The central prophesy of the Surem ancestors of the Yoemem incorporates Catholicism. In the story of Yomumuli, a world tree speaks to the great Mother. Not unlike the burning bush anecdote of the Old Testament, the story reveals the symbolic connection between the Surem/Yoemem and Christian beliefs. Moreover, the prophesy itself foretold of the coming of the conquistadors and of their religion. Those Surem who were willing to convert, accept Jesus as savior, and move into modernity would become the Yaqui. Those who chose to retain the Surem traditions would live wild and free in the hills and sea. Interestingly, the Yoemem did not draw value judgments from their ancestor's decisions. The Surem who live as pagans are viewed as helpers and as being close to the spirit world. The Surem are not perceived of as heathen or evil as many pagans have been labeled by the People of the Book. Yoemem ritual and myth incorporates the story of Jesus. For instance, flowers spring from Christ's blood.

4. Yoemem religion is syncretic and therefore reveals the organic nature of culture. Like language, religion...

Religions like the Yoemem's reveal the strength of the underlying beliefs and the power of symbols to become universal and transformative. By adapting the Catholic beliefs into indigenous systems, the Yoemem were able to survive amid adversity while keeping alive age-old traditions. The story of the Sea Ania and Little Brother Deer should be viewed as the triumph of Yoemem culture. Weaving the stories of their ancestors with the modern tales of Catholicism, the Yoemem forged a faith that is uniquely their own.
References

Seyewailo: The Flower World Yaqui Deer Songs." Words and Place. Retrieved June 29, 2007 at http://wordsandplace.arizona.edu/seyewailo_background.html

Shorter, D. (2003). Binary thinking and the study of Yoeme Indian lutu'uria/truth. Anthropological Forum, 13/2 (November 2003): 195-203. Retrieved June 29, 2007 from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/bitstream/2022/303/1/shorterSN.doc

Yaqui Deer Dance." Class Notes.

Yomumuli and the Little Surem People." Class Notes.