The Seri are an indigenous group in Sonora, Mexico, who have managed to preserve their native culture by living in isolation for hundreds of years on the small island of Tiburon, in the Sea of Cortez.

For most of their history, the Seri have avoided the practice of farming, cultivation and animal domestication. Modern day hunter-gatherers, they depended solely on fishing until the mid 1900s. But Mexican policies, such as a failed fishing cooperative in the 30s and the onslaught of commercial shrimping in the 50s, forced the Seri to branch out and find other means to make money.

This is where their art comes in.

When the ironwood-carving industry was born, many of the Seri moved off Tiburon to camps such as Desemboque, 230 miles from Hermosillo. There, they began to sell simplistic carvings, as well as woven baskets and necklaces made from shell, stone, seeds, and other inexhaustible resources.

The Seri artist Jose Astorga is credited with developing the ironwood carving genre into what it is today. He began to experiment in the early 60s, making utilitarian products such as spoons, bowls, barrettes and paperweights. He first got the idea to carve animal art when an American tourist, who was planning to make a desert tortoise doorstep, sought out Astorga in 1963.

The industry really took off in 1968 when University of Arizona students took trips down to Seri villages to look at and purchase pieces. Before then, Jose Astorga and his wife Rosa only had a small customer base.

Since then, the animal pieces have actually grown more primitive, as tourists appear to like simplistic designs over those that are more realistic. When carvers began to include mouths and add nail heads for eyes, the pieces were rejected by buyers in favor of more minimalist forms.

Because the ironwood tree is becoming more and more rare, the price of Seri carvings has increased fourfold. In May of 1994, Mexico declared it a protected species, making it much harder to find and carve specimens. However, the Seri continue to carve for their livelihood.

Today, it is hard to find a Seri carving in Tucson, as most shops only cary reproductions or less expensive carvings from different tribes. Rusticos Mexicanos on Fourth Avenue have many ironwood carvings from Mexican states like Chihuahuha, but don't carry Seri carvings, said Marcela Ramos whose husband owns the store. Seri carvings are typically about ten times as expensive as others, just because they are so rare. Some carvers will even put stickers saying "Handmade by Seri" on their works to increase the price for unknowing tourists.

Mexican Folk Art, in downtown's El Presidio district, carries many ironwood pieces, but none made by the Seri. "It's mass produced ironwood," said employee James C. (who preferred to go only by his first name), referring to the myriad of ironwood animals the store carries. "If you look at them, they're exactly the same."

Those carvings typically go for about $10, while an authentic Seri of the same size might be about $60, said Yolanda Jacques of Good Natured Futons and Products.