Texas Band of Yaqui Indians
The Texas Band of Yaqui Indians is a cultural heritage organization for individuals who identify as descendants of Yaqui people, and are dedicated to cultural and ethnic awareness of the Yaqui. The organization is headquartered in Lubbock, Texas.
Their mission is to serve "Yaqui Native Americans in the U.S. who have documented genealogical proof of Yaqui ancestry", and they "aim to preserve and celebrate our vibrant heritage."
The Texas Band of Yaqui Indians were honored by the State of Texas under Senate Resolution 989 in 2015.
Organization
The group organized in 1995.In 2019, the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians formally organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Lubbock, Texas. It is an art, culture, and humanities nonprofit and charity.
Israel "Iz" Sotel Ramirez is the organization's president and chairman.
Sam Ramirez is a vice chairman, and board members include Jr. Ramirez and Vanessa Galindo-Burleson.
History
Scholarly and local historical accounts trace the bands origins to Yaqui families who fled violence in Sonora, Mexico, and resettled in Texas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Chairamn Ramirez told Texas Tech University that the Yaqui ancestors of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians originated from a different Yaqui village in Mexico than the federally recognized Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, so the Pascua Yaqui did not extend tribal membership to Texas Yaqui. Ramirez stated, "Our nation was never conquered by Mexico or the U.S., so there was no real political travel status among Yaqui people, except for a group in Tucson, Ariz.”
The band states that they descend from Yaqui families who migrated from Mexico to Texas under the leadership of Lino Domingues Urquides, also called Ya'ut, and Ave'lino Cobayoti Urquides. Urquides' daughter moved to Lubbock in the early 20th century. They descend from ten families who "actively hid their Yaqui identity in Texas," as historian Brenden W. Rensink wrote. The Texas Band of Yaqui Indians' website also states: "The family descendants of Chief Lino were told never to tell anyone that they were Hiaki and hid their Indian identities with the families until recent decades," as Texas Tech reported.
Honorary resolution
In 2015, the Texas state senate passed Senate Resolution 989, a "congratulatory & honorary" resolution authored by State Senator Charles Perry, a Republican from Lubbock.State-recognition
Congratulatory resolutions such as SR No. 989 are not the same as state-recognition. Texas has "no legal mechanism to recognize tribes."Despite this, the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians are often described as being state recognized. An educational material produced for Texas schools, "Texas: American Indians of Texas: Past and Present," states, "The tribe receive official recognition from the States of Texas in 2015" and shares an image of SR No. 989.
The program implementation plan for the Stop Violence Against Women Act states, "The two state recognized tribes are the Lipan Apache in south Texas, and the Yaqui in the panhandle of Texas" and that the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians "became a state recognized tribe in 2015".
Class Discussion Questions from the University of Arizona's Arizona State Museum lists the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians as "the state recognized community in Texas".
In a 2025 Bureau of Indian Affairs consultation summary on the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act proposed rule, the federal agency referred to “the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, also state‑recognized” when discussing comments from state‑recognized tribal governments, distinguishing them from federally recognized tribes and other Native communities that participated in the consultation.
Only verified U.S. government organizations, including federally recognized and state‑recognized tribal governments, are eligible to register and operate.gov domains under the federal program administered by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians operates the tbyi.gov domain consistent with these requirements.
Legal scholar J. Eric Reed wrote in the November 2025 Texas Bar Journal, "Despite a rich history of ndigenous peoples and tribes that still remain as communities of this state, Texas currently has no state-recognized tribes."
Federal recognition
This organization has neither filed a petition for federal recognition as a Native American tribe, nor sent a letter of intent to file a petition for federal recognition.Activities
The Texas Band of Yaqui Indians share demonstration dances and storytelling. They have performed at Lubbock Christian University for Native American Heritage Month. The band participates in cultural activities and supports the study of the Yoeme language.Notable members
Several enrolled members of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians have gained recognition in academia, the arts, public health, and public service.Chaplain Joseph L. Villegas Sr., an official associated with the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, serves as a National Guard chaplain and has been an advocate for the protection of Native cultural and environmental sites, including Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Villegas has also appeared in reporting on water‑contamination issues impacting Native communities in the Southwest.
Dance scholar and choreographer Sam Aros‑Mitchell, enrolled with the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, has served as a postdoctoral scholar at Arizona State University’s Center for Imagination in the Borderlands and has taught at institutions including Macalester College and the University of California San Diego. His work has been supported by fellowships and commissions from organizations such as the McKnight Choreographer Fellowship program and the Guthrie Theater.