The Social Work of the Society of Friends in the Seri Community of Desemboque (1948–1957)

Abstract

The present study examines the role played by the Society of Friends (Quakers) in the development of rural education in the Comcáac (Seri) indigenous community of Desemboque, Sonora, during the 1950s. It highlights the different levels at which state institutions operated and the multiple actors involved in the negotiation of government policies and programs. I argue that the influence of the religious association known as the Society of Friends compelled regional government authorities and other sectors of Sonoran society to address the major issues and struggles affecting the Comcáac in the post–World War II era.