Career
Anselmo was a World World War II veteran with no formal education. He became a teacher, tribal historian, and the political and spiritual leader of the Yaqui peoples. He was noted by the Arizona House of Representatives as the driving force behind the Yaqui tribe"s efforts to obtain Federal recognition as well as historic tribe designation.
An authority on Yaqui culture, he helped establish the Yoemem Tekia Foundation, which is dedicated to its preservation and perpetuation.
He was a major political figure in the Yaqui tribe. He strove to gain economic development opportunities as well as social and medical services.
He also supported tribal efforts in the traditional Pueblos in Rio Yaqui, Sonora, Mexico.
