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Arrow

Wixarika mara´akame’s (shaman’s) arrow
ca. 1930
Las Huntas, Mexico
Hawk feathers, parrot feathers, yarn, reed
55 x 22 cm
Collected by Donald B. Cordry
19/7866

Mara´akame (religious leaders) use special prayer sticks or arrows adorned with bird feathers to communicate with ancestor spirits and deities. The sticks are sometimes stuck in miniature replicas of shamans’ chairs and placed on altars. Hawk, turkey, and other feathers are attached with sinew and yarn to this arrow.

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