Additional Information

This is a short annotated bibliography of some of the texts we used in researching the Seri:

Felger, Richard Stephen and Mary Beck Moser.

1985 People of the Desert and Sea. Richard Stephen Felger and Mary Beck Moser. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.

This book gives an in depth look at all facets of Seri Indian life; climate, dress, myths and customs and ironwood carving, and everything in-between. The author also provides an exhaustive list of plant life native to the Sonoran desert, along with the uses that the Seri have for each. One of our most informative texts.

Ryerson, Scott H.

1976 Seri Ironwood Carving: An Economic View. In Ethnic and Tourist Arts: Cultural Expressions from the Fourth World. Nelson H. H. Graburn, ed. Pp119-136. Berkeley: University of California Press.

This chapter provides a good understanding of the development and innovation of the ironwood carving craft, from its beginning with Jose Astorga up until the time the book was published. The author gives a small amount of background information about the Seri, but the main focus is the analysis of the carving as a tourist fueled economic activity. Ryerson approaches the subject with the understanding that ironwood carving is a substitution for the traditional means of economic survival, the fishing industry.

Burckhalter, David.

1999 Among Turtle Hunters and Basket Weavers: Adventures with the Seri Indians. Tucson: Treasure Chest Books.

This book provides a simple overview of Seri culture and the area in which they live. There are numerous full color photos of Seri people as well as the ironwood carvings and basketry. Burckhalter also includes a short section based on stories from the past and how the Seri have adapted to changing times.

St. Antoine, Sara.

1994 Ironwood and Art: Lessons in Cultural Ecology. In Ironwood: An Ecological and Cultural Keystone of the Sonoran Desert. Gary Paul Nabhan and John L. Carr, eds. Pp 69-85. Washington: Conservation International.

This article touches on the environmental impacts of ironwood carving done by Seri Indians, as well as the Mexican imitators. It also goes through the innovation of the art and the ways in which a conservation program could be instituted, namely through the Seri carvers. The author also offers four alternative substances that could be used to replace the endangered ironwood.

For a complete list of our sources please send us an email via the comments link

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