Indian Fetishes

Above, the "fetishes" sign at the upper left at the Jewels & Java store. 

A few people's eyes bugged out over a photograph of the exterior of the Jewels & Java Native American arts & crafts store in Gallup, New Mexico of my blog post yesterday.

What caught their eyes was the sign that said, "Fetishes". I was questioned about it and I had no idea what that was about as I saw nothing weird at the store. In fact, I have seen several Native American stores in New Mexico with "Fetish" signs.

Thanks to one of my Facebook friends, I now know what they are.

For those of you who also took note of the sign, here's something that should put your minds at ease.

This is from The Collector's Guide website:

Indian fetishes are hand-carved objects, which represent the spirits of animals or the forces of nature. From the earliest times in North America, the Indians have used fetishes in an effort to master the arbitrary and unpredictable forces beyond their control. The earliest fetishes are called Ahlashiwe or stone ancients by the Zunis. They were naturally formed stones that seemed to resemble people or animals, sometimes made more realistic with the features accentuated by a carver.

So, don't freak out if you come across an Indian shop that has the word fetish on it.

To read more, go here.