Bear and Bear Paw in Southwest Jewelry: Field Guide to a Multi-Tradition Symbol

The bear and bear paw appear in Southwestern jewelry across Navajo, Zuni, and Pueblo traditions in distinct forms: the bear as a Zuni fetish animal associated with strength; the bear as a Pueblo clan totem documented in historic accounts; and the bear paw as a stampwork motif appearing on silver jewelry. Bedinger's primary account documents bear-paw amulets as items traded in the region's historic jewelry economy.

Field Notes by Mateo James

Dubin's North American Indian Jewelry survey (~lines 27715–27744) provides the fullest primary account of the bear as a Zuni fetish: "Powerful Southwestern spirits dwell in rocks that naturally resemble an animal or human and are believed to be petrifications of these forms, with the soul or breath of the spirit inside. Made into fetishes, they act as mediators between people and supernatural beings, and they empower the owner with the strength of the animal represented." Joe Tanner, a documented dealer, is quoted in the same section quoting David Tsikewa: "these fetishes were alive at one juncture of time... If you want the fishing ability of a bear, the hunting savvy of a coyote, you get that when you own the fetish, feed it and treat it properly."

This documentation comes from a book-length study of the commercial fetish-carving trade — a tradition that Zuni artists developed for sale to collectors. The six directional guardian animals, which include the bear (associated with the West), are part of the public-facing documentation of this tradition as Zuni artists have described it for collector audiences.

Bedinger (~lines 3023, 3178, 3333) documents "arrowhead, and bear-paw amulets" as items within the historic silver jewelry economy — placing the bear paw not just as a design motif but as a specific amulet form traded in the late-nineteenth-century period.

Bedinger also records (~line 9931) "clan totem — bird, pipe, butterfly, bear, tobacco" in the context of Pueblo clan associations — establishing the bear as a documented clan animal in the Pueblo record, distinct from its Zuni fetish context.

Collector's Handbook

What to look for: Bear forms in Southwest jewelry appear as Zuni fetish carvings (stone, turquoise, jet), bear-paw stampwork on silver, and clan-design references in overlay. Each form carries different tradition context.

Zuni fetish carvings: Commercial fetish carvings were and are produced for sale to collectors. Primary sources document Zuni artists describing the tradition openly for a general audience. These are legitimate art objects; they are also a publicly documented commercial tradition.

Bear-paw stampwork: The bear paw as a silver stamp motif appears in the historic trade and in contemporary silver. It is decorative as well as symbolic depending on the maker and context.

Cultural note: The six directional guardians are documented in Zuni tradition as meaningful; we present that documentation here as the artists and their community have shared it publicly through books intended for collector audiences.

References

Dubin, Lois Sherr. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment (1999), ~lines 27715–27744. [Primary source — Zuni fetishes section, bear power, David Tsikewa quote.]
Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers (1973), ~lines 3023, 3178, 3333 (bear-paw amulets); ~line 9931 (bear as Pueblo clan totem).