Sheryl Mahooty discusses her Zuni turtle fetish carvings

One of our favorite places to stay is on the Zuni Pueblo. It's the Inn at Halona, about which we will write more later.

During this stay, in 2010, we met Sheryl Mahooty. Sheryl carves Zuni fetishes, preferring to carve turtles, although she carves other creatures too, as the humorous bit in this video interview shows.

As with many Native American artists, Sheryl augments her carving income by working at a second job. In her case, it is as a cook in the kitchen at the Inn at Halona. She helps to prepare the delicious breakfasts that the Inn serves to overnight guests. At the end of this video, she refers to the "B&B". Halona is the place she is talking about.




We were particularly fascinated by Sheryl's story because of her interpretation of turtle nesting and nurturing. As sometime residents of Sanibel iIsland, we are very aware of turtle nesting on the island beaches. So, we offer Sheryl's story (and her carvings) to all nature lovers and turtle fans. Enjoy.