Heartline and Offering

Beyond Tradition

The Offering

The arrowhead or piece of turquoise, coral, or shell beads tied on the backs of fetishes have been referred to by a variety of terms. Some carvers call them "packs" suggesting they are being carried by the animals. Others call them "bundles", or "power packs". We prefer the term used by ethnologists Frank Hamilton Cushing and Matilda Coxe Stevenson, and call them "offerings".
Lena Boone, Turquoise Bear(PC)

Terry Leonard, Serpentine Bear(PC)
When fetishes were used almost exclusively for religious and ceremonial purposes, the carver often felt compelled to adorn the finished piece in a way that felt appropriate. Modern carvers have continued this practice and the variety of offerings seen on contemporary fetishes reflects carvers' ideas about enhancing the beauty (and perhaps power) of their creations.

The Heartline

Andres Quandelacy, Fossil Ivory Deer(PC)

One of the most often-asked questions about fetishes pertains to the heartline, the arrow-shaped pattern, usually inlaid, extending from the mouth to the center of the fetish. Though no one seems to have the definitive answer, its use dates back to pre-historic times.
When asked about it, the Zuni fetish carver may explain that "I just learned to do it that way from my father", or "My aunt draws a deer like that on her pottery." Non-Zunis often relate it to the breath of life or speaking from the heart.

Please check out the bibliography of Zuni literature.

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