Zuni Festivals and Fetishes - You're invited

Zuni is one of our favorite pueblos. The setting is serene and the people cheerfully share their culture with respectful visitors.

In recent years, Zuni Pueblo has hosted an event called Zuni Main Street Fest.

It is a splendid reason to visit the pueblo. While out-of-the-way, Zuni Pueblo is not hard to find and is easy to enter.

In addition to attractions like the dances, a major attraction is the number of shops and stores that show and sell Zuni fetish carvings. There must be thousands of people collect these carvings that represent some of Zuni finest art.

Of course, if you can't make the trip to Zuni for some reason, you can shop for authentic Zuni fetishes online. One of the most experienced and reliable dealers in Zuni fetishes is ZuniLink.com. The site has hundreds of Zuni fetish carvings and video interviews with the an assortment of carvers such as Brian Yatsattie, Dee Edaakie, Robert Michael Weahkie, Burt Awelagte and more.

Visit ZuniLink to learn more about Zuni fetishes and their carvers. As they say in Zuni, "Elahkwa"

Give Your Zuni Fetish Carvings a Place to Feed & Shelter

As traditional as Zuni fetish carvings are, there is a companion tradition that every Zuni fetish collector should engage with: The Zuni Fetish Bowl. 

Usually coated with turquoise or other crushed stone, it contains ground turquoise and corn meal to provide nourishment for the hard-working protective fetishes of Zuni belief.

A small hole in the side wall allows access for the fetishes to enter and exit the fetish bowl. Often other fetish carvings were attached to the circumference wall.

ZuniLink.com now has a new fetish bowl created by Robert Michael Weahkie, scion of the famous Weahkie clan of carvers, which includes Lena Boone, Dinah Gasper, Evalena Boone, Leland Boone, Debra Gasper and Peter Gasper Jr.

Since the price of turquoise has escalated so much, the 5" x 6" size of this Zuni fetish bowl dictated a coating of ground sodalite, similar in color to turquoise, although more intensely blue. (Believers in the powers of gemstone minerals attribute strong healing powers to sodalite.)

Inside the bowl is a mole carved from antler by Robert Michael Weahkie. The mole is considered a protector of threats from the netherworld. Atop the opening of the bowl, suspended by crossed strands of sinew, rests an eagle carved from antler, protector for the heavens. Surrounding the bowl are four more fetish directional protectors, each also carved from antler: mountain lion, bear, badger and wolf.

Robert Michael Weahkie favors antler for his carvings, which also  include altar figures of varying sizes. All of his artistry and other Zuni artists can be seen at http://www.ZuniLink.com.

Zuni and the art of Zuni fetish carving

A few miles south of Gallup, New Mexico and near the Arizona state line lies a Native American pueblo with a colorful history of survival. From Conquistador assaults, Christian proselytizing, seasonal extremes in temperature and moisture, Anglo expansion and commercial exploitation, the Zuni people have persisted.

No one knows for sure, but some speculate that the Zuni Pueblo's persistence is partially a result of the a'shiwi  dedication to a culture that is highly creative. Among the artistic traditions of the people is that of "fetish" carving. It began in Zuni prehistory, from a Zuni belief that when the Zuni people emerged onto the surface of the earth, the Sun Father ordered his twin sons to protect them from wild and aggressive animals, for which the people were not well prepared cope with. The twin sons hurled down bolts of lightening to strike the the animals and freeze their spirits in stone. The stone animals were commanded to use their powers and cunning to serve the Zuni people.

With this story as part of their culture, a Zuni would find a stone object that resembled a bear or a mountain lion, or some other predator, he assumed the stone contained the protective spirit that the belief described. Those stones would be gathered up to provide protection for the bearer. Eventually, they would be slightly reshaped to appear even closer to the creature. The stones would be kept for protection and to assist the hunter in his hunt.

The acquisition of a new "fetish" was accompanied by a prayer for help in the hunt and thanks for the result that would go to feed their families. In theory, a Zuni carving doesn't not become a "fetish" until is blessed by a tribal priest. But Zuni carvings have become so skilled and the results so attractive that people began to collect the carvings. The use of the term "fetish" stuck among the collectors.

As the tradition evolved, the creatures became more intricate and finished in their appearance. The six-direction coterie of bear, mountain lion, badger, wolf, eagle and mole, protectors of the west, the north, the south, the east, the sky and the netherworld respectively, were expanded to any number of creatures the carver could imagine and reproduce. Similarly, while the original materials were the found stones, the repertory has expanded to include turquoise, coral, shell, jet, and Zuni rock, a travertine found at Zuni, and materials as exotic as lapis lazuli, amber, opal, pipestone, tagua nut, labradorite and more.

The combination of more versatile materials, more different creatures and more detail have spurred growing popularity among people who love to collect. When you catch the bug, you will find ample opportunities to find what you are looking for. Many carvers sell from their home studios in Zuni.  Some of the more noteworthy carvers are Lena Boone and her family, Evalena boone, Leland Boone and  Robert MIchael Weahkee. Lena's sister is Dinah Gasper, both are descended from Edna Leki. Other very collectible carvers include Dee  Edaakie, Burt Awelagte, The Quandelacys - Sandra, Stewart, Stuart, Avery, Kateri, Vicki, Andres, Georgia, Talia and Faye. Todd Westika, Fitz Kiyite, Gibbs Othole and Lynn and Jane Quam are more. The list goes on (apologies to any that my faulty memory has left out.)

If you can't make the trip to Zuni, however, there are dozens of dealers in local galleries throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and other Western states, plus in major cities across the country. Even more convenient, there are numerous sellers online, some on eBay and other on their own websites. Just search for "Zuni fetish carvings".

As with anything popular, the carving tradition has expanded to include Native Americans from other tribes and pueblos. Salvador Romero is an accomplished carver from Cochiti, as is his brother, Wilson Romero. Navajo carvers include Sammy Smith and Ben Livingston. 

Melvin Sandoval, a San Felipe member, who is married to a Zuni woman, has developed a very distinctive, abstract style that has attracted a strong following among collectors. 

One of our favorites is Delbert Charging Crow, a Lakota Sioux, whose carving is very spiritual.

As you venture into the field, be sure to select Zuni fetish dealers with good records, positive reviews, a history of successful customer satisfaction and the willingness to stand behind their provenance for each piece.  In addition, if you are buying based on online photographs, be sure your seller will accept a return if you are unhappy with your purchase when you see and hold it.

Welcome to the world of Zuni fetishes and fetish carving.  Make yourself comfortable. Elahkwa

Meet Dee Edaakie, Zuni Pueblo fetish carver.

Today, we met with Dee Edaakie, one of our favorite Zuni carvers. We enjoy Dee both because of his superb and inventive carving and because he is a genuinely nice person. He came to our Santa Fe casita, accompanied by his young daughter. We purchased four carvings from him, and induced him to tell you about them in this video.



We hope that getting to know the carvers we work with and who we support will give you an even better sense of what Zuni fetish carvings are about. You will see more of Dee Edaakie's work and that of other carvers at ZuniLink, our web site featuring these outstanding works and the artists that create them.

Six directions carvings by Brian Yatsattie, Zuni Pueblo, tribal art carver

Images of six directions sets by Brian Yatsattie are posted below.

While in Santa Fe earlier this summer, we encountered the work of Zuni Pueblo Carver, Brian Yatsattie. We had not carried his work before. We were struck by the appeal of his six directions sets carved from antler.

Then, as we walked through the Santo Domingo Pueblo Market, we turned the corner to find him sitting in his booth with his young child on lap.

We were able to convince him to wholesale some of his work to us. After returning to Florida, we received a phone call that he was ready to send us some of his six directions Zuni fetish sets. Three of them later arrived in the mail. We purchased two of them, the third being very similar.

One of the the sets portrayed the six protectors with robes and feathers carved into the bases. The other set had the creatures wrapped in blanket-style robe carving.As background, six directions sets are carved by a few Zuni Pueblo carvers.

They include the eagle, protector of the sky; the bear, protector of the West; the mole, protector of the underworld; the badger, protector of the South; the mountain lion, protector of the North; and the wolf, protector of the East.

In Zuni belief, these animals represent the spiritual strength and power of the ancients. To have them on your side, is to protect yourself from harmful influences.

The eagle brings spirit, vision, truth, and connection withthe Great Spirit.

The mountain lion stands for leadership, traveler protection and success at the hunt.

The bear represents strength of soul, inner power, introspection and healing.

The badger is known for aggressiveness and perseverance.

The wolf is considered the teacher, the pathfinder, the source of clarity and survival.

The mole protects the crops.

Recently, at our request for a taller set, Brian Yatsattie sent us another set of six directional animals. Whereas the first two sets stood about 3 1/2" tall, the new set's creatures are 7" tall.Now, if you are interested in these sets, and in looking more closely at the individual pieces in each set, make a visit to our ZuniLink web site and click on the link to six directions carvings

Who is Emery Eriacho?

Emery Eriacho is one of the most productive fetish carvers at Zuni.

But he didn’t grow up there. His childhood home was in Southern California.

As a teenager, Emery came across some Zuni bear carvings in a nearby shop. He was so taken by them that he decided to move back to Zuni and become a carver.

His success in that endeavor is apparent in the beauty and abundance of his work.

Emery’s early mentors were Andres Quam and Daisy Natewa. Traces of that past can still be seen in his work.

But he certainly has established his own style and following.

We have many of Emery’s carvings in stock and many customers who collect his work, especially his bears.

A hallmark of his work is his ability to find the finest quality stones, be they turquoise, malachite, serpentine, Picasso marble, pipestone (Catlinite) or others.

This is accentuated by a deft handling of the stone to find the most moving presentation of the stone’s grain or matrix.

The bear is widely regarded as a creature of healing. With his special gift, Emery is able to transmit that spirit to any owner who seeks and believes in it.

Occasionally, Emery is assisted by his wife, Glenetta, who polishes and secures the offering bundles, and his brother Jeff., who helps with polishing. More and more, however, Jeff Eriacho is doing his own carvings. He is following the tradition of creativity trail-blazed by Emery.

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Offered as an informative service by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and its related online galleries: ZuniLink, TribalWorks, Native-PotteryLink and Native-JewelryLink.

You are invited to visit all, but especially the three pages of Emery Eriacho carvings at ZuniLink.

Thank you.