.
💰 Finance Director Jason Buckner assured tribal financial stability, but raised questions about federal dependency.
🏠 Housing initiatives progressed, yet issues of inequity remained apparent.
💬 Valerie Valencia's emotional testimony highlighted systemic barriers in land rights.
🏢 David N. Galaz called for improved services for off-reservation members.
🔍 Attorney General Oscar Flores addressed immigration concerns with scrutiny over preventative measures.
🌿 Cultural revitalization efforts were celebrated with International Language Day news.
💻 Several resolutions focused on expanding healthcare and technology infrastructure.
📅 Actions were framed in the context of long-term community engagement for change.
Power, Progress, and the People: A Critical Analysis of the February 2025 Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council Meeting
By Three Sonorans Indigenous Affairs Desk
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council convened on February 13th to address critical issues affecting community members on and off the reservation. The meeting revealed both the promises and challenges of tribal sovereignty in 2025.
While tribal leadership celebrated financial stability and infrastructure progress, community voices highlighted persistent challenges in land rights and access to basic services.
The Power Behind the Podium
The council chamber's dynamics reflected the complex interplay of traditional governance and modern administrative demands.
Chairman Hernandez, combining institutional authority with cultural awareness, established a tone of cautious optimism about federal relations—a position that would become significant as the meeting progressed.
Follow the Money: Financial Stability Amid Federal Uncertainty
Finance Director Jason Buckner delivered a carefully worded assessment of tribal finances in what could be seen as a preemptive move to calm community concerns about federal funding stability.
His statement that "the tribe is very sound in its finances" and has "secured plenty of funding for a rainy day fund" raises important questions about the relationship between tribal sovereignty and federal dependency.
¿Pero a qué costo? While financial stability is crucial, we must ask: How does this security translate to tangible benefits for community members struggling with basic needs?
Housing Justice: Progress and Paradox
The housing initiatives presented reveal both progress and persistent inequities:
37 new homes becoming available (pero, ¿para quién?)
Project Number 9 apartments beginning move-ins
Active land acquisition efforts in Guadalupe and Old Pascua
Community Voices: The Real Power
Yet the emotional testimony during public comment exposed the human cost of the bureaucratic process. Valerie Valencia's powerful intervention regarding her tabled land assignment transfer (Resolution C02-46-25) highlighted the personal impact of administrative decisions:
"I am emotional because my body is passed. I am aware now that it has been tabled. Is there an explanation?"
The council's opaque response to Valencia's questioning - citing unnamed "contracts" and directing her back to the LEND department - exemplifies the bureaucratic barriers that often silence community voices.
David N. Galaz's testimony advocating for off-reservation services highlighted the ongoing struggles of tribal members living outside traditional boundaries:
"Maybe one of these years after you pay off the new casino...maybe you can start thinking about making like a Yoem store...so we don't have to come into town so far."
His words underscore the urgent need for expanded services and infrastructure beyond reservation boundaries.
Immigration Rights and Tribal Sovereignty
In a critical moment for immigrant rights, Attorney General Oscar Flores addressed community concerns about increased ICE activity.
His careful statement that "we still don't have any confirmed cases" of immigration enforcement actions merits scrutiny. What preventive measures are in place to protect tribal members?
Cultural Resistance and Ancestral Memory
In a moment that pierced through the bureaucratic veil of tribal governance, Vice Chairman Yucupicio's remembrance of Mando de Ibolla from Rigito revealed how cultural memory persists despite the grinding machinery of modern administration. As council discussed million-dollar contracts and federal funding, the Vice Chairman wove in a reminder of what truly binds our communities together.
"Era de Rigito, el Mando de Ibolla," he shared, his voice carrying the weight of loss. "Porisito se lo fue" (Poor thing, he's gone). This wasn't just a memorial - it was an act of resistance against the corporatization of tribal governance. The timing of this remembrance, as Mando's family prepares for their fiesta de su santo Paco Cabo de Año, demonstrates how our traditional practices persist despite the pressures of assimilation and bureaucratization.
That this reminder of Mando's dancing and community leadership emerged during discussions of federal funding is no accident. It serves as a powerful reminder that true sovereignty isn't measured in grant dollars or casino revenues - it lives in our dances, our ceremonies, our memories, and our resistance to cultural erasure.
This commitment to cultural memory was further reinforced by Language Director Francisco Valencia's announcement of International Language Day celebrations. The theme "Chiquitapo, Yaak Noquitanokne, and Yo-Yo Omsukau, and Chimjikaha" (speak language every day, your ancestors are listening) powerfully connects present governance to ancestral wisdom.
Resolution-by-Resolution Breakdown: Following the Money and Power
Complete Resolution Analysis - Every Vote Matters
In the spirit of radical transparency, here's what your tribal government voted on today. Remember: every resolution shapes our community's future.
RESOLUTION NO.C02-32-25
What It Does: Approves contract with Heritage Exposition Services for the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 2025 RES-NCAIED summit
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: While economic development sounds promising, we must ask: who really benefits from these corporate networking events?
RESOLUTION NO.C02-33-25 (ORD 13-25)
What It Does: Executes service agreement with Cintas First Aid & Safety for Guadalupe buildings
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Basic safety infrastructure for our Guadalupe community - a bare minimum that took far too long to implement
RESOLUTION NO.C02-34-25 (ORD 14-25)
What It Does: Approves PayScale Inc. agreement for market analysis of tribal salaries
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Could lead to better pay for tribal employees - if leadership acts on the findings
RESOLUTION NO.C02-35-25
What It Does: Authorizes grant application to NSF for experiential learning technologies
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Potential STEM education opportunities for our youth
RESOLUTION NO.C02-36-25
What It Does: Authorizes 18 acres at Tortuga Ranch for CET pilot program
Vote: Passed 8-1
Impact: Land use for educational programming - but watch this space for environmental impacts
RESOLUTION NO.C02-37-25 (ORD 15-25)
What It Does: Accepts Arizona DES funding for:
$300,000 for elderly buses
$300,000 for early childhood learning
$210,000 for elder roof repairs
$150,000 for mobile services for unsheltered population
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Critical funding for vulnerable community members
RESOLUTION NO.C02-38-25 (ORD 16-25)
What It Does: Approves CDW Government LLC agreement for IT services
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Technology infrastructure upgrades
RESOLUTION NO.C02-39-25
What It Does: Approves GI Solutions construction agreement over $100,000
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Part of 37-home development project
RESOLUTION NO.C02-40-25
What It Does: Approves change orders for Kapp-Con Inc. construction agreement for Pascua Yaqui Homes VIII
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Additional costs for ongoing housing project - we'll be watching these numbers
RESOLUTION NO.C02-41-25
What It Does: Approves Titan Restoration construction agreement
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Phase 2 of 37-home project
RESOLUTION NO.C02-42-25 (ORD 17-25)
What It Does: Approves Lee & Company audit agreement for housing projects
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Financial oversight of housing developments
RESOLUTION NO.C02-43-25 (ORD 18-25)
What It Does: Ratifies home purchase in Guadalupe
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Expanding tribal housing options
RESOLUTION NO.C02-44-25
What It Does: Approves land assignment transfer from Tillie Castillo-Cruz to Ofelia Castillo
Vote: Passed 8-1
Impact: Family land transfer
RESOLUTION NO.C02-45-25
What It Does: Approves land assignment to Luis Giovanni Gomez
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: New residential land allocation
RESOLUTION NO.C02-46-25
Status: TABLED
What It Does: Would have approved land assignment transfer from Valerio Valencia to Valerie V. Valencia
Impact: Delayed justice for a community member seeking land rights
RESOLUTION NO.C02-47-25
What It Does: Approves land assignment to Ricardo C. Valenzuela
Vote: Passed 8-1
Impact: New residential land allocation
RESOLUTIONS NO.C02-48-25 through C02-53-25
A series of healthcare infrastructure improvements:
Pharmacy software for Guadalupe
Medical waste management
Opioid prevention grant
Medical supply agreements
Medicare enrollment
Votes: All passed 9-0
Impact: Significant expansion of tribal healthcare capacity
RESOLUTION NO.C02-54-25
What It Does: Approves Arctic IT agreement for financial software
Vote: Passed 9-0
Impact: Modernization of tribal financial systems
The Numbers Behind the Narrative: Resolution Voting Analysis
Healthcare Infrastructure
Resolution C02-48-25: Liberty Software agreement for Guadalupe Pharmacy (Passed 9-0)
Resolution C02-50-25: Opioid intervention program grant (Passed 9-0)
Resolution C02-53-25: Medicare enrollment authorization (Passed 9-0)
Community Development
Resolution C02-34-25: PayScale market analysis for tribal salaries (Passed 9-0)
Resolution C02-36-25: 18-acre allocation for CET pilot program (Passed 8-1)
Resolution C02-37-25: Arizona DES funding acceptance (Passed 9-0)
Housing and Land Rights
Resolution C02-39-25: GI Solutions construction agreement (Passed 9-0)
Resolution C02-43-25: Guadalupe home purchase ratification (Passed 9-0)
Resolution C02-46-25: Valencia land assignment transfer (TABLED)
The Path Forward: From Observation to Action
While this meeting revealed both progress and persistent challenges, the power for change lies in continued community engagement and advocacy. Here's how you can get involved:
Attend tribal council meetings (Second Thursdays at 2:00 PM)
Submit written comments to the council secretary
Join community working groups on constitutional reform
Support language preservation initiatives
Advocate for expanded services in off-reservation communities
Questions for Our Community
How can we ensure that tribal financial stability translates into tangible benefits for all community members, both on and off the reservation?
What mechanisms could be implemented to make land assignment processes more transparent and accountable to community needs?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Together, we build the future our ancestors dreamed of.
This report is part of Three Sonorans' ongoing commitment to indigenous sovereignty and social justice. Subscribe to our Substack for weekly analysis of tribal governance and community advocacy.
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