A fetish is a Native American carving believed to have power. Many Native American tribes create and use fetishes, the most renowned fetish carvers are the Zuni, who call themselves Asiwi (Ah-she-wee).

The Zuni have used fetishes for many purposes: to enable hunters to catch game, to make game more plentiful, and also for curing ceremonies. Fetishes may protect individuals as well as the community. The Zuni believe that animals are more like the deities and have more power than man. They also believe that both practical and spiritual power reside in their fetishes.

There are two major groupings of fetishes (and some overlap between then):

1. Protective or healing animals include:
   • the mountain lion
   • the bear
   • the badger
   • the wolf
   • the eagle
   • the mole
2. The hunting and prey animals include:
   • the mountain lion
   • the coyote
   • the bobcat
   • the wolf
   • the eagle
   • the mole

-------The above information is from A Guide to Zuni Fetishes & Carvings, Volume I: The Animals & Carvers by Kent McManis, Treasure Chest Books, Tucson, Arizona, 1995, 1998.

-------See also A Guide to Zuni Fetishes & Carvings, Volume II: The Materials & Carvers by Kent McManis, Treasure Chest Books, Tucson, Arizona, 1995, 1998.