We're Raven About Our New Fetish Carvings!

Zuni Fetish Carver Derrick Kaamasee's large jet Raven.....

We have LOTS of new fetish carvings on our website "Indian Summer Native American Art"....including this fabulous detailed raven shown above! We hope you will visit us at www.indiansummer.com In addition to Zuni fetish carvings, we sell pueblo pottery, baskets, Kachinas, jewelry and traditional beadwork! Hope to hear from you!

Thank You to Our Customers and Friends!

Cute handmade card from Dianne in N.H.

Thank you Dianne in New Hampshire! Dianne recently ordered a fetish bear pendant from me on our website Indian Summer Native American Art. Dianne called her order in, rather than using the shopping cart, and mentioned to me that we had been recommended to her by a good friend named Sarah from N.H. who is a customer and friend of our's as well. Thanks for the recommendation Sarah...we appreciate our good customers that help spread the word about our quality merchandise, and our fast and friendly service! Dianne was so pleased with her pendant and the little "extras" we send along with our orders, that she made me this great southwestern style card and surprised me with it! I get nice cards, and emails routinely from our customers thanking us for our products and service, and we sometimes get photos of our customer's collections, and fun photos of themselves or their pets. Although I have not always thought to photograph the nice cards we get....nor post the emails on our site, we very much appreciate them! Anyone who takes the time out of their busy schedules nowadays to handwrite a card, let alone make it...and then send it snail mail, which means a stamp and a trip to the post office, deserves a big THANK YOU! So, in addition to Dianne in NH, I want to thank ALL of you great customers that keep in touch via cards, postcards, and emails! You are appreciated! As an old favorite of mine, Dean Martin used to say, in closing his variety show each week...."Keep those cards and letters comin' in!"....~LOL~

New Fetishes With Special Meanings Behind Them!

Danette Laate's elegant Malachite Butterfly represents "everlasting life"!

Who could resist Eddington Hannaweeke's Serpentine Frog....he can bring you abundant rains...and warn you of danger!

Cheryl Beyuka's triple Pipestone and Lepidolite Wolves on the prowl represent family unity......

Enrike Leekya's Travertine Bobcat is believed to have psychic abilities!

With the crescent moon and stars, Jayne Quam's Celestial Azurite Owl is defintely the "Ruler of the Night Skies".....

Michael Mahooty's Labradorite Bear is loaded with fire! This cool stone is believed to be of extraterrestrial origin and is very powerful!

We have added more new fetish carvings....These are just a sampling....come take a peek! Neat stones and cool meanings behind the carvings! Some are really hard to resist ~LOL~....We look forward to hearing from you!

New Fetish Posting June 25th........

Orange you glad you read the blog.....

Have you heard the news...everybody's talking about the new fetish posting at Indian Summer Native American Art.....

And everyone is raven' over the fetishes.....

That we just bear-ly added!

Why not be really wise....

And gallop on over to our Indian Summer website.....

Where we really do give a hoot about you......

And we're not a lion'........

Looking forward to hearing from you!

A Day at the Beach.....

Philbert Beyuka's gorgeous mother of pearl Seahorse in a "coral" grotto is one of my favorite carvings.....

Kenny Chavez's gliding abalone shell shark with Eddington Hannaweeke's pretty angel skin coral mini shark.....

The late Cellester Laate's pink mussel shell Pelican...his beak can hold more than his belly can!

David Yazzie's mother of pearl Fish....

The late Cellester Laate's mother of pearl Stingray and Seahorse....

David Yazzie's argite Shark......

Stewart Lasiloo's sodalite Walrus heads to shore to join up with Gayla Eriacho's serpentine Walrus...

Gilbert Lonjose's Picasso marble Octopus....

Mama and baby turquoise seals by Michael Laweka, Abby Quam and Clayton Panteah's onyx seal, and Elroy Pablito's pipestone seal.....

I adore my Hudson Sandy marble otter holding onto the mother of pearl shell on his belly....along wiith the turquoise Yancy Halusewa cutie!

Calvert Bowannie and Russell Shack's marble Orcas....

David Yazzie's serpentine dolphin....

Gilbert Lonjose's alabaster crab....

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a genuine love for the ocean...any ocean...any sea...any body of water, even our own Great Salt Lake here in Utah! There is just a certain mystique about the ocean or a large body of water. Nothing thrills me more than when I catch a glimpse of some sea critter out in the waves or see a little sand crab or starfish on the shore..and I love to explore the tidepools! When we stay at a hotel on the beach, I spend hours wading over the rocks and examining the plant life and sealife in the nooks and crannies of the rocks along the shore. A favorite place for me is Cambria, California....there, I get it all....seals lounging on the rocks, playful sea otters floating on their backs as they come in with each wave, and lots of tidepools with gorgeous plantlife gently swaying in the water when it is calm, and minute sea life to watch and ponder over...someday I would love to live on or near a beach...we can all dream, can't we! Last week our daughters were both in California....Phyllis and Ellie were in San Francisco catching a Melissa Etheridge concert, and Liz and Jake took Jake's son Corbin to Carlsbad and to Lego Land, and then spent some relaxing days in Laguna Beach. I LOVE both Laguna and San Francisco....you can tell that just by looking at my sidebars! Phyllis and Ellie saw all the seals down at Fisherman's Wharf at the famous Pier 39, and Liz, Jake, and Corbin went on a whale excursion that left from Dana Point, and were lucky enough to see a hump back whale! Since our next trip is to New Mexico and Arizona, I think I will be seeing more snakes and lizards than seahorses and seals, so I visited our fetish case and pulled out some of my own sea critters and recreated a day at the beach for me! Hope you enjoy it as well!

Zuni Olla Maidens...A Real Balancing Act!

Zuni Olla Maidens strut their stuff at Gallup Ceremonial....so glad we had "front row seats".....

I absolutely treasure this Zuni beaded Olla Maiden with actual pottery olla on head by Zuni artist Doreen Nashboo....(this one I had to keep for myself!).....

I really can't even imagine balancing this on my head.....~LOL~

Olla Maidens are a favorite subject for Zuni carver Delbert Cachini....

"Zuni Girls at the River" is a late 1800's photo from the Edward S. Curtis collection, titled "Portraits from North American Indian Life"....I would imagine these ollas are very heavy filled with water from the river....

The "Zuni Olla Maidens" at one of their many performances across the country promote knowledge about the Zuni culture, as well as provide fascinating entertainment....

As I was dusting some of my pueblo pottery today, I had this image in my head of the Zuni Olla Maidens skillfully balancing the large "ollas" on their heads....not just the olla, but traditionally, the olla filled with water from the spring or stream, or food that had been gathered. I have always heard that ever since pottery has been made, that someone, somewhere has balanced it on their head....but it is the Zuni women that are best known for this unusual and talented trait! I remember marveling at the Zuni Olla Maidens when I was a little girl attending Gallup Ceremonial....here were these women walking blocks in the parade balancing huge ollas on their heads! I could not manage that standing still, let alone walking in procession along a parade route in front of 1000's of spectators! I still am in awe of the whole thing each time we see the Olla Maidens....it is so impressive! A group of women from Zuni, headed by Cornelia Bowannie have formed a dance group called the "Zuni Olla Maidens" that travel the country performing at important events. The Zuni Olla Maidens are known for the Pottery dance. Dancing to the beat of the drum, they move in choreographed steps with delicate pottery jars balanced on their heads. They also sing songs adapted from the men of the Zuni tribe while accompanying themselves with a drum, a woman’s rattle and a notched wooden instrument called a “frog box”. So, when I finished dusting the pottery, I toyed with the idea of trying to balance one of our ollas on my head...even glanced up at some of our rattles hanging from the beams, and tried to imagine placing the olla on my head and shaking a rattle and dancing(!) at the same time...Well, since I am the person who can't chew gum and walk at the same time....these thoughts quickly vanished...but they did give me an even greater appreciation and respect for these wonderful women from Zuni....past and present...who are known as "Zuni Olla Maidens".

New Posting and Mother's Day Sale at Indian Summer Native American Art

Just a sampling of new carvings at Indian Summer!


Emery Eriacho's colorful Turquoise Bear.....

Brummett Eppaloose's fabulous Picture Stone Jasper Horned Toad.....

Hayes Leekya's Tijillite healing Horse....

Justin Red Elk's dainty Turquoise Hummer......

Frank Eustace's brilliant orange Sponge Apple Coral Bat!

Suzette Lementino's Pipestone and Turquoise "Rocky Raccoon".....

Ron Lunasee's beautiful and streamlined Sodalite Eagle.....

Christine Banteah's elegant White Marble Snowy Owl......

Happy Mother's Day! We are celebrating that special holiday with a Mother's Day Sale at Indian Summer! We have over 100 new fetishes on the site and we have also marked down a good number of fetishes that we have had on the site....this is a great opportunity to pick up a bargain! We hope you will take a peek, and we look forward to hearing from you! Happy Mother's Day!