Mike Romero is from Taos Pueblo and is married to potter Susan “Snowflake” Romero.  While he helped with her pottery over the years, he also carved fetish figures.  This badger is carved from steatite and there is a fetish bundle around the middle.  There is an etched ‘stripe” on the head and on the eyes, making it look more like a badger.  Badgers are symbols of healing.  Mike was able to capture the essence of the animal with a more “old style” of carving.  Mike no longer carves fetishes and this piece is from a collection from the 1990s.