Tarot Fellow
Native American Tarot by Magda Weck Gonzalez — 78-Card Tribal Nations Deck
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The Native American Tarot by Magda Weck Gonzalez (Shawnee heritage) and J.A. Gonzalez — 78 cards and a 108-page U.S. Games Systems booklet drawing symbolic imagery from Eastern, Plains, Southwest, and Northwest Nations across eighteen specific tribes including Apache, Cherokee, Sioux, Navajo, and Hopi. Readers should approach this deck understanding it as one artist’s interpretation of diverse traditions, informed by Gonzalez’s own ancestral connection.
Description:Quick Specs
- Brand: U.S. Games Systems
- Type: 78-Card Tarot Deck with 108-Page Booklet
- Author/Illustrator: Magda Weck Gonzalez (Shawnee heritage) / J.A. Gonzalez
- Card Size: 2.375" x 4.375"
- Best for: Intermediate readers drawn to shamanic and nature-based symbolism
Tribal Nations, Symbolism, and the Structure of the Deck
The Native American Tarot was created by Magda Weck Gonzalez, who traces Shawnee ancestry, and illustrated by J.A. Gonzalez. Published by U.S. Games Systems, the deck draws from the four geographic quadrants of North America: Eastern Nations, Plains Nations, Southwest Nations, and Northwest Nations. The imagery references eighteen specific tribes, including Apache, Arapaho, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Comanche, Hopi, Huron, Inuit, Iroquois, Kiowa, Navaho, Papago, Pima, Pueblo, Shawnee, Sioux, and Yaqui. This breadth of cultural reference is the defining characteristic of the deck, and it distinguishes this 78-card tarot deck from most other indigenous-themed tarot publications.
Readers approaching this deck should understand that it is a Western artist's interpretation of these traditions, informed by Gonzalez's own heritage but not produced as an officially tribal-endorsed project. The fusion of European tarot structure with Native American archetypes is the stated creative intent: the authors describe the deck as "inspired by the fusion of European and Native American ideals." That context matters both for honest use and for appreciating how the card meanings diverge from standard RWS interpretations.
Renamed Suits, Court Cards, and Major Arcana
The four suits are Blades (Swords), Pipes (Wands), Vessels (Cups), and Shields (Pentacles), each connected to one of the four directions and a corresponding realm of life. The court cards are restructured as Matriarchs, Chiefs, Warriors, and Maidens, representing spiritual power within, intellectual power potential, material power activated, and emotional power flowing, respectively. This framework draws directly from the Medicine Wheel concept rather than European court conventions, giving experienced readers a new interpretive lens to work with.
The Major Arcana retains the 22-card structure but renames and reimages key cards: The Magician becomes Hosteen Coyote, the High Priestess becomes Corn Maiden, the Empress becomes Medicine Woman, the Emperor becomes Council Chief, and the Hierophant becomes Shaman. The Wheel of Fortune is redrawn as Medicine Wheel, and the Hanged Man becomes Sun Dance. Each minor arcana pip carries a unique descriptive title as well: the 10 of Shields is Harvest, the 8 of Blades is Captive, the 7 of Pipes becomes Counting Cup. The 108-page booklet includes Native American folklore and historical context for each card, along with the Medicine Wheel spread, the Native Cross spread, and the Shining Star Spread.
How to Use the Native American Tarot Deck
A three-step process for getting into the Native American Tarot, from learning its unique structure to conducting your first full reading.
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Learn the Renamed Court Structure
Before reading, learn the four court ranks: Matriarchs (spiritual power), Chiefs (intellectual authority), Warriors (material action), and Maidens (flowing emotion). This replaces the Page, Knight, Queen, King sequence found in standard RWS decks.
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Use the Medicine Wheel Spread
The 108-page booklet includes the Medicine Wheel spread, designed specifically for this deck. Lay cards at each of the four directional positions to address physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of your question in a single reading.
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Study Card Titles Before Meanings
Each minor arcana card has an individual title: 10 of Shields is Harvest, 8 of Blades is Captive. Read the title and booklet folklore story before applying divinatory meanings. The narrative gives intuitive context the imagery alone cannot supply.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry this deck because it occupies a distinct space: a 78-card structure that pulls experienced readers out of habitual RWS thinking and into a different cosmological framework. The renamed courts, the tribal folklore in the booklet, and the Medicine Wheel spread all require genuine engagement rather than shortcut memory. I'd steer absolute beginners toward a standard RWS deck first, but for readers ready to expand their vocabulary, this one delivers real depth. For additional tools that pair with this kind of practice, explore my tarot and divination collection to see what else rounds out the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
The deck was created by Magda Weck Gonzalez of Shawnee heritage and illustrated by J.A. Gonzalez. Published by U.S. Games Systems, it draws on tribes including Apache, Cherokee, Hopi, Navaho, Sioux, and Inuit, among eighteen documented nations.
The four suits are Blades, Pipes, Vessels, and Shields. Court cards are Matriarchs, Chiefs, Warriors, and Maidens, representing spiritual, intellectual, material, and emotional power. Each pip card also carries its own individual descriptive title.
It is accessible but not ideal as a first deck. The renamed suits and Major Arcana titles require extra study. The 108-page booklet provides folklore context and five spreads, making it workable for readers willing to go beyond standard RWS basics.
No. It is a Western artist's interpretation created by Magda Weck Gonzalez of Shawnee descent and published by U.S. Games Systems. It draws on imagery from eighteen tribes but was not developed as an officially indigenous-community-endorsed project.
