Zunis believe that animals, as well as inanimate objects and the forces of nature, have a spirit force, which can either help or hurt man. It is believed that the carved animal fetishes host that spiritual force and, if treated properly, will help their owners to overcome the problems facing them. At the most fundamental level, a fetish is "an object, natural or manmade, in which a Spirit is thought to reside, and which can be used to affect either good or evil." All American Indian tribes of the Southwest make use of charms, talismans, and amulets, but the Zuni Indians of New Mexico are especially renowned for their animal carvings. When the owner holds the belief that a "spirit" resides in the carved object, it becomes a fetish. The earliest fetishes were found objects rather than crafted figures. Stones in the shapes of animals were believed to be actual petrifaction's of animals that had once lived and to contain the spirits of the animals they physically resembled. These fetishes put one in touch with the innate wisdom and characteristic qualities derived from the Zunis' knowledge of the natural world plus their mythology of the animals they depicted. Early missionaries in the Southwest mistakenly believed that the Zunis worshipped these little figures as idols, but this was not the case. The idol worshipper believes the object itself to be a deity, while the fetishist looks upon the object as a representation of a spirit or force that is evoked through the figure. The Zunis use the fetish as a messenger to assist them in their communications with the spirits and deities. At its most rudimentary level, consultation with a fetish might be compared to the act of prayer, meditation, or contemplation-and it is an activity which is accessible to all persons, regardless of cultural origins. Just as our knowledge of any form or force, and our empathy with it, can be evoked through our words, so the same can be evoked-in a perhaps more complete form-through the fetish. Holding fetishes in our hands or placing them before us as we pray or meditate, we bring ourselves more and more in line with their spirits. And it is through this alignment with Spirit that we experience the fetish's greatest power. Anthropologist Tom Bahti states that the fetish was intended to "assist man, that most vulnerable of all living creatures, in meeting the problems that face him during his life. Each fetish contains a living power which, if treated properly and with veneration, will give its help to its owner. According to Zuni cosmology, everything in the universe-from natural forces, such as lightning, wind, or great droughts, to physical entities, such as rocks, animals, rivers, and human beings-has its own spirit. Each of these spirits has the power to observe, think, and respond to humankind. An inanimate object, such as a rock or a clump of dirt, is believed to possess a spirit similar to that of a hibernating bear or a seed that has not yet been planted. The power is simply dormant, for the moment. Moreover, all forces and life forms have their origin in, and are constantly part of, a larger force-comparable to the Tao- for which there is no name. Zuni religion teaches that we are all part of an endless sea of Spirit in which appear an infinite number of physical forms. The fetish provides its owner with an icon or reference point for navigating in a spiritual world where there are few objective boundaries. In this respect, our conversations with the fetish¹s spirit remind us of our relationship with the organizing force of the universe, thus connecting us with a power that is infinitely greater than our own egos. For the traditional Zuni, the fetish is just one aspect of a complex religion whose central goal is to achieve a balance with nature. Throughout the Zuni religion, there is great reverence for the unseen world-the mysterious forces created by A'wonawil'ona which continue to impact on all life. Zuni religious beliefs foster a constant awareness of how dependent we humans are on the natural order and on external spiritual forces which are mysterious to us. While the Zuni emphasize our dependence on these external forces, they also believe that we can bring ourselves into a harmonious and nurturing relationship with the deifies that control the forces. The fetish is a spiritual tool that can be used to establish and maintain this relationship. According to the Zuni way, all human ills are the result of being out of balance with the natural forces, usually due to failure to observe nature's laws because of either ignorance or selfishness. There are many instructive stories in the Zuni culture that tell of men and women who acted vainly, attempting to assume power as if they were separate from or superior to A'wonawil'ona. Those who did so were always punished in some way, their punishments ranging from lack of luck in the hunt to great droughts which caused many deaths among their people. When people began crafting fetishes from stone, wood, and other materials, it was believed that these had less power than the found objects whose resemblance to animals had been created by the forces of nature. However, there were then, as now, fetish makers with special wisdom about the spiritual and healing attributes of the animals and natural forces. A fetish crafted by such a person may be imbued with great powers. The body of the fetish may be shaped from bone, shell, clay, stone, or other material. Various adornments may be attached to the fetish, some to strengthen the spirit within and some as votive offerings, given in appreciation for the fetish's service to its owner. Most shell or turquoise beads tied to modern fetishes would be classified as votive offerings, while arrowheads, feathers, or bones are usually attached to strengthen the fetish's powers. Occasionally, the fetish may be decorated with etched and/or painted lines. These might depict the feathers or pinions of a bird, or they might echo traditional designs used in ceremonial dress, masks, or other sacred objects. One of the most commonly seen decorations of this kind is the "heartline arrow," a single line that runs from the tip of the fetish's nose or mouth directly back, on each side, to the area of the heart. At the heart, there is found the pattern of an arrowhead. In addition to representing the breath or life force of the animal spirit, the heartline evokes the qualities of the snake and lightning. A fetish decorated in this way is considered very powerful. Most fetishes are kept and used in sets, usually consisting of between three and seven figures with a clay fetish jar to house them. Fetish jars measure up to approximately fourteen inches in height and sixteen inches in diameter. The bottoms of the jars are lined with down and, in some cases, sprinkled with powdered turquoise or shell, in order to make the fetishes comfortable. Most jars have a hole in the side, between one and four inches in diameter. The mouths of the jars are covered, usually with hide from deer that have been killed ritually. The fetishes are placed facing outward within their jars. The outer surfaces of fetish jars are typically quite plain, except that turquoise dust and fragments may have been pressed into the clay before firing. Some jars are decorated with feathers, etched symbols representing natural forces, or even other fetishes which presumably guard the jar's mouth or feeding hole. The jars are washed frequently, usually as part of a ceremony prescribed for the use of the fetishes that reside there. Each fetish set has a particular purpose, ranging from healing the sick to initiating young people into a clan or religious order. Each year, usually around the winter solstice, the Zunis observe We-ma-a-wa u-pu-k'ia, or "The Day of the Council of Fetishes." On this day, all the fetishes belonging to the tribe and its individual members are brought to an altar in the Zuni council chamber. Animals are arranged according to their type and color on slats placed on the floor. Bird fetishes are suspended in the air, usually by cotton strings. The ceremonials last throughout most of the night, with each member approaching the altar, addressing the assembly of fetishes with long prayers, and then scattering prayer meal over the altar. Songs and chants are sung, with participants imitating the movements and cries of the animals represented. The Day of the Council of Fetishes ends with a great feast. Tiny portions of each food are ritually fed to the fetishes, after which the scraps of food are buried. As in all rituals surrounding the fetishes, the ceremonies, songs, dances, and offerings are ultimately addressed to A'wonawil'ona, whose spirit or life force permeates the land, the sky, the fetishes, the animals they represent, all the natural forces, and humanity itself{ linking all of us as One. Zuni fetishes offer us a highly intuitive and spiritual way of getting in touch with guiding principles that can serve us in modem life, whether we are faced with challenges in our jobs, our relationships, or our spiritual paths. A fetish evokes both conscious and unconscious knowledge associated with the animal it represents. Thus, the fetishes provide us a way of going inside to discover our own natural resources-resources of the spirit that we each bring into this life at birth. Zuni fetishes are often suspended from heishi necklaces, a uniquely Native American jewelry tradition. Animal and bird carvings with holes drilled in them, suggesting they were meant to be used as beads or worn as pendants, have been recovered from pre-Columbian archeological sites. Long prized as powerful religious icons, first by other Indian tribes, and now by non-Indians, Zuni fetishes have become one of the most popular items in Native American cultural art today. The number of artisans carving fetishes in Zuni, New Mexico has swelled from only 15-20 in the early 1980s to over 200 today. Each artisan generally makes a limited number of fetishes, both in style and in total output, usually focusing on a single animal or a small group of related animals. The craft is sometimes practiced by a whole family, and some family names are well recognized and respected for the consistent quality and artistry of their work. Although each animal has a different power, Zuni carvers maintain that their carvings are not endowed with the power of the animal, unless blessed by a medicine man for a specific purpose. This blessing endows the fetish with powers governing fecundity, success in hunting, diagnosis and healing of disease, luck in gambling, or luck in general. The belief is, that if you own that animal, and you treat it with respect, the animal will share its power with you. The power held by the animal is derived from a spirit dwelling within the fetish. Double fetishes are sometimes kept by couples to strengthen the bond between them. A double fetish is created by carving two animals from the same piece of stone. Fetishes representing animals that develop a strong bond between male and female, such as the wolf or swan, are particularly appropriate for this purpose. Traditionally, fetishes were highly private objects, rarely shown to outsiders. The proper care of a fetish included keeping it in a special fetish bowl designed for that purpose and making offerings of cornmeal, and sometimes bits of turquoise and coral, to nourish its spirit. Fastened to the backs of some tabletop fetishes, are medicine bundles, small beads and arrows tied together with leather - a collection of amulets to ensure good fortune. The smallest of carvings are most treasured by the Zuni, because of the skill and patience required to carve them. The electric drill used by modern artists allows them to render realistic figures in a variety of materials. Elements used for carving vary, including; abalone, alabaster, amber, coral, dolomite, fluorite, spiny oyster, ironwood, jet, lapis, malachite, mother-of-pearl, Picasso marble, pipestone, sandstone, serpentine, fossilized ivory, travertine and turquoise. Some of the more popular animals and their powers: * Bear = Health and Strength Carvings of birds, coyotes, foxes, horses, parrots, pigs, sheep, squirrels and turtles are popular as well.
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