The comcaac (seri) and their symbolic relationship with water, the story of a lost sacredness (XVII-XXI)

Abstract

The Comcaac, also known as Seris, are one of the seven indigenous ethnic groups settled in the state of Sonora. They established themselves from 1970 in the towns of El Desemboque (in the municipality of Pitiquito) and Punta Chueca (in the municipality of Hermosillo). As many other indigenous peoples of Mexico, the Comcaac have a history of conquest, colonization, and displacement. Their worldview and traditions are strongly linked to the cultural dynamics of the spaces they have inhabited and currently occupy. Hence, their relationship with water and its access was a crucial factor in strengthening their identity and survival. The naming and visita of ancient water supply sites such as Heecot Hax (Posed Well) in Pico Johnson, in the Seri Sierra; Hast Hax (Rocky Well), south of the Seri Sierra; Hax Caail (Reed Well), along with Haspót Hax and Xapij An Hax, among others, within the mobility freedom they had before the 20th century, provided a sacredness to these spaces, notion they shared with the Seris who lived before 1970. In accordance with this, water and its access from the 16th to the 21st century have revealed changes in the cultural and territorial life of this indigenous people and have shown a historical continuity of conflicting relationships between the Mexican government and this native population. This work reviews classical literature from the first missionaries in contact with the Seris, as well as sources such as newspapers, archives from water management institutions, and testimonies from some Comcaac leaders and personnel from Agua de Kino.