Objects of Power - Zuni Indian Carvings and Zuni Fetishes

The Zuni people live one hundred and fifty miles west of the Rio Grande Valley bordering Arizona and New Mexico. Their society evolved from the prehistoric cultures of the Anasazi and Mogollon with identified sites dating back to 200 BC (Kintigh 1985).

            Today Zunis live in their village located forty miles south of Gallup NM. Most all Zuni people speak their own language. In addition they have their own Zuni school system, Zuni courts and tribal government. With a population close to 10,000 tribal members the Zuni Indians also enjoy a close knit society.
Following the ways of their ancestors, the Zuni people practice rituals to bring medicine, peace, fertility, rain and good crops. The carved animal fetish plays a traditional role in many Zuni rituals. In addition to ceremony, the modern Zuni now carves for collectors.

Zuni Fetish Carvings from Stone and Other Materials

            It is estimated that today 50% of the Zuni family income derives from arts and crafts (Roger Thomas, personal communication 1990). The arts, including jewelry, painters and carvers, offer the opportunity for families to remain at their ancestral home and support themselves economically. Historically Zuni families specialize in designs and styles of carving. Value might be determined by the cost of the stone used as well as size and detail and, of course, craftsmanship. Today many Zuni carvers are well known and their work is priced accordingly.

Zuni Fetishes and Zuni Indian Carvings Defined

Many collectors purchase Zuni carvings for non traditional use. Alice Horner, a Zuni artist, said that she did not make fetishes. She made carvings that could be taken to the appropriate priest and made into fetishes. Thus it is how the stone is used that makes the difference between a carving and a fetish. The Fetish Carvers of Zuni by Marion Rodee and Jame Ostler, 1990.
Today, as in the past, cultures worldwide use elements of nature to create personal power pieces. As defined in The Fetish Carvers of Zuni, “a fetish is an object, natural or man made, in which a spirit is thought to reside…”  It is believed that when used with ceremony and focused intention these objects impart the powers of protection, assistance with a hunt, or just good luck on the fetish’s owner.
            The Trinidad Trading Company is proud to offer authentic Zuni carvings. The beauty of each piece is a reflection of the carver and his or her honoring of the animal represented.

Objects of Power - American Indian Zuni Carvings - Empowering Fetishes for Zuni Rituals

Article Sources:
Spirit in the Stone: A Handbook of Southwest Indian Animal Carvings and Beliefs by Mark Bahti
The Fetish Carvers of Zuni by Marian Rodee and James Ostler.