HCR 2045 Summary

• Concurrent resolution expressing the Arizona Legislature's condolences on the death of Jose Robles Matus, a Yaqui Elder and Ceremonial Leader who passed away on December 3, 2017, at age 66.

• Recognizes Matus's decades of work as a human rights and indigenous rights activist, including his 1974 role in negotiating border crossing agreements for Yaqui ceremonial participants with U.S. immigration officials.

• Acknowledges his career directing workforce training programs for disadvantaged populations, including the Center for Employment Training (1975-1985) and the Tohono O'Odham Skill Center (1985-1990), which received a $1 million Department of Education grant.

• Honors his founding and 20-year leadership of the Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras/Indigenous Alliance Without Borders and his advocacy work on sacred site protection, indigenous language preservation, and Indigenous Peoples' Day recognition.

• Extends legislative sympathy and condolences to his family, including his partner Rosemary Tona-Aguirre, daughter Henrietta, granddaughters, and his Yaqui communities in the United States and Mexico.