Seri Dreams

Journal of the Southwest
Seri Dreams
Author(s): Gwyneth Harrington, Miguel Bernett and Victoria Barnett
Source: Journal of the Southwest, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Winter, 1988), pp. 502-521
Published by: Journal of the Southwest
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Seri Dreams
Gwyneth Harrington
with the drawings of Migu el ^w^Victoria Ba
Gwyneth Harrington collected the drawings here rep

Seri dreams by Miguel and Victoria Barnett in 1941.
ture is described by the Barnetts, with translation and
by Harrington. The manuscript was edited by Jeanne Arm
with annotations by Mary Beck Moser. The original
Arizona State Museum Archives.
These short trips to the Seri were thoroughly occupied by mak-

ing a material collection, but one cannot be long among the Seri
before becoming aware of the importance of dreams in their life.
However, no inquiry was made into this phase of their culture. All
the following information was given voluntarily, not in response to
questions. It is sufficient to suggest that the dream concepts of the
Seri would make a most interesting field for future study.
Dreaming and things seen in dreams were frequently referred to
in explanations concerning the little carved wooden figurines called
santos in Spanish, or in Seri eh-eh-kok-mus-kaht, and may be traced
in the notes on the santos attached to the collection. Dreams came
to the forefront again in the scanty explanations of the objects they
call cosas mirandas or "looking things," which are hung in the
houses, mirary "to look at." In further talk, it sometimes came out
that these things were hung over a person's head, or nearby, where
they could look at them, and that they had an effect on a person's
dreams. For example, it would be said, "If this is hung over a
senorita's head when she sleeps, the moon, who is a senorita, will
come to her in dreams and speak with her."
The dream element appeared again occasionally in face paint
designs. For example, a double crescent, back to back, was explained
as "the moon, a senorita, seen in dreams by the men," or two
oblongs dependent on the cheeks, much decorated, were called "the
doors of the sacred cave on Tiburon as seen in dreams," or again,
Seri Dreams ■> 503
another design with the "doors" and many crosses, a child's design,
was said to be "against bad people coming in dreams," or again
"when one has seen the 'little people5 in dreams, this design is
painted on the face." It is possible that certain face paintings are
used as a sign that a person has had a certain type of dream or, in
the case of the child, as a protection against bad dreams.
On several occasions, I gave out paper and colored pencils, and
asked the Seri to draw facepaint designs for me or whatever they
pleased. There was no suggestion made as to what they should
draw. A certain number of them drew pictures of things they saw in
dreams. They did not offer much explanation of these pictures when
they gave them to me, partly because of lack of Spanish, partly
through reserve, no doubt, and partly because they were in groups
around me most of the time and personal information does not
come forth in groups. But they did definitely state that they were
things seen in dreams, and all the Seri seemed to take that as a
matter of course.
I had one interview, alone, with the medicine man and though
his Spanish was very limited, he gave willingly a certain amount of
information concerning the santos, and something about what he,
the medicine man, saw in dreams and visions. It was becoming
increasingly evident that dreams played a really important part in
the life of the Seri.
Finally, on the island of Tiburon, we found a family of Seri,
alone, waiting for some other boatloads to arrive. After some con-
versation, I gave them some paper and colored pencils and asked for
face paint designs, or whatever they wished to draw. Next day,
Miguel Barnett, the young husband of the family, turned up with
his pictures and they were all of things seen in dreams. Fortunately,
he spoke some Spanish, of the very simple Seri kind. He was feeling
very friendly for the family had run short of food while waiting,
and we had given them some supplies. Being alone, and un-
disturbed, he managed to explain a good deal about his pictures,
and the things seen in dreams. His words were taken down ver-
batim, and are attached to the drawings with a free translation, and
comments from my notebook.
We spent several hours, sitting peacefully under the shade of a
mesquite tree by a waterhole, away from the rest of the family, while
Miguel drew pictures and did his best to explain these things - the
world under the sea, the world under the earth entered through the
Seri family at Tecomate, 1941. Standing is Miguel Barnett; his wife, Victoria,
and two children are beside him. The other women are, left to right: Rosa
(daughter of Victor Avila), Maria Socorro and Lola Ortega (granddaughters
of Rosa). Courtesy Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona. Photograph
by Gwyneth Harrington.
Seri Dreams ^ 505
Miguel and Victoria Barnett, Punta Chueca, 1988. Photograph by

David Burckhalter.
caves, the little people who lived therein, and the senorita moon -
seen in dreams. His young wife joined us for some of the time, and
drew two pictures herself. She also seemed to have a full knowledge
of these dream concepts. Later, I checked what Miguel told me with
other Seri, older and younger, and found the same concepts, or set
of beliefs, and the tendency to dream about them. There may be
many others for I did not have time to inquire further, only to check
the ones I already knew a little about. The "doors of the caves" seem
to have special importance. They all seemed to know about the
"little people," and have songs concerning them, and seem familiar
with the world beneath the sea and beneath the earth, with strange
animals and people inhabiting. The senorita moon is seen by many
in dreams, "always with horns."
Miguel was excited about the paper and colored pencils, and
drew in all his spare time. He drew very slowly and carefully, but
506 * Journal of the Southwest
without corrections, like a child who has clearly visualized what he

wants to set down. He has a curious use of a double line for his
outlines, often in different colors. He said he had never drawn
before and certainly his later drawings are stronger and more con-
fident than the first ones, but I think that he must somehow, per-
haps through face painting or drawing in the sand, have acquired a
certain skill in the use of his hands for drawing. He had never been
to school, even for the three months they did have a school in Bahia
Kino, and there seemed no way in his life that he could have learned
to draw or had access to materials. He was very much excited over
the white paper and the colored pencils. These things were un-
doubtedly new to him.
The Mexicans said Miguel was lazy, didn't like to work, but he
worked very hard on the drawings. All day in the heat he drew with
long-continued concentration because he found pleasure in draw-
ing. Nor was it in hope of much pay, for I had very little money to
offer him for the drawings and he preferred a few fish-hooks, or a
little sugar, or a spool of thread for his wife, to the money. He
would have drawn his pictures anyway, pay or no pay. He was also a
singer, and sang as naturally and with as little self-consciousness as
he drew. He would sing about the little people or the deer, when the
picture was being discussed. It is quite possible that Miguel is in the
process of becoming a medicine man. Some of the songs were
explained as curing songs and the medicine men of the Seri seemed
to gain their power, in part at least, through the power of dream-
ing. He was young, however, to be a full-fledged medicine man and
did not claim to be. But the dreams were clearly an important part
of his life, and his wife seemed proud of being able to say "Miguel
dreams much." In person, he was a tall, slim, long-haired young
man, of the wilder, less sophisticated type of Seri.*
THE DREAM DRAWINGS
[1] The doors of the sacred caves of Tiburon. Drawn by Migu

Barnett at Tecomate on the island of Tiburon (on some maps as A
Duke), July 1941.
MIGUEL: "Las cuevas." (The word for cave in Seri is sha-u

[zaaj - MBM].) "Izquierda una puerta cerrada. Otra esta abierta,
Seri Dreams ^ 507
tiene mirando la gente dentro. Sobre, alto (pointing to the red and
black curved lines at the top of the open door) uno viento muy caliente
salir. Debajo (pointing to the funnel-like thing with black squares on
the edges) lo mismo fierro, fuerte como un motor. Derecho, un otro
viento, no fuerte. Al noche cuando durmir mirando muy lejo esta
cosa de las puertas."
"The caves. At the left a closed door. The other is open for seeing
the people within. Above, high (pointing to the red and black curved
lines at the top of the open door) a wind very hot comes out. Below
(pointing to the funnel-like thing with black squares on the edges) it is
the same as iron, strong like a motor. To the right, another wind,
not strong. At night when sleeping I am seeing very far off this
thing of the doors."
There is a marked preoccupation with the doors of the caves, in
the Seri mind, and they are often "seen in dreams," used in face
painting design, and made into santos. The doors figure in the
activities of the medicine man, and in legends of the gods and "little
people" who live in the caves. There are caves on Tiburon and the
mainland as well, all considered sacred, but those on Tiburon most
sacred. The Mexican fishermen said there are Seri burials in the
caves. No Seri said so, but the question was not asked.
MBM: Zaaj hapesxo - "hidden cave" - is the term given to any

cave used traditionally for seeking power. In 1955 Roberto Herrera
reported that although there are many caves in the Seri area only
some have spirits. Zaaj ihahoosit - "he who causes the cave to 'sing,5 "
a song sung by the shaman to the cave. According to a text given by
Sara Villalobos, her mother-in-law was a powerful shaman. When
she sang a cave song, a loud report, like the thunder of a gun, could
be heard as the cave "door" opened.
->
[2] The spirit at the open door of the cave. Drawn by Miguel
Barnett at Tecornate, July 1941.
MIGUEL: "La puerta de la cueva, abierta (pointing to the white

space on the right), otra puerta, cerrado (pointing to the funnel with
the smoke-like cloud). Un viento muy caliente salir. Mirando esta
puerta, con gente dentro, en mis suenos. La gente es un dios. Vive
508 * Journal of the Southwest
en la cueva. Se llama Ahnt-eh-zuma. Tiene vestidos blancos, y una

cara blanca. Ahnt-eh-zuma viene muy antes, vivir con los Seris. No
esta aqui ahora, pero vive en las cuevas. Ah-ko-kaa-ma mirando esta
dios en las cuevas."
"The door of the cave, open (pointing to the white space on the
right), the other door closed (pointing to the funnel with the smoke-
like cloud). A very hot wind comes out. I have seen this cave with
the person inside, in my dreams. The person is a god. He lives in
the cave. He is called Ahnt-eh-zuma. He has white clothes and a
white face. Ahnt-eh-zuma came long ago, to live with the Seris. He
is not here now, but he lives in the caves. The medicine man has
seen this god in the caves."
MBM: Ahnt-eh-zuma (GH), hant hasooma (MBM). He is a spirit

about four feet tall and very fat. He has a wide-brimmed hat. The
animals belong to him. He always carries cholla fruit with him for
food. He formed people by rubbing his thighs, and the dirt and
sweat that fell down became the Seri.
Miguel Barnett mentions ah-ko-kaa-ma (GH). Haaco cama
(MBM), "he who has a dwelling (in the deserted area)," freely
translated as "shaman," is the person who has received power dur-
ing a vision quest.
<•
[3] Deer of the other world in the sea (un venado del otro mundo
debajo del mar). Drawn by Miguel Barnett at Tecomate, July 1941.
MIGUEL: "Es un venado del otro mundo debajo del mar. Esta
venado no hay nombre, en sueno mirando. Vive debajo del mar, lo
mismo tiburon. Mira la leta (pointing to the fin on its back) esta igual
de leta del tiburon. Las flores y las frutas son comer. El venado guste
comiendo estas flores y frutas. Debajo del mar son muchas flores y
frutas del mar. Estas (pointing to the fluted lower part of the deer in
the picture) son lo mismo del patas, cuando andarle, corriendo muy
rapido, las otras lo mismo (pointing to the part on the other side of the
deer). En sueno mirando el otro mundo debajo del mar - yo, y
otros tambien. Esta un venado del mar, mirando en mis suefios.
"No ensena esta al Yoris [the Mexicans]. Si usted quiere esta
venado, bueno, traiga al Estados Unidos mirar - esta bueno. Pero
Seri Dreams <■ 509
no ensefia nada, no habla nada al Yoris de estas cosas Seris. Si usted

dice no ensenar, no hablar, al Yoris - bueno (handing me the picture
of the deer) V
"It is a deer of the other world below the sea. This deer has no
name, it is seen in a dream. He lives below the sea the same as
sharks. See the fin (pointing to the fin on its back). It is like the fin of
a shark. The flowers and fruits are to eat. The deer likes eating these
flowers and fruits. Under the sea are many flowers and fruits of the
sea. These (pointing to the fluted lower part of the deer) are the same
as paws, when he goes, running very fast. The others the same
(pointing to the similar part on the other side of the deer). In dreams I
see the other world below the sea - I, and others also. This is a deer
of the sea, seen in my dreams.
"Do not show this to the Mexicans. If you want this deer, good,
take it to the United States to look at - it's all right. But show
nothing, speak nothing to the Mexicans of these Seri things. If you
say you will not show, not speak to the Mexicans - good (handing
me the picture of the deer)V
Miguel said he had never drawn before, on paper with colored
pencils. He was much excited about the pencils and paper. He drew
earnestly, like a child, but with no hesitation as to the choice of
colors or the form of representation. It was as if he already had the
deer visualized very clearly. Undoubtedly he had drawn before, with
face paints or on sand. It seemed only the colored pencils and paper
were new things.
MBM: Deer of the other world in the sea. Miguel told Gwyneth
that this deer has no name. Nor have I recorded a name for such an
animal, although names exist for several other mythological animals.
[4] House under the sea. Drawn by Victoria Barnett, wife of

Miguel Barnett, Tecomate, July 1941.
Miguel's wife looked at his submarine deer, nodded, and began

to draw busily herself, taking the crayons from him as she needed
the colors. Finally she handed me her picture and said (translated
into Spanish by Miguel) :
VICTORIA: "Debajo del mar son casas, muy bonita, como las
510 -fr Journal of the Southwest
casas de Hermosillo. Esta una casa debajo del mar. Miguel suena
mucho. Yo no sueno mucho, pero una vez tengo un sueno de esta
casa bonita del otro mundo. Esta (pointing to the blue line with
pendant fish tails like face paint designs) esta es la mar. Esta (pointing
to the design on left) es agua. Las casas son debajo."
"Below the sea are houses, very pretty like the houses of Her-
mosillo. This is a house below the sea. Miguel dreams much. I do
not dream much, but one time I had a dream of this pretty house of
the other world. This (pointing to the blue line with pendant fish tails
like face paint designs) is the sea. This (pointing to the design on left)
is water. The houses are below."
I asked her if she had ever been to Hermosillo and seen the
houses, and she said no, but others had described them to her. "Son
lo mismo, como las casas debajo la mar?" She asked, "Are they the
same as the houses under the sea?" I said I could see a resemblance
in her picture, in the tile work, the shape of the door, and the kind
of roof. She was pleased, and said some day she wanted to see
Hermosillo. She said, "They say there are lights as bright as light-
ning." The world under the sea seemed an accepted fact to her, but
Hermosillo was a sort of bright dream. Several times she asked me
to describe Hermosillo, and was fascinated by the idea of a flowery
park and fountains running. About the shops she seemed indif-
ferent, and her husband teased her, saying she would be afraid to go
in. The churches she expected to be like the houses under the sea,
with lights all about.
MBM: Certain spirits live under the ground, under the sea, and
in the rocks, with their own beautiful towns. They are the spirits of
the caves and vision areas. They were created by hant hasooma. They
are summoned by the shaman twirling a bull roarer, or blowing a
cane flute or a stone whistle. The shaman, using his power, could
see these inhabited areas beneath the surface of the ground. It was
"like looking through a window."
In one Seri legend, "He Who Lies About Gold" leads some
soldiers to the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea to see the big city
with square houses which lies in the water. When the soldiers are
encouraged to stand on their tiptoes to look over the edge, "He
Who Lies About Gold" pushes them to their deaths.
Seri Dreams ^ 511
[5] The world under the earth. Drawn by Victoria Barnett at

Tecomate, July 1941.
This is the conception by Miguel's wife, of the country below the
surface of the earth. I do not think this is a dream picture, and she
was rather confused on that point saying, "The country below the
earth is only seen in dreams, that is how we know it is there." I
think this is an imaginative picture, a sort of symbolization of her
concept of that land rather than a definite dream.
She (Victoria) made the drawing while Miguel was talking about
the country inside the caves and under the earth where the "little
people live." As she explained it, the high black triangles at the top
are the high dark jagged peaks at the south end of the island where
there are caves in the mountains. At the lower left and right are the
doors to the caves, one shut, to the right, and the one at the left,
open. You may see at the top of the one to the left, the "hot wind
coming," which is part of the Seri tradition of the open door to that
cave. Within again is shown the "beautiful house," to show there are
beautiful houses below there. The face, with eyes, nose and mouth
superimposed on the house and the under part of the earth, is to
show that the area under the earth is inhabited by people, the "little
people" of whom her husband was telling. If I remember correctly,
the colored arch above the face was referred to as the rainbow, but I
am not absolutely sure about that and have no notes on her ex-
planation.
MBM: Many spirits inhabit mountains, which are like huge

dwellings. A spirit shows the location of the cave door to the person
seeking power.
[6] The little people. Drawn by Miguel Barnett at Tecomate, July

1941.
MIGUEL: "Son cerros con cuevas. Las cuevas son las casitas del
gentes chiquitas. Las cruces signando la clase de cuevas [presumably
sacred]. Cuando este gentes chiquitas quieren malo, dan dolor y
infirmidades con sus flechas. Esta es una gente chiquita, con arco en
cielo. Las flechas son rojas. Estas lamparas de azule signando dolor.
"Las gentes chiquitas se llaman cseh-eh kot-k'rnik'-eh' en Seri.
512 -fr Journal of the Southwest
Viven en los cerros, las cuevas, y dentro la tierra. Son muy pocos en
Tiburon. Viven en los cerros al sur (pointing to the peaks at the south
end of the island). Cuando yo trabajo pescando cerca de Baja Cal-
ifornia, mirando muchas en suenos en la noche, y mirando muchas
mas en San Esteban y San Lorenzo, las islas. Cuando cazo cahuamas
en la noche gentes chiquitas, muchas gentes chiquitas vienen. Los
Seris visto las gentes chiquitas cuando cazar en los cerros. Cuando
una persona mira gentes chiquitas, una puerta de cueva esta pintado
en su cara. Esta pintura signando la cueva donde gentes chiquitas
viven. Para Desemboque tambien, en los cerros viven. Con sus
flechas dan infirmadades, con dolor."
"There are mountains with caves. The caves are the little houses
of the little people. The crosses signify the kind of cave [presumably
sacred]. When the little people wish you ill, they give pain and
illness with their arrows. This is one of the little people, with a
rainbow. The arrows are red. The lightnings of blue signify pain.
"The little people are called (seh-eh-kot-k*mik-ehy in Seri. They live
in the mountains, the caves and inside the earth. There are very few
on Tiburon. They live in the mountains to the south (pointing to the
peaks at the south end of the island). When I worked fishing near to
Lower California, I saw them much in dreams at night, and saw
many more in the islands of San Esteban and San Lorenzo. While
hunting sea turtles at night, little people, many little people came.
The Seris see the little people when hunting in the mountains.
When a person sees little people a door of the cave is painted on his
face. This painting signifies the cave where the little people live. By
Desemboque also, they live in the mountains. With their arrows,
they give illness, with pain."
MBM: Seh-eh-kot k'mik-eh (GH), ziix hecot cmique (MBM),

"person who lives in the deserted area," is well-dressed, clean, wear-
ing good shoes, coat, and pants. They are little people and are said
to be either good or bad spirits. They inhabit caves, causing thunder
when they move. Some single-legged spirits move along on round
objects called haiptoj, which are like different-colored balls. The
two-legged spirits move more quickly through the air. Sometimes
the caves in which they live are transformed into beautiful big
rooms. When the shaman is hired to cure a sick person, he calls one
of these little men and they come and do the curing.
After one of the floods, tiny people, perhaps a foot tall, lived here
just like the Seri. They were known as comcaac quizil, "little people."
Big birds, called coijac, came and ate them. The last few giants were
afraid of the little people and ran away to the end of the earth.
[7] Woman moon. Drawn by Miguel Barnett at Tecomate, July

1941.
MIGUEL: "Esta gente se llama cla luna' y es una senorita tam-

bien. Son los rayos al tierra (pointing to the frill surrounding her
face). Quien sabe por que los cuernos, cuando mirando en suefios,
cuando esta mirando, tiene los cuernos, siempre. La boca es una
flora. De la boca la mujada hacer las flores. En la noche viene la
mujada de este senorita la luna (shows me by spitting) y hacer las
flores, toda clase de flores. La senorita luna tiene una mesa con agua,
y una plata para comer. Esta agua nunca acaba, y antes la comeda
nunca acaba - siempre tiene agua y comer.
"El ah-ko-kaa-ma mirando la luna en los cuevas quando durmir
para alia. Yo, Miguel, mirando la luna tambien en mis suefios. Si,
siempre con cuernos, y una boca como una flora. Las cruces en-
senan esta santo como un dios."
"This person is called the moon, and is a woman also. These are
the rays to the earth (pointing to the frill surrounding her face). Who
knows why the horns - when seen in dreams, when she is seen, she
has the horns, always. The mouth is a flower. From the mouth the
moisture makes the flowers. In the night comes the moisture of this
senorita the moon (shows me by spitting) and makes the flowers, all
kinds of flowers. The woman moon has a table with water and a
plate for food. This water is never finished, and before, the food
never finished - always had food and water.
"The medicine man has seen the moon in the caves when he
sleeps there. I, Miguel, see the moon in my dreams. Yes, always
with horns and a mouth like a flower. The crosses show she is holy
like a god."
The horns are of a deer. Miguel did not say this, but his wife,
who was present at the time. He accepted her statement without
comment, so I presume it to be correct.
5 14 * Journal of the Southwest
MBM: The new moon menstruates, with drops of blood coming

from the darker end. A drop of blood falls on the head of each
woman, causing her to menstruate. One can ask favors of the new
moon. It can give good luck for the entire month. The shaman can
use the power of the moon, as well as the sun, to cause people to
become sick. One should not face the moon when sleeping outside,
for it can cause danger.
Seri Dreams <■ 515
[i]
516 <■ Journal of the Southwest
[2]
Seri Dreams ^ 517
[3]
518 ■> Journal of the Southwest
[4]
[5]
520 ■> Journal of the Southwest
[6]
Seri Dreams & 521
[7]

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Journal of the Southwest

with the drawings of Migu el ^w^Victoria Ba

Gwyneth Harrington collected the drawings here rep

These short trips to the Seri were thoroughly occupied by mak-

Miguel and Victoria Barnett, Punta Chueca, 1988. Photograph by

without corrections, like a child who has clearly visualized what he

THE DREAM DRAWINGS

[1] The doors of the sacred caves of Tiburon. Drawn by Migu

MIGUEL: "Las cuevas." (The word for cave in Seri is sha-u

MBM: Zaaj hapesxo - "hidden cave" - is the term given to any

MIGUEL: "La puerta de la cueva, abierta (pointing to the white

en la cueva. Se llama Ahnt-eh-zuma. Tiene vestidos blancos, y una

MBM: Ahnt-eh-zuma (GH), hant hasooma (MBM). He is a spirit

no ensefia nada, no habla nada al Yoris de estas cosas Seris. Si usted

[4] House under the sea. Drawn by Victoria Barnett, wife of

Miguel's wife looked at his submarine deer, nodded, and began

[5] The world under the earth. Drawn by Victoria Barnett at

MBM: Many spirits inhabit mountains, which are like huge

[6] The little people. Drawn by Miguel Barnett at Tecomate, July

MBM: Seh-eh-kot k'mik-eh (GH), ziix hecot cmique (MBM),

[7] Woman moon. Drawn by Miguel Barnett at Tecomate, July

MIGUEL: "Esta gente se llama cla luna' y es una senorita tam-

MBM: The new moon menstruates, with drops of blood coming

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