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Collecting Native American Art

Native American FETISHES

Native American Fetishes are carvings, typically from wood, stone, shell or antler, that represent certain animals, birds or figures.

Once a fetish is created, a person will carry that fetish with him or her with the desire of obtaining the spirit and dominant strength or characteristic of that animal.

The Zuni are perhaps the most recognized for their fetish carving skills although many tribes practiced this ritual. The Zuni first carved fetishes to take on hunting expeditions to ensure a good hunt.

For the Sioux, two fetishes were given to children at birth. One fetish was kept in plain sight; the other was hidden away with the stump of the child’s umbilical cord after it had fallen off.

This was done to keep bad spirits from the child. When the child reached the age of five, the fetish was returned to the child, as they were believed to be old enough to keep and treat it responsibly as part of their personal medicine.

The following fetishes were believed to empower one with the described traits:

• Armadillo – slow and steady animal, methodical and accurate
• Badger – able to reach set goals
• Bear – provides strength
• Beaver – promote family unity, progressive builder
• Buffalo – endurance
• Coyote – humor
• Eagle – connection to divine upward spirits
• Fox – protection, stealth
• Frog – used to call upon the spirits to bring rain
• Horned Toad – self reliance
• Horse – contains healing powers
• Mole - connection to divine earthly spirits
• Mountain Lion – leadership
• Owl – wisdom, patience
• Ram – keeper of the herds
• Raven – believed to contain healing powers, the beak of this fetish is scratched across the skull of a sick person.
• Snake – symbolizes life, death and rebirth
• Turtle – long life
• Wolf – teacher, guide for a journey

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