November 19, 2022 – July 22, 2023

About Guadalupe

Guadalupe and Tempe have been neighbors for more than a century, forging partnerships important to both communities’ vitality. Guadalupe is a unique place that has faced challenges and experienced triumphs from the earliest days of the original townsite to the thriving town of forty acres that exists today.  The people of Guadalupe have a rich and interesting historic past that includes the stories of ancestors who fled persecution in Sonora, Mexico to seek safety in Arizona. The Yaqui people who settled in what is now Guadalupe share their home with Mexican and Anglo settlers, particularly Catholic and Presbyterian missionaries who served and supported the community.

The three cultural groups of Guadalupe flourish today in an interconnected tapestry of life, rich with tribal, cultural, and religious celebrations and ceremonies. This heritage is fostered within the town’s important landmarks such as Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Santa Lucia, Guadalupe Cemetery, the Community Center, Town Hall and Library, the Mercado, Cultural Square, and Frank School.

Exhibit Overview

Visitors were able to discover learn about the Yaqui people’s important contributions and enjoy a new appreciation for this unique community, its residents, and their cultural heritage. Guadalupe’s history is an important part of our regional story.

This exhibition was made possible through the generous support of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Gaming Revenue Sharing Funds program. It was created in partnership with the Guadalupe Historical Society and is supported by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Town of Guadalupe.

Awards

For their continued commitment to making the past relevant to the present day, the Museum Association of Arizona presented its 2023 Award of Institutional Excellence to the Tempe History Museum. 

The Institutional Awards of Excellence is given to a museum that has exhibited leadership qualities by achieving excellence in its work, including in the areas of collection, preservation, research, interpretation, and education.

The award highlighted the Guadalupe: Where Three Cultures Flourish exhibit:

• The changing exhibit, Guadalupe: Where Three Cultures Flourish tells the story in a way that is widely accessible to the general public, highlighting the community’s historic past, the deep roots and important contributions of the Yaqui people to the valley, and fostering an appreciation for the descendants and their heritage.