McoEE] RESPONPIVITY OF MIND 269* 



relation may be considered to begin in the animal realm with organisms 

 adapted to environment through physiologic processes, and to end in 

 that realm of enlightened humanity in which mind molds environment 

 through complete nature-conquest. lu the serial scale so defined the 

 various primitive tribes and more advanced peoples may be arranged 

 in the order of mental power or culture-status ; when the same arrange- 

 ment will express in inverse order the relative closeness with which 

 the several tribal minds reflect their environments. It follows that the 

 lowly minds and craft of the Seri reflect their distinctive environment 

 with exceeding, i)erhaps unparalleled, closeness, because of their very 

 lowliness; it follows, too, tiiat any other equally lowly folk imported 

 into the region and perfectly wonted to it by generations of experience 

 would equally reflect the physical features of the region in their craft and 

 in their thinking; it follows, also, that if the Seri were transported into 

 any other district of e(iually distinctive physical features, they would 

 gradually adapt themselves to the new environment — though with some 

 added intelligence, and hence with diminished closeness, as is the way 

 of demotic development — in such manner that their craft and thinking 

 would reflect its features. In a more general way it follows that those 

 similarities in culture, or activital coincidences, which have impressed 

 the ethnologic students of the world (notably Powell and Brinton), 

 are normal and inevitable in primitive culture and of diminishing 

 I)rominenee with cultural advancement. 



Social Organization 



Among the Seri, as among many other aboriginal tribes, the social 

 relations are largely esoteric; moreover, in this, as in other savage 

 groups, the social laws are not codified, nor even definitely formulated, 

 but exist mainly as mere habits of action arising in instinct and sanc- 

 tioned by usage; so that the tribesmen could not define the law even if 

 they would. Accordingly the Seri socialry ' is to be ascertained only 

 by patient observation of conduct under varying circumstances. Unfor- 

 tunately, the opportunities for such observation have been too meager 

 to warrant extended description, or anything more, indeed, than brief 

 notice of salient jjoints. 



CLANS AND TOTEMS 



The most noticeable social fact revealed about the Seri rancherias is 

 the prominence of the females, especially the elderwomen, in the man- 

 agement of everyday affairs. The matrons erect the jacales without 

 help from men or boys; they carry the meager belongings of the family 

 and dispose them about the habitation in conformity with geueral cus 

 torn and immediate convenience; and after the household is prepared, 

 the men approach and range themselves about, apparently in a definite 



' A convenient tenu proposed by Fatten. 



