Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-04-18


What is TotemP Broadly, the
badge OF clan or tribe, but some-
thing signifying a great deal more
than mere political or social alliance.
II is not only tribal emblem. but
also a family signal not merely a
symbol OF nationality, but also an ex-
preston Of religion; not simply n
bend Of union among primitive peo-
ples, but also a regulator Of tho mar
riage laws and OF other social institu-
tlons. As defined by Mr. j. G.
Frazer. u totem is "class OF mate
rial objects which savage regards
with superstitious respect, believing
that there exits between him and
every member Of the class an intimate
and altogether special relation"
Tho use Of totems seems to have
been first noticed among the North
American Indians, and the word itself
is an Indian one. II is taken from the
language OF the Ojibways or Chippe-
ways branch OF the Algonquin race,
who inhabited the region near Lake
Superior. IL l. said to have been in
troduced into our literature by one
Long, an Indian interpreter, who pub
lished book Of travels in 1891. Among
the American Indians its meaning is
clear enough; for with them the totems
are we'll defined, although often curl
Gus In character Thus, in the Ojib-
way tribe there are no fewer than
4.ropf,.-tl,ro, dfOo-n,,t t.t..,.. -. -.
divisions. Nine OF these are quadru-
peds, marking out TIE wolf, the bear.
the beaver and other clans; eight are
birds, five are fishes and one is the
snake. In other words. the members
OF the tribe who carry these devices
by so doing mark themselves as be-
longing TO a distinct division OF It. TO
be for all time and for certain practi-
cal purposes distinguished and sepa-
rate from the other divisions.
Next to the North American Indians.
the aboriginal tribes Of Australia pre-
sent the most developed form OF totem
ism OF any peoples of our time. Among
the Australians is 10 be found the same
use OF totems as among the Indians,
and chiefly taken from the animal
kingdom. There are kangaroo. opos-
sum, iguana, emu, bandicoot and black
snake divisions among the Kamilaroi
tribes. There are also eagle, crow.
water, mountain. swamp, river, hot
wind and sun totems; and the first
question asked by an Australian black
Of a stranger Is: ''Of what murdoo
(family or clan) are youf" In fact,
in Australia the totem seems more OF
u family than a clan name.
So In Africa. among the Hottentots
and Bechuanas, are found crocodile
men, monkey-men. buffalo-men and
such family names as Horse. Lion,
Sheep. ASS. etc. The head OF the fam
lily is the great man" OF the animal
whose name he bears, and the men,
bers pf the tribe will not cat the flesh
pri1se t5e skin Of its protecting ami
nal.
Prot Robertson Smith. in his work
on Early Arabia, tells us that many of
the Arab tribes take their names from
animals, such as the lion. the panther,
the wolf. the bear, the dog, the fox,
the hyena, the sheep. etc. and that
animal whose name Is borne by the
tribe is not used for food by that tribe,
and is otherwise treated with respect
Among the hill-tribes OF India, similar
eian-badges are also to be found, as
the Heron, Hawk. Crow aud Eel clans
Of the Oraon and Mundarl tribes OF
Chota-Nagpur.
The geographical distribution Of to-
temism is very wide, too wide for us
TO follow within the limits OF this
article. In North America it pre-
walls among all the Indian tribes. but
bot among the Eskimos. In Central
america IT is found among the tribes
a0iPanama; and In South America Il is
found In Colombia. Venezuela, Guiana
and Patagonia; and traces also have
been supposed among the aborigines
mot the Incas) OF Peru In Australia
II Is isuniversal-we speak, OF course,
always OF aboriginal peoples-and in
Africa Il appears TO be general In the
south and west, and on the equator.
II Is found alike In Bengal and in ST.
berin, and In Polynesia and China
The Chinese system merits a word;
and II is noteworthy that. on the au-
thority OF a Russian traveller quoted
by Mr. McLennan. "a characteristic
feature IN Central Asiatic traditions Is
the derivation OF their origin from
some animal Thus, the Tele people
IRE said 20 have sprung from the mar.
riago Of wolf and beautiful Hun
princess; the Tugas believe themselves
70 be descended from a she-wolf; the
Iibetans from dog; the Mongol
khans from a blue wolf and a white
hind, etc. The Chinese expression for
their own people is Plt-Sing, which
monns ''lhe hundred family names. -
In fact II Is computed that there are
about four hundred family names in
China, and intermarriage Is forbidden
between persons Of the same family
namo In this connection Il may be
noted that some Of the Australian
tribes have legend 10 the effect that
the use Of totems was introduced by
command OF the Great Spirit 10 put a |
stop 20 consanguineous marriages.
Some curious items referring TO To-
temlsm are 10 be found IN DIR. Turner's
book about Samoa. Thus. Il Is said !
lhot Il a Iurlle-man eat Of turtle no
grow very III. aud the voice Of the tur.
l|o was heard In his inside. saying:
q Ho alo me; / am killing him. lfal
rrIcklY Hea-urohin-man consumed one
Of ihoso phellfsh. prlclSly sea.prchin
grew Ia his body and killed him. lfal
Mu||eimnn atoe mnlleb 10 equinled. |
A 4 Cocklo-mpn oarrlod away aooclxle. |
a appeared on some part Of his por-
sons nna Il ~ aie lt Il grew on hls |
1pN> iial'Aaonnman psea banann