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The Seri, or Comcaac of the Sonoran coast and islands of the Gulf of California are one of the last indigenous cultures in North America able to withstand total integration into local European derived cultures. This tribe is unique in its coastal location and marine resource based economy. Along with the more obvious aspect of daily fishing activities, the Seri have a strong tradition of sea turtle utilization. Until recent times, the Seri culture relied on their annual sea turtle harvest for not only the food and non-food uses, but also for the symbolic foundation of their marine resource based culture. Through legends, songs, and a variety of Seri activities cultural strength has linked together many generations. However, presently we are at a time when information may begin to fade.

In recent years, local and regional sea turtle population declines have resulted in laws preventing their harvest. Consequently, Seri have been forced to restructure their marine resource utilization. Abandoning their strong tradition of turtle hunting, the Seri now focus more on fishing in their area, supplemented with products from the adjacent Mexican culture. Seri youth no longer learn the ritualistic tradition of sea turtle harvesting and only the Seri elders can tell of their experiences with sea turtles. When these elders pass on, stories become second hand and we can assume much information will be lost.

From 20th-24th May, 1999, a workshop was held at El Desemboque, Sonora, Mexico, designed to educate the Seri youth about traditional sea turtle knowledge and current scientific information on sea turtles of the Gulf of California. The course was co-taught by Seri elders and western biologists.

Designed to be interactive, this workshop incorporated both classroom lectures and field trips to the traditional sea turtle hunting grounds on the nearby Infiernillo Channel. Seri were encouraged to ask questions and learn about the life history of sea turtles both in and outside of their traditional hunting waters.

Sea turtle biologists from the Amazon Conservation Team, Hubb's Marine Institute, and the University of Arizona shared knowledge on the life history, migration, and habitat use of the two species most important in Seri tradition: the leatherback sea turtle and the green sea turtle. As the workshop progressed, Seri, both young and old, learned about the impacts on sea turtles outside their traditional waters.

This course was set apart from other workshops as it took the form of a conservation biology training course that valued indigenous knowledge alongside western scientific knowledge. Conservation biology was treated not merely as esoteric concern of the elite, but a topic of vital interest for local stewardship, worthy of hands-on practice.

At the end of the session, the trainees took an exam so the course may count towards a government certified para-ecologist qualification. Participants overall shared the feeling that the formation of such partnerships; between western science and traditional knowledge, between government agencies and local communities and between conservationists and those who depend on the resources offers an exciting way forward for conservation.