The Chemawa American, November 01, 1912, Image 3

THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
H. E. WADSWORTH, Superintendent
VOLUME 15
NOVEMBER, 1912
NUMBER 2
TOTEMTSM
A
B R IE F
SK ETC H
OF
T H IS
P E C U L IA R
CUSTOM
r p O T E M IS M is the w orship of the to ­
tem s and is a peculiar social in sti­
tu tio n am ong th e N orth A m erican In ­
dians. It is very curious in its character.
In a great m easure it is a religion of
clans. Indian com m unities, independent
of th eir local d istrib u tio n into tribes,
bands, and villages, are com posed of sev­
eral d istin ct clans. Each clan has its em ­
blem, consisting of the figure of some
bird, beast or reptile, and each is d is­
tinguished bv the nam e of th e anim al
w hich it th u s bears as its device; as, for
exam ple, the clan of th e W olf, th e Deer,
the O tter, or th e H aw k. In the language
of th e A lgom piins these em blem s are
know n by the nam e of “ T o te m s.”
T h e members of th e same clan, being
connected, or supposed to be so. By ties
of kindred more or less rem ote, are p ro­
hibited from inter-m arriage. T h u s W olf
cannot m arry W olf, but he m ay, if he
chooses, take a wife from the clan of
H aw ks, or any other clan but his o w n .
Totem ism is both a religious and a
social system . In its religious aspect it
consists of the relations of m utual respect
and protection between a man and his
totem ; in its social aspect it consists of
the relations of the clansm an to each
other and to men of other clans. T he
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