Zuni fetishes are a part of the Zuni religion which is extremely complex.
Perhaps due to their remote location, the Zuni people have been able to retain a great deal of their culture and religion despite being among the most studied Native American people by anthropologists, past and present.
In their culture, Zuni fetish carvings represent the animal spirit thought to reside in the stone. Initially Zuni fetishes were likely found stones that had the rudimentary shape of an animal. It became a Zuni fetish when an arrowhead was placed on the stone with a prayer that the hunter's arrow would find its mark. The hunter would then express gratitude for the animal giving its life for the sustenance of the hunter and his family.
The Zunis believe in six sacred directions, Above, North, East, South, West and Below. Each of the directions is associated with a color:
| Above |
Multicolored |
| North |
Yellow |
| East |
White |
| South |
Red |
| West |
Blue |
| Below |
Black |
And each of those directions has a Zuni fetish animal associated with it. In a healing and protective directional Zuni fetish set the animals are as follows:
| Above |
Multi-colored |
Eagle |
| North |
Yellow |
Mountain Lion |
| East |
White |
Wolf |
| South |
Red |
Badger |
| West |
Blue |
Bear |
| Below |
Black |
Mole |
A Zuni fetish hunting directional set would only be slightly different with the bobcat replacing the badger as the southern animal and the coyote replacing the bear of the west:
| Above |
Multi-colored |
Eagle |
| North |
Yellow |
Mountain Lion |
| East |
White |
Wolf |
| South |
Red |
Bobcat |
| West |
Blue |
Coyote |
| Below |
Black |
Mole |
Additionally, there is a familial relationship between each of the animals in a Zuni fetish directional set. The Mountain lion is considered the elder brother of the bear who is the elder of the badger, considered elder to the wolf, who is elder to the eagle, who is elder to the mole.
Likewise, you may have a Zuni fetish directional set of only mountain lions (or bears, or wolves, etc.) Each animal must be of the appropriate color as follows:
| Above |
Multi-colored |
such as Picasso, Rainbow Calisilica, etc. |
| North |
Yellow |
such as Dolomite, Yellow Calcite, etc. |
| East |
White |
such as Marble, Alabaster, etc. |
| South |
Red |
such as Pipestone, Red Dolomite, etc. |
| West |
Blue |
such as Turquoise, Lapis, etc. |
| Below |
Black |
such as Jet or Black marble, etc. |
Other tribes use (and make) fetishes but it is the Zunis who are particularly known for their fetish carvings. A revival, of sorts, occurred in the late 1980's when an article appeared in the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The number of Zuni fetish carvers dramatically increased at that time and the introduction of power hand tools made the detail and realism of contemporary Zuni fetishes possible.
There are a number of books that discuss Zuni fetishes, their meanings and the families who carve them. We heartily recommend any of the books by Kent McManis as valuable references on Zuni fetish carvings.
And, in the Fall of 2008, Dave and I published our own Zuni fetish book, "ZUNI SPIRITS: A Portfolio of Fine Zuni Fetish Carvings." It's a 160 page portfolio of Dave's glorious images with an introduction by Zuni's Governor Norman Cooeyate. You can read more about our book at this link.
Collecting Zuni fetishes is a satisfying experience on so many levels. Not only are you able to enjoy the artistic value of a Zuni fetish, the beauty and exotic nature of many of the Zuni fetish carving materials is breathtaking. Zuni fetish carvings represent the connection many of us feel to both nature and the spirit world. And lastly, collecting Zuni fetishes supports the Zuni community by allowing these talented artisans to support their families and continue their rich cultural heritage and traditions begun by their ancestors.
