The Pascua Yaqui Tribe calls Guadalupe home, and some residents attend Tempe schools. Now the high school district is catering to them with a Yaqui language course starting in fall 2023. Ismael Osuna is native to the tribe and lives in Guadalupe. He was eager for his tribe to receive recognition in the city.
"My son attends Marcos de Niza High School, and I thought that it was important for our children to have a class they can identify with," says Osuna.
The tribe settled in the Guadalupe area in the 20th century when they were forced out of their home in Mexico.
Osuna says his tribe is excited for its people of all ages to reconnect with their heritage after so many years. He says the community of Guadalupe is often looked down on and others don't understand how rich in culture it is. With the new course being added, he believes other communities will start to notice the beauty.
Osuna assisted with the planning for more than a year and credits his childhood friend, Sarah James, a Tempe Union High School District board member. She helped create the course description and championed its adoption.
"We all said this is really a promise that you know foundation of building that trust and making sure we are taking care of our native students in our district," says James.
She says the board and the tribe are now working to find a teacher to lead the class at Marcos de Niza. Students at every school in the district can now enroll. James adds the long-term plan is to offer the course for language credit at all the district’s high schools.
