As I was driving towards Sand Lake in Wekiwa Springs State Park, I was pleased to see two deer emerge from the bushes and watch my car as it passed. Deer are a pretty common sight due to declining populations of large predators, but I thought it was cool considering I was planning on playing this melody. The Yaquis (Yah-kee) or proper name Yoemem (Yoh-em-mem) first made contact with the Spanish in 1533. At the time, they inhabited territory on the lower course of the Yaqui river in present-day Mexico. After centuries of unspeakable hardship and conflict, first with Spain, and then with the Mexico, the largest population of Yaqui still live in Sonora, more or less their original home. There are also several populations of Yaquis in California, Texas, and Arizona.
The Deer Dance is a very important ceremony the Yaquis perform at Easter, and several other times during the year. According to legend, the Deer Dance began after a man saw the deer having a party in the woods. He practiced the dance and soon mastered it. The ceremony includes the Deer Dancer, Deer Singers, Musicians, and Pahkola dancers, who host the event. It is an excellent example of the blend of Roman Catholicism and traditional beliefs that took place in territories occupied by Spain.
