⚖️ Constitutional Reform Without Corruption: Pascua Yaqui's Democratic Masterclass | PYT MEETING 7.10.25
Tribal sovereignty in action as University of Arizona perfects academic colonialism
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe held a government meeting that shows how democracy can actually work when leaders listen to their community instead of big corporations. 🌟🏛️
The tribe is also rewriting their constitution by asking kids, teenagers, and grandparents what they want, spending almost half a million dollars on cultural celebrations 🎉, and celebrating young people who are becoming national leaders in sports and environmental work. 🏆🌍
Meanwhile, the University of Arizona's new boss lady was having friendly meetings with tribal leaders while secretly firing a Native American administrator for protecting Indigenous students - kind of like smiling at your friend while stabbing them in the back. 😬🗡️
While the federal government cuts programs that help people, this tribal government is expanding healthcare 💉🩺, making sure everyone can vote 🗳️, and actually investigating when community members bring evidence of corruption instead of ignoring them. 🔍🚫
🗝️ Takeaways
🏛️ Democratic Innovation: Pascua Yaqui's constitutional reform includes demographic-specific sessions while UA silences student voices
💰 Housing Accountability: Community member challenges $85,000 billing with mathematics—a concept apparently foreign to federal contractors
🎓 Educational Contrast: Tribal youth earning national recognition while UA's Provost Prelock fires Indigenous administrators for protecting students
🎭 Cultural Investment: Nearly $400,000 annual spending on ceremonies versus UA's consolidation of cultural centers into corporate blandness
🏥 Healthcare Expansion: Tribal government delivers promised services while federal programs face Trump administration cuts
📊 Transparency: Public questioning allowed and encouraged—imagine that revolutionary concept in academia
🗳️ Electoral Integrity: Tribe encourages participation while maintaining neutrality—a concept lost on partisan university administrators
🏛️ When Democracy Actually Works: Inside Pascua Yaqui Tribal Governance
While Washington burns, Indigenous communities show us what real self-determination looks like
As the Trump administration's second term continues its assault on Indigenous rights and environmental protections, a powerful counter-narrative unfolded on July 10, 2025, in the Albert Garcia Auditorium of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
While mainstream media obsesses over political theater, tribal governments across the nation continue the hard work of actual governance, and it's a masterclass the rest of America desperately needs.
If you want to see what democracy looks like when it's not captured by corporate interests and performative outrage, look no further than tribal council meetings.
Opening with Spirit: When Government Isn't Afraid of Faith
The meeting opened with Secretary Rosa Alvarez delivering a prayer that would make separation-of-church-and-state purists clutch their pearls—except this isn't about imposing religion on others. It's about grounding governance in spiritual principles that prioritize community wellbeing over profit margins.
"Thank you Lord Jesus. For this day, you've blessed each and every one of us, Lord Jesus. We come to you humble and grateful for another day, Lord. I ask that you just continue to guide us, protect us, and continue to give us the strength to move our nation forward," Alvarez began, continuing with requests for "shelter, water, and just a safe place to lay their heads at" for those experiencing homelessness.
Imagine if Congress started sessions by actually praying for homeless people instead of tax cuts for billionaires.
Constitutional Reform: Democracy Without the Drama
While constitutional scholars debate whether America's founding document can survive another Trump presidency, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is actively rewriting theirs, with something radical called community input.
Councilman Saldana reported that the second round of constitutional reform meetings were "very successful" with "a lot of interest" from community members. The tribe has scheduled multiple sessions specifically designed for different demographics:
Upcoming Constitutional Reform Sessions
General Community Meetings: Saturdays at 10 AM in various locations
Youth and Young Adult Sessions: Thursday evenings at 5:30 PM
Elder-Specific Sessions: Tuesday mornings at 10 AM
Employee Lunch Sessions: Mondays for government workers
Because apparently, some governments actually want to hear from their constituents instead of gerrymandering them into irrelevance.
The approach recognizes that different generations and community segments may have varying perspectives—a level of democratic sophistication that would make James Madison weep with joy.
Housing Justice: When Community Members Fight Back
The meeting's most explosive moment came when Jesse Bustamante, a longtime tribal member, delivered testimony that should terrify anyone profiting off housing shortages. Bustamante presented a detailed analysis challenging an $85,000 billing for housing renovations that he calculated should cost around $30,000.
"$85,000 people, $85,000," Bustamante emphasized, his voice carrying the frustration of someone who's done the math. "This house has been abandoned for three years. I was evicted back in 2023."
Armed with a 17-page cost analysis he'd prepared that morning, Bustamante broke down actual materials costs from Home Depot: "The materials for this house is going to cost $4,000. $4,000. So I still got $81,000 to play with, right?"
Here's a community member using actual facts and mathematics to challenge government spending—something that's apparently become revolutionary in the age of "alternative facts."
His analysis revealed a potential 130% profit margin for contractors: "Tell any what, if I was in your contracting department, I would have such an easy job. I would just get on the radio and say, hey, contractors, come to the Pascua Yaqui tribe. Jesus Christ, every house that you touch, you can buy a new truck because you're going to make a 130% profit margin."
Chairman Hernandez acknowledged this was the first he'd heard of the issue and promised an investigation—a response that actually addresses concerns instead of deflecting blame.
Youth Rising: The Next Generation of Leaders
While conservative pundits bemoan the state of American youth, Pascua Yaqui young people are earning national recognition:
Leila Cocobachi: Earned Earth Ambassador title and is participating in the Indigenous Climate Internship Program during a time when the federal government is slashing environmental protections
Amaya Escalante: Named Western Region Representative
Eboni Flores: Pitched for Team USA in a 16U tournament
These achievements matter because they represent Indigenous youth succeeding despite—not because of—federal support.
Councilwoman Alvarez Gomez noted that Leila was "away from home during a hard time in her family" but continued her internship work, demonstrating the resilience that Indigenous communities have cultivated through centuries of adversity.
Cultural Investment: Putting Money Where Values Are
Treasurer Thomas Cupis reported something that would shock fiscal conservatives: the tribe spent nearly $400,000 on cultural activities from October to May, with 44% of that going for the Lenten ceremonies and fiestas and various other cultural donations.
"So I know that's a prior council to make sure that we keep that strong for future generations and honor our answers to the past," Cupis explained.
In a country where "fiscal responsibility" usually means cutting arts funding while subsidizing oil companies, this represents genuine values-based budgeting.
Healthcare Expansion: Actually Serving Communities
The long-awaited Guadalupe Health Center represents something increasingly rare: government actually delivering on promises to underserved communities. Councilman Saldana projected the facility would open in September, addressing a gap that had existed for "many, many years, many, many terms."
While Republicans work to dismantle the ACA and gut Medicaid, tribal governments are expanding healthcare access.
The project faced delays, but leadership acknowledged challenges transparently rather than making excuses—a refreshing approach to public accountability.
Electoral Participation: When Voting Actually Matters
The meeting emphasized participation in the Congressional District 7 special election following the death of Congressman Raul Grijalva. Erin Pazos provided detailed voting information and reminded employees they could use administrative leave to vote.
"Whatever candidate you are supporting, at the end of the day, that's your choice. We don't endorse any candidates here on the tribal side, but we encourage you to get out there and show the importance of our Yaqui voices," Saldana emphasized.
Tribal governments encouraging civic participation while maintaining institutional neutrality—imagine that.
Recognition and Inclusion: The Adaptive Sports Revolution
This year's recognition events will include adaptive sports for the first time, addressing service gaps for community members with disabilities. Councilwoman Andrea Gonzales explained they're starting "on a small scale" but hope it leads to "trying to be inclusive of that population."
"We've across the board, I think, have noticed that we do have a gap in services for the children and adults with special needs," Gonzales acknowledged.
While federal disability rights enforcement faces budget cuts, tribal communities are expanding inclusion.
The Numbers Don't Lie: Financial Transparency in Action
Intergovernmental Relations: Sovereignty in Practice
The meeting demonstrated how tribal sovereignty operates through multiple partnerships:
University Collaborations: When "Partnership" Means Damage Control
University of Arizona: Meeting with new Provost Patricia Prelock, who according to Three Sonorans reporting, just fired Julian Juan, the Tohono O'odham director of Native American Student Affairs, for protecting Indigenous students from administrative violence
Arizona State University: Research partnership for culturally-grounded programming
The timing of this "productive" meeting becomes particularly nauseating when you understand Prelock was simultaneously perfecting the professional assassination of Indigenous voices while glad-handing tribal leaders with sovereignty sweet talk.
Councilwoman Gonzales reported that the meeting with Prelock had already occurred before July 10th, describing how "we also met our new provost. Her name is Patricia Prelock. It was a very great meeting with her, which was very productive." She noted that Prelock "seems to understand where we lie as a Pascua Yaqui as a sovereign nation and our values for our people" and was "very receptive" to tribal council input.
Here's the delicious irony: while Prelock was charming tribal leaders with promises of partnership, she had already terminated Julian Juan on May 27th for the radical crime of protecting Indigenous students on their own ancestral land.
According to Three Sonorans' detailed investigation, Prelock is orchestrating what they aptly call "the Final Solution to the Native (and DEI) problem at the UA"—consolidating seven cultural centers into one beige "multicultural" blob while systematically eliminating administrators who actually serve Native students.
The chronology reveals a masterclass in academic duplicity: fire the Indigenous administrator in May, then schedule feel-good sovereignty summits to manage the inevitable blowback.
Nothing quite captures the essence of institutional racism like hosting "productive partnerships" with tribal governments while simultaneously perfecting the bureaucratic butchery of their people.
It's colonialism with a land acknowledgment - more polished than cavalry charges, but no less effective at eliminating Indigenous voices from positions where they might actually challenge institutional power.
Federal Partnerships
USDA: Food distribution program grant
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Employment rights enforcement
Department of Children's Safety: Child protection consultation
These partnerships show how sovereignty doesn't mean isolation—it means engaging as equals, not supplicants.
What This Means for You
Whether you're Native or not, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's governance model offers lessons for democratic participation:
Community Engagement Works: When governments actually ask for input and create accessible ways to participate, people respond
Transparency Prevents Corruption: Public questioning of spending leads to accountability
Values-Based Budgeting: Investing in culture and community creates lasting benefits
Inclusive Democracy: Different demographics need different engagement approaches
While federal democracy struggles with gerrymandering, voter suppression, and corporate capture, tribal governments demonstrate what people-centered governance looks like.
The Resistance Continues
As the Trump administration's policies continue targeting Indigenous communities—from environmental rollbacks affecting sacred sites to education funding cuts impacting tribal colleges—tribal governments like Pascua Yaqui's provide examples of the resistance that happens every day in boardrooms and council chambers.
"We are a working council. We're going to continue to move forward to try to accommodate anybody that has any concerns or bring up any concerns to the tribal council," Chairman Hernandez emphasized during his report.
This is what democracy looks like when it's not performing for cameras but actually serving people.
The constitutional reform process, with its multiple community sessions and demographic-specific outreach, shows how to conduct democratic participation without the circus of mainstream politics. The housing accountability moment demonstrates how community members can effectively challenge government decisions with facts rather than rhetoric.
Moving Forward with Hope
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council's work continues a tradition of governance that predates the United States by millennia—and offers a pathway forward as American democracy faces unprecedented challenges. Their integration of spiritual values, community input, financial transparency, and responsive leadership creates a model worth studying and supporting.
As we face uncertain times ahead, Indigenous communities continue showing us that another world is possible—one where governance serves people rather than profit, where community voices matter more than corporate donors, and where democracy means more than choosing between pre-selected candidates every few years.
Supporting tribal sovereignty isn't just about respecting Indigenous rights—it's about supporting functioning examples of democratic governance that put community wellbeing first.
The work of tribal governments like Pascua Yaqui's proves that effective, responsive democracy is possible. It's happening right now, in communities across the country, led by people who understand that governance is about service, not power.
Support our work at Three Sonorans Substack to keep bringing you analysis of the resistance happening in tribal councils, school boards, and community meetings across the Southwest. Independent Indigenous journalism matters now more than ever.
What Do You Think?
The Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council's approach to governance offers lessons for democracy at every level. We want to hear your thoughts on these important issues.
How can non-Native communities learn from and support tribal governance models without appropriating Indigenous practices?
What aspects of the housing accountability moment do you think could be applied to challenging government spending in your own community?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Your voice matters in these conversations about the future of democratic participation and community accountability.
Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!
😡 Viva la resistance!💪🏾 Either that or roll over and die (their preferred response). YES! to the tribal example of community-based democracy.
My point was not ment to be the profit margin but the billing .
My opinion someone in Housing submitted a cost estimate without review or negotiation the housing office also willingly submitted this estimate as a final bill with out the unit in question being touched to date no permit for inspections has been issued. If the officials are skipping inspections and policy and forcing the everyday Joe like myself to pay back for the lack of experience and project management cost management, budgeting and future housing renovations for new construction.
with an overwhelming amount of tribal members without housing or insufficient, housing and poor living conditions. This type of irresponsible spending should be a crime a crime against fellow natives.