Yoeme / Yaqui Garden

Thank you for your interest in the Yoeme Garden. Here, you will discover a diverse array of edible and medicinal plants traditionally used by the Yoeme or Yaqui in cooking and healing. Many of these plants have been cultivated in the home gardens of Yoeme families in Arizona and their historic homelands in Sonora, Mexico. Plants such as corn, “Avaii,” and the mesquite tree, “Hu’upa,” offer both nutritional and medicinal benefits. Additionally, plants like gourds hold significant ceremonial value.

The Yoeme Garden began in 2016 when the Mission Garden embarked on a project to create a garden that reflects the Yoeme people and their agricultural traditions. Felipe S. Molina played a key role in advising the development of the garden. A committee, featuring a cross-generational mix of Yoeme individuals from various communities across Tucson, was formed to guide the project.

This medicinal garden is dedicated to the late Yaqui Traditional Healer, Dolores A. Flores. Specializing in herbal medicine, Dolores served as a Traditional Healer with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Health Department until her passing. From a young age, she was immersed in Yoeme traditional healing practices by her grandmother, Carlota A. Tapia, who was a healer and midwife. Dolores frequently assisted her grandmother with homebirths and other community healing needs. Carlota’s kitchen was filled with the scents of various herbs, each with its unique purpose, which Dolores diligently learned to use.

Later in life, Dolores pursued nursing, becoming an LPN until health issues halted her career. During this period, she earned an AA degree in Social Work from Pima Community College and eventually became a Medical Social Worker for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Her passion for Yoeme healing arts never wavered. Dolores played a crucial role in developing the tribe’s Traditional Healing Program and establishing a program that brought traditional healers from Mexico to serve tribal members.

“Old father when you created mother earth to begin life it was a miracle for all life forms. From the blackness of nothing, the sun, your face, our God that came to be. So wonderful and beautiful are the bodies of water. The land with its mountains and the blue sky with puffs of clouds upon it. And then the plant life, the sea life, animals that fly and those that walk or crawl. Finally, we the people with many different languages, beliefs, and traditions.

We are all so related to the plant world for our air, our food, our shelter, clothing and for medicine. When we are finished with this life, we are food for mother earth to create more life upon her. Old father not only did you create the light so that we can see all the beauty of our lands, water, mountains, and skies but also our little brother and sisters who are the animals, fowl, crawlers, and sea life. He also gave us the darkness of night to rest our eyes, mend our bodies for the all-day creatures. The moon and stars give a little life to the creatures of the night, who also live off the plants and wildlife.”

Dolores A Flores, Traditional Yoeme Healer, 6/6/1940 to 6/4/2006

Some Yoeme/Yaqui people first arrived in this region with Spanish colonists around 1700 AD. In the late 19th century, others sought safety here from warfare and persecution in northern Mexico. They brought edible and medicinal native Sonoran herbs and other crops.

Below is a selection of perennial plants and Yoemem Hichupakim, or Yoeme/Yaqui annual crops, that we grow at Mission Garden:

Hichupakim tasaria / Warm Season Crops

• Muunim / Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
•  Tepary beans  (Phaseolus acutifolius)
• Ko’oko’I / Chili (Capsicuum annum)
•  Vachi / Corn  (Zea mays)
• Kama / Squash (Cucurbita moschata)
•  Wee'e / Amaranth  (Amaranthus spp.)
• Aokos or Visa’em / Gourd (for crafts) (Lagenaria siceraria)
• Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
• Bwaarom or Bahrom / Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)
• Kapa or choali / lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)
• Hiak Viva / Tobacco (for ceremonial use)

Hichupakim sevemecham/ Cool Season Crops

•  Aasos / Garlic  (Allium sativum)
• Radish (Raphanus sativus)
• Gabanzum / Garbanzos (Cicer arietinum)
• Lechuuwa / Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
• Sanooria / Carrots (Daucus carota)
• Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
• Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
•  Tiikom / Wheat  (Triticum aestivum)
• Hi’u, mamyam, vakoe / wild greens 
• Totoi woki or Koni woki / wild arugula

Perennial Plants 

• Aaki / Organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)
•  Hu'upa taakam / Mesquite pods  (Prosopis velutina)
• Desert willow (medicinal) (Chilopsis linearis)
•  Chuuna / Fig  (Ficus carica)
•  Kannao / Pomegranate  (Punica granatum)
• Avaso / Cottonwood (Populus fremonti)
• Naavo / Wild prickly pear (Opuntia engelmanni)
•  Tosai navu / Domesticated (spineless) prickly pear  (Opuntia ficus indica)
• Canaigre dock (medicinal) (Rumex hymenosepalus)
• Rosa / Rose (ceremonial) (Rosa rubiginosa)
• Rosary babybonnet (crafts) (Coursetia glandulosa)
• Chikura / Canyon ragweed (medicinal) (Ambrosia ambrosioides)
• Vachomo / Seep willow (medicinal) (Bacharis saliccifolia)