REFERENCE TITLE: Jose Robles Matus; death resolution

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018

HCR 2045

Introduced by Representatives Gonzales: Saldate

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

on the death of jose robles matus.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Jose Robles Matus passed away on December 3, 2017 at his home in Tucson, Arizona. He had celebrated his sixty-sixth birthday on October 7, 2017.  Jose was a Yaqui Elder and Ceremonial Leader of the Capilla San Martin de Porres on 39th Street in Barrio Libre in the City of South Tucson, Arizona where he was born and raised.  Throughout his early years and his adult life, Jose fulfilled his ceremonial obligations with commitment, honor, respect, dedication and a strong spiritual faith.

Jose graduated from Pueblo High School in 1970, attended Pima College's Public Administration Program from 1971 through 1973 and the University of Arizona Public Administration Program from 1973 to 1975. Jose was a humble man of strong convictions, with the goal of helping others in all walks of life to better themselves for the good of their family, workplace and community.

In 1973, Yaqui ceremonial leaders of Barrio Libre gave Jose the task of bringing ceremonial participants from Rio Yaqui, Sonora, Mexico. Jose then became involved in promoting Yaqui indigenous rights to move freely across the United States/Mexico border.  In 1974, before the Yaqui were federally recognized as an America Indian Tribe, he was instrumental in negotiating and establishing an agreement with United States immigration officials and the United States Department of Justice for border crossing by Yaqui ceremonial participants.  The Pascua Yaqui tribal government adopted the process and, since 1997, has continued to use it to assist all Yaqui communities in Arizona that celebrate the Yaqui Lent and other ceremonies that are vital to Yaqui families and communities.  From 1975 to 1985, Jose worked for the Center for Employment Training (CET) Community Board of Tucson to organize, develop and establish a program to train indigenous peoples, former convicts, single parents on welfare and unemployed and underemployed individuals who were rejected by other training programs.  Through his advocacy, the CET was instrumental in providing education and training to these individuals and successfully placed 80% of its trainees in various retail, governmental and industrial jobs in the City of Tucson and Pima County.

From 1985 through 1990, Jose served as director for the Tohono O'Odham Skill Center on the Tohono O'Odham Nation.  He elevated the Center's apprenticeship program, and in 1986, under his capable leadership the Center had its first 10 apprentice graduates in carpentry, painting, electricity and heavy equipment for the first time since its establishment in 1970.  The Center was such a success that the United States Department of Education recognized it as one of the best and most effective skill centers in Indian Country and awarded the Center a $1 million grant.  Today the Tohono O'Odham Skill Center is recognized and certified with educational and junior college status.

Jose was hired in 1994 to establish and develop the Arizona Border Rights Project, which later became the Coalición de Derechos Humanos.  In 1997, he was one of the founders of the Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras/Indigenous Alliance Without Borders, which he capably served as Executive Director for 20 years.  He worked diligently to promote respect for and bring attention to indigenous social issues.  For the past three years, Jose worked to produce a border rights manual and a proclamation to change the second Monday in October as a celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

A decent, respectful, honorable man, Jose was a long-time activist for human rights, indigenous rights, environmental issues, protection of sacred sites, rights of mobility between the United States and Mexico for indigenous ceremonial participants, preservation of indigenous ways and traditions and issues of land, water, culture and language.  He was very well known as a spiritual and ceremonial leader in all the Yaqui communities as he fulfilled his cultural obligations wherever he was invited.  Jose was a wealth of information on cultural protocol and the way of the elders and was always willing to share his knowledge with all who were fortunate to hear him teach, which he did at conferences, universities, training seminars and workshops throughout North and South America.  Jose's dedication and hard work earned him numerous accolades over the years, including the 2010 Alston Bannerman Fellowship Award, the 2012 Seventh Generation Fund Fire Keepers Award and the 2014 Corazon de Justicia/Heart of Justice Award from Derechos Humanos.

Jose will be greatly missed by his partner of eight years, Rosemary Tona-Aguirre, her family, his daughter, Henrietta, and her mother, Lourdes, his granddaughters, Angelique, Ofelia, Reyna and Aleyna, his brothers, his cousin, Consuelo Murrietta, his nephew, Jose Juan, his grandson Tino, the Hernandez and Global Justice families, his Tribe, both in the United States and in Mexico, and his many ceremonial, activist and professional peers.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the Legislature express their sincere regret at the passing of Jose Robles Matus and extend their sympathies and condolences to his family and many friends.