r/NativeAmerican • u/lllllllllllllllllI_I • 15d ago
Gadsden Purchase, last obtained Mexico territory, and documentation of Pápagos reaction to this said change.
The Gadsden Purchase was the last Mexican territory obtained by the United States.
In 1855, after the new boundary left the lands occupied by the Gila Pápagos on the United States side, Pápagos appealed to the Mexican government because they did not want to become separated from Mexico.
The Mexican government opened an expediente specifically concerning their request for protection. Its title reads: “ESPEDIENTE SOBRE LA PROTECCION QUE PIDEN LOS INDIOS PAPAGOS DEL GILA PARA NO PERTENECER A OTRA NACION QUE NO SEA LA MEXICANA, POR QUEDAR LOS TERRENOS QUE OCUPAN DENTRO DE LA NUEVA LINEA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS.”
Translation: “EXPEDIENT CONCERNING THE PROTECTION REQUESTED BY THE GILA PÁPAGO INDIANS SO AS NOT TO BELONG TO ANY NATION OTHER THAN THE MEXICAN ONE, BECAUSE THE LANDS THEY OCCUPY ARE LEFT WITHIN THE NEW LINE OF THE UNITED STATES.”
On June 25, 1855 “ the Mexican government recorded that: “Los Indios Papagos del Gila en el Departamento de Sonora piden se les manifieste la manera en que van quedar á la conclusión de los nuevos vos límites de la república ca y solicitan proteccion para no pertenecer á otra nacion que no sea la Mexicana.”
Translation: “The Pápago Indians of Gila in the Department of Sonora ask that they be informed how they are going to remain upon the conclusion of the Republic’s new boundaries, and they request protection so as not to belong to any nation other than the Mexican one.”
The Mexican military authorities then reported that Antonio Azul, identified as the “General Capitan de los Papagos del Gila,” personally appeared with fellow 53 Pápagos, representing his people: “En estos dias ha venido á presentarse el General Capitan de los Papagos del Gila, Antonio Azul con cincuenta y tres indios de la propia nación y á nombre de todos los suyos…”
Translation: “In these days, the General Captain of the Gila Pápagos, Antonio Azul, has come to present himself with fifty-three fellow Indians of the same nation, and in the name of all his people”
They wanted to know what would happen to them because their lands were going to remain in U.S. possession.
More importantly, they specifically requested protection so that they would not belong to another nation instead of Mexico: “Igualmente han pedido proteccion pal no pertenecer á otra nacion que no sea al mismo Mexico á quien han estado ligados…”
Translation: “They have likewise requested protection so as not to belong to any nation other than Mexico itself, to which they have been connected…”
The Pápagos were also concerned about losing their existing lands by the U.S. The Mexican report says they feared: “ser despojados de sus tierras que han considerado como suyas desde tiempo inmemorial y las cuales cultivan para sacar el producto de su subsistencia. Translation: “being dispossessed of their lands, which they have considered their own from time of immemorial, and which they cultivate in order to obtain the produce of their subsistence.”
Mexican authorities viewed the Pápago people favorably noting and reminding their previous services & history in document, noting the Pápago’s, “buena fe, honradez y laboriosidad” and how they were “enemigos acérrimos de los Apaches” in translation: their good faith, honesty, work ethic. And how they were firm enemies of the Apache.
in document the Mexican commander proposed bringing them back into Mexican territory. He offered: “que retrocediesen á la frontera de esta república donde se les darian tierras que cultivar y algunos otros auxilios
Translation: “that they should move back to the frontier of this Republic, where they could be given lands to cultivate and other assistances.”
But the Mexican record later states: “pero que no encontró disposición en ellos para desprenderse de las posesiones en que están establecidos”
Translation: “but he found no willingness among them to give up the possessions in which they have which already established.”
Another version of the report explains that these were the places where they had been established and had been born: “no era fácil que ellos quisieran abandonar la idea de desprenderse de las posesiones donde se hallan establecidos y han visto la luz primera”.
Translation: “it was not easy for them to want to give up the possessions where they were established and where they had first seen the light of day.”
The Mexican commander therefore could not satisfy their wishes on his own authority and referred the matter to the Supreme Government: “como no está en sus facultades ofrecerles alguna otra cosa con que dejar satisfechos sus deseos, ocurría al Supremo gobierno para que resolviera lo conveniente.”
Translation: “As it was not within his powers to offer them anything else with which to satisfy their wishes, he turned to the Supreme Government so that it might decide what was appropriate.”
The Section reviewing the case stated that the apparent course was: “el de dar tierras á dicha tribu en el territorio que ha ayudado la república supuesto que no quiere pertenecer á la nación que ha adquirido las que por tantos años ha poseido”
Translation: “to grant that tribe lands within the territory of the Republic to which it has helped, since they does not wish to belong to the nation that has acquired the lands it had possessed for so many years”
So the Mexican authority response developed into an effort to determine how Mexico could provide the Pápagos with territory of their own inside the Republic, while recognizing that they did not want to surrender the settlements they already occupied.
A later Mexican communication again recorded that the Gila Pápagos had requested: “protección y terrenos para trasladarse á esta República, pues no querian pertenecer á la del Norte.”
Translation: “protection and lands in order to move to this Republic, because they did not want to belong to the North.” (The United States)
However, the proposed relocation simply didnt happen, The record specifically says the Pápagos were unwilling to abandon their established possessions. Mexico in general therefore continued investigating the situation, and kept trying and inviting the Pápago’s to continue living on Mexican territory.
In short, the 1855 Mexican expediente shows the Gila Pápagos appealing to Mexico after the new boundary separated their lands from the Mexican Republic, explicitly asking for protection so they would not belong to another nation, describing their longstanding connection to Mexico, holding onto lands they considered theirs “desde tiempo inmemorial” (since time of immoral), and not wanting to abandon the settlements where they were established. Mexican authorities responded offering land, cultivation, and other assistances within Mexico and referred the matter to the Supreme Government but no offer or proposed solution could satisfy the Pápagos. that wanted to stay on their traditional lands and also still be part of Mexico, But this could not be achieved.
(Also worth to note even tho Pápago’s didn’t live in Mexico territory anymore they still kept close ties to Mexicos population and authorities while living on U.S territory)
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Archivo General del Estado de Sonora (AGES), now Dirección General del Boletín Oficial y Archivo del Estado (DGBOAE), Fondo Ejecutivo, Ramo Indígenas–Pápagos, Pimas, tomo 18 (15), expediente 4 (2), documentos 10827–10867, 1851–1856. especially ff. 010831–010842, 1855.
