Totemism

Totemism is the practice, best known in North America, of linking a family, clan or people to an animal or spirit being that serves as its emblem. The word ‘totem’ is an English form of the Ojibwe doodem, and both the word and the beliefs behind it belong to the Ojibwe, though similar ideas are found among many peoples.

The Anishinaabe are divided into clans called doodeman, mostly named for animals. In their oral tradition the great Miigis beings rose from the Atlantic and gave them the Mide way of life.

On the Pacific Northwest coast, peoples carve monumental totem poles with bears, birds, frogs, people and supernatural beings. Like heraldry, the poles show the crest of a family or chief, tell stories the family owns, or mark a special occasion.