Spirit in the Stone

Book excerpt: Native American fetishes: charming animal carvings, indigenous art, or objects of power? Fetishes have different meanings to different Native peoples. Behind each carving are traditional stories and beliefs. In this new revised edition of Spirit in the Stone, well-known dealer and scholar of Native American art Mark Bahti explores the roles the carvings play, the artists who create them, the history of fetish carvings through the twentieth century, the stories about the animals and other objects, as well as the materials favored by carvers.