Imperial Valley press., 1936-11-29
By Ernest B. Ehrke

rIBURON ISLANDl
Wasn't that the home of the fierce Seri
Indians the only cannibals in North America?
Wasn't that where the savages file their teeth
to sharp points, the better to eat raw meat?
Had I not heard that the very name "Tiburon"
is Spanish for shark this wild island being
so named because of the great schools of man.
eating sharks that infest the surrounding
waters? Wasn't this the island where visiting
white men are greeted with a shower of poi
soned arrows?
These and many similar warnings were hurled
at by friends and relatives in San Pedro,
when they learned that John Radios had invited
to accompany his business partner, Captain
Louis Zermatten, on cruise by boat to this
island of mystery.
Yes indeed! Well-meaning acquaintances
planned to me that no white man had ever
landed on Tburon Island and lived to tell the
tale Even my dear wife painted vivid word
picture of the gruesome fate that would await
if I dared to go to this isle of terror
TIBURON ISLAND is located about 200 miles
southeast of the mouth of the Colorado
River in the Gulf of California and lies just
off the west coast of Mexico, almost in line
with the city of Hermosillo. 1t is nearly in the
same longitude as Phoenix Arizona, and nearly
in the same latitude Galveston Texas. The
island is separated from the mainland by
narrow, shallow waterway known as Gel Canal
del Infernillo" little He'll Strait.
For centuries Tiburon Island has been the
stronghold and jealously guarded home of the
warlike Seri Indians. Although they for some
time also occupied nearly 1900 square miles
Of the adjacent mainland, yet the real kingdom
of these wild tribesmen was the Isle of Tiburon.
Early history teaches us that Mexican fisher
men landing here silently murdered with
out warning or mercy falling prey to the poi
soned arrows of the Seris Similarly early Mis-
sion padres who brave enough to land
here and who planned to teach Christianity to
these Indians, were also dealt quick death by
poisoned arrows
Not content with maintaining grim control of
their island stronghold, the seris made repeated
journeys into the interior the mainland muir
dering men, women and children, and also kill
ing cows horses and stock as they went death
to All' was apparently their motto, history
records that they never took man or beast
alive or as prisoner, but rather paved their
warpath with slaughter
THIS business of massacre finally aroused
the Mexican government to action, and they
declared "open season" Seri Indians. Troops
of the regular Mexican army sent to
Tiburon on numerous expeditions to externinate
these lawless savages who would recognize no
government. But these military missions met
with only partial success, for even as a rattle
snake may crawl into hole, so did the Seris
silently retreat to the high mountains in the
rugged interior of the island, and there match
their poisoned arrows with the guns of the pur-
suing soldiers
More modern history records authentic in
stances where yachts have anchored off the
shores OF Tiburon, and landing parties, at first
seeing no sign of human beings, would wander
in from the shorene-only to be suddenly
showered with poisoned arrows. Warnings were
then issued to travellers, fishermen and yachts
men, urging them to shun this isle of death
The Indians dwelling there desired no visitors
defed strangers to intrude and were feared
by all.
Little wonder, then, that fantastic tales were
told of these people Various sources accused
them of being cannibals. Other stories were told
of a Temple of Skulls, where the Seris were
said to have hidden the skulls of murdered
white men, and where annually all Seri war
riors supposedly conducted a secret ceremony
in the full moon of midsummer At these rituals
the Indians were said to their oath of
vengeance, swearing death to all intruders. Still
another yarn explains that the modern Seris
are sworn to tribal suicide, to be accomplished
In one generation automatically, by stolidly
fusing to have any more children; Thus, it is
said the entire tribe would voluntarily cease