It is a Zuni belief that all bears have great curative abilities, white bears provide especially powerful healing. Generally bear fetishes have little or no tails but quite a wide range of body shapes. Bears probably comprise the most commonly carved fetish subject because so many Native and non-Native Americans feel an affinity for them. Turtle carvings appeared in pre-historic times as jewelry. Turtles are associated with abundance and fertility and have a strong rain association in addition to serving as a link to the Zuni ancestors.
Turtles are some of the most frequently carved fetishes at Zuni.
Navajo are also fetish carvers but frequently purchase fetish carvings of domesticated animals from Zuni as protection for their herds from disease, injury and death or to help increase the numbers of their animals. Fetishes of game species such as rabbits help increase the numbers of animals so the Zuni will have plenty to eat. The function of the hunting or prey animal fetishes is to help catch these animals. The Blue-Eyed Bear has a vast collection of fetishes. Our collection is always growing so please check back frequently.