Beloved Bushytail

Marvelita Phillips carved this Gratitude Bear from catlinite and inlaid big blue turquoise eyes.  The offering bundle includes crushed turquoise, an abalone arrowhead, and white clam shell heishi.  So much turquoise! 

In traditional Zuni fetish pots (handmade pots made specifically for fetishes which sometimes have fetishes tied on the outside) there is crushed turquoise inside that the fetishes rest on.  These are usually fetish carvings that are used spiritually.

Size: 1" H x 1.75" L x .5" W

Wolves, coyotes and foxes all look the same in the distance.  In Zuni there is a word that translates into "bushytail" in English.  You get to determine what this carving looks like to you!

WOLF  Wolves are intelligent, resourceful creatures that live in their own communities called packs.  They are the guardians of the East which is associated with new beginnings.  They have excellent communication skills and are protective of one another.  The leaders of their community are called “alpha” and are usually males and females, although there are known to be alphas that are only females (yay to the matriarchy!).  The alphas are the only wolves in the pack who breed, and they also eat first.  They are the strongest and most intelligent wolves of the group.

FOX   Wolves, coyotes and foxes all look the same in the distance.  In Zuni there is a word that translates into "bushytail" in English.  This bushytail is a fox.  Foxes are playful, clever, quick, and protective of their young.  They also mate for life, and are indigenous to every continent except Antarctica.

COYOTES Coyotes figure prominently in Native American history.  In some tribes, they are powerful creation beings who teach us by doing things that turn out wrong, or even disastrous.  Oftentimes, they have a humorous quality.  In their natural environment they live in packs, hunt together, and protect one another.  Once one hears them yipping at night it is never forgotten.

Traditionally, Zuni carvings are symbolically fed cornmeal.   Each Zuni fetish comes in a box with a descriptive card and a tiny bit of corn meal to tide them over until they reach you.