Salishan Totemism

Salishan Totemism is the traditional belief of the Coast Salish peoples, who live along the Salish Sea and Puget Sound from southern Vancouver Island to the Olympic Peninsula. Their nations speak different languages but share a world of guardian spirits and of transformation between human and animal forms.

Traditionally, a person sought a spirit power alone, through isolation and vision quests, and the power was tied to an animal such as the raven, bear or seal. In winter, spirit dances were held on the floors of cedar longhouses, where members showed their powers in song, dance and masks.

A person was thought to have several souls, and a sick man’s soul might be carried towards the underworld. A shaman journeyed there to bring it back; the Duwamish held a ceremony of soul recovery.