Priority to protect the health of the Seris
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outsiders will not be able to see the traditional New Year’s celebrations of the Comcaac Seri on June 30 and July 1.
The Seris traditionally hold five fiestas in Desemboque and Punta Chueca, where hundreds of visitors typically attend.
But the small Comcaác communities do not have a doctor or medical equipment, so they must be very careful about avoiding the coronavirus.
Miguel Estrella Romero, President of the Council of Elders of Desemboque de los Seris, was quoted in the Sonoran newspaper El Imparcial yesterday regarding the travel ban.
He acknowledged that the lack of tourists will directly affect native artisans, who sell their art and crafts during the events.
“But health comes first,” he said.
The Comcaác New Year celebrates a time when the Sea of Cortez and Sonoran Desert begin a cycle of regeneration, with an abundance of food from the desert and fish from the sea.
