In ancient times, dolls were used as representations of a deity, and played a central role in religious ceremonies and rituals. Effigies, for example, were used in religious rituals to represent an undesired person or spirit and burned to destroy the unwanted element. In traditional European pagan culture, corn dollies were made of straw and associated with harvest customs. Native American Kachinas dolls were meticulously carved from cottonwood root and painted to represent figures from Hopi mythology. Voodoo dolls were used by slaves as a means to empower them against cruel slave owners. Today, dolls continue to be used in magick and ritual as focusing tools and objects of empowerment.

Fetishes are also commonly used in Native American religion and culture. Small stone carvings are crafted to resemble animals with sacred qualities. For example, the bear may represent the shaman, the buffalo may represent the provider, the mountain lion may represent the warrior, and the wolf may symbolize the pathfinder.