The University of Arizona Press
August 11, 2026
David Burckhalter, author of Baskets from the Seri Coast: Comcaac Weavers and Their Craft, spoke as part of the Tumamoc Author Series.
In this Southwest Center video of the event, Burckhalter describes his research on the Seri people of Sonora, Mexico. Reflecting on the experience of more than 50 years working with the Seri people, Burckhalter says, “For me, it’s just been, an amazing time and I’m still going there and I have other projects I’m working on now. You know, I’m interested in how they lived in the past. . . . So I think that’s important to look back and try to recreate how they lived. And I’m doing it as a personal geography.”
He begins by explaining several of the most important terms from the book’s glossary. Burckhalter then describes the structure of the book, which is written in six parts, alternating between text and photo galleries. He then discusses the major groups of Seri women he considers the innovators of modern Seri basketry and their techniques and cultural heritage.
The event was presented by Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, The University of Arizona Press, and The Southwest Center.
David Burckhalter is a photographer and research associate at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona. After settling in Tucson, he worked for years as an importer of Seri (Comcaac) arts and crafts into the United States. He continues to visit friends in Seri villages. He is the photographer/author of two other University of Arizona Press books: Baja California Missions: In the Footsteps of the Padres (2013) and The Seris (1976).
