Yaqui

Yaqui
Country	Mexico United States
Flag of the Yaqui people
Wikipedia article
Flags of the World article

The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of Arizona and Indigenous people of Sonora, Mexico. They speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona in Southwestern United States. They also have communities in Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico.

Design and symbolism

The Yaqui flag is divided in three stripes charged with stars, a moon, sun, and a Christian cross. Blue is for strength and the sky. White stands for purity. Red is for the blood. The sun is the God Father which lights and provides life; moon is the Mother Goddess protector of night and day; while stars are for the spirits of ancestors. The cross in the center of the flag represents the Catholic faith adopted by the Yaqui people.

Variants

There are many variants of the flag. One of them with colors inverted to red, white and blue. In others, the moon is next to the red stripe. The representation of the sun is also not uniform. Many photos show flags surely inspired by the one published on Wikipedia.