Bear Medicine

Depicted in this tapestry is a Zuni bear fetish carved in stone and used for ceremonial purposes. In Zuni mythology, the black bear is the guardian animal of the west, and is represented by the color blue. Each prey god is the "guardian and master" of their region, with the yellow mountain lion being the elder brother of all animals and the master and guardian of all regions. Each one of these regions contains an order of all the guardian animals, but the "guardian and master" of a particular region is the elder brother to all animals of that region. These guardians are considered as having protective and healing powers. The carved fetishes are held by the priests of the medicine orders as if "in captivity" and act as mediators between the priests and the animals they represent. Materials used by carvers are indigenous to the region or procured by trade. The most important of these materials was turquoise which the Zuni regard as the sacred stone. Jet, shell, and coral are also used. Other materials used are travertine or "Zuni rock", fishrock, jasper, pipestone, marble, or organic items such as fossilized ivory, bone, and deer or elk antler. But historically the most-used stone has been serpentine, a local soft stone found abundantly in the Zuni Mountains. In tradition, each animal has powers or qualities that aid the owner. The Zuni hunter, or "Prey brother," was required to have his fetishes and practice a ceremony when procuring a favorite or proper fetish to aid in a successful hunt. Facing in the direction appropriate to the chosen fetish it was sprinkled with medicine meal and a prayer was recited. The fetish was placed in a buckskin bag and carried by the hunter over his heart. The fetish represents "the roar of the animal" and is also fed on the blood of the slain prey. Any but the very most delicate fetishes were carried by the owner in a pouch or bag.