Spiritual Beliefs
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The indigenous beliefs of the Yaqui are not well described in early Spanish accounts. However, the little information that does exist describes a belief system that could easily be adapted to the newly introduced Christian ideas. For example, pre-contact Yaqui rituals and beliefs appear to have focused largely around the notion of curing; a notion that easily fit in with Christ's role as curer. Similarly, they revered a benevolent power referred to as "Our Mother" who was associated with flowers and trees and the earth; this entity became re-worked and fused with the concept of Virgin Mary.
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One belief not adopted from Christianity is the Yaqui conception of the supernatural landscape. The Yaqui believe that there are several worlds, which can be known to humans only through dreams and visions. The Enchanted World is the most ancient of the worlds, and is inhabited by the ancestors of the Yaqui. With the adoption of Christianity, this world became identified with the concept of heaven. A second important world is the Flower World, which symbolizes everything that is good in the wilderness world. This is the spiritual domain of the deer, and in ceremonies Yaqui Deer Dancers mimic the movements of deer in order to connect us with that world.
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Virgin Mary Source - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gross_St_Martin_-_Grablegungsgruppe_-_Maria_(virgin_mary).jpg |
Yaqui deer dancers Sources - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danza_del_venado.jpg and caption |
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Watch this video on Yaqui deer dancers
Flowers, in turn, are important symbols in Yaqui life. They combine the ancient belief that the deer dancer is from a flower-filled spiritual world with the more recent belief that Christ's grace is symbolized by flowers that grew from the blood that he shed during the crucifixion. Flowers are thus an important weapon against evil.
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