The silver star., 1899-04-13
TIL E TOTEM POSTS.
THE FAMILY CREST OF THE
BARBARIAN.
The Indian Belief That They Descended
from some Beaat. Bird or Fish-The
Totem Poles aud Their Significance I"
the Tribes.

scendants OF totem posts or veritable
family trees, found among red Indians
and other barbaric folk. Therefore. the
unlucky burning OF one or more OF
these interesting relics at Fort Wran-
gel, in Alaska. should command the
sympathy of our Kings OF Arms, Rouge
Croix, Blue Mantle and Rouge Dragon.
For the totem is the family crest OF
the barbarian, the genuineness OF
which not even that merciless exposer
of sham coats-of-arms would venture
to question. Moreover. 1t has a sig
nificance, and. assuredly. history,
usually lacking in the devices which.
for a consideration. your genealogy
hunter will discover or invent. And
the Significance lies in the words with
which a Micmac legend begins: "In
the olden time men were as animals.
and animals as men; how this was no
one knows" For in early barbaric
thought there was no dividing line be-
tween living things, fact to which,
only on more assured ground, modern
science bears witness, the vague
guesses of the past thus having con-
frmation from the certainties OF the
present.
The barbaric idea carried with 1t be-
lief in the descent of the tribe from
some beast or bird. fish, or even insect,
and, since the savage also saw no di-
viding line between the living and nom
living. in descent from the great sun
himself or wayside stone. The an
cestor from whom descent was traced
n ic
ton of the Algonkin dodhaim. mean
ing clan mark" The Haidas believed
in their descent from the crow: the
Chippewyan totem is the dog, for
which reason that tribe would not
make the creature a beast of burden;
while the Delawares were as proud of
their tortoise world bearing ancestor
as our old nobility of their forefathers'
arrival here in the Conqueror's ret
inue.
Among some Australian blackfellows
the word "kobong," meaning friend"
or protector" is the generic term for
the animal or plant from which de-
scent is claimed. Now this remarka-
BILE belief in the totem or "kobong."
the range of which is world wide, both
In time and space-traces of 1t in these
islands and other civilized parts of the
globe having been Observation-Disclosures
the life OF the savage constantly and
deeply. And. notably in three ways
first, in worship of the totem; second,
In abstaining from eating the totemic
animal or plant: third, in forbidding.
with the severesr penalties against
transgressors, marriage between per
sons of the same totem: that is. having
the same name. and wearing or using
the same crest.
Then theories of transmigration en-
ter into the general idea, the Moquis,
for example. believing that after death
they live in the form OF their totemic
animals. those of the deer family be-
coming deer. OF the bear becoming
bears. and so forth. Hence, too. the
respect paid to the cries of animals
and the songs Of birds. since It is ar
gued that that which is akin to man
must have communion win him. The
subject neighbors Itself to a number OF
others in directions which cannot be
followed in this outline. but. obviously,
has its chief Importance In the three
customs noted above. As to the first
named. 1t here sufiices to say that the
worship of animals has Its source or
impetus In the attribution OF some
spirit or power incarnate in them,
which. for the time being. puts them
on higher plane than man. for whom
dread OF thing exists In the degree
that the thing is unknown.
Tho nrnporflau NJ oct,
zy. or Of soothing as narcotics. or Of
healing or poisoning. which certain
plants possess. would fcs stcr like belief
In them. as among the Ojibways, who
believe that the god OF the buffalo
grass causes madness. and among the
Algonkin. who credit the corn. the to-
bncco and other plants with indwelling
spirits. The reluctance to eat the to-
TEN. overcome only by threatening
starvation. when the animals pardon
IL asked. and propitiatory sacrifices Of
fered mt the slaughter. Ii probably the
parent OF the division OF foods into
clean and unclean ruling many an OBJ
scure custom. and explaining many n
prejudice. MS that. for example. against
eating the hare, which Caesar speaks
VI IN peSuiuuk III bTItuln IN MS time,
when our forefathers were so primi-
tive.
The totem poles represent the clan
crests Of those living In the house out
side which they are fixed. and, as fam
HES OF different totcms sometimes
dwell together. the poles offer strange
mixtures Of figures. The destruction
Of the poles at Fort Wrangei In re-
grettable: but fortunately other groups
In Alaska survive. notably that at Fort
Tongas; and. pictorIaiiy. the totem Ia
with Us In the ornamented bows of
canoes. which have their representa-
tive survivals In the hgureheads Of
ships. And its influence may be traced
In tho great animal mounds Of North
America. In the grave posts Of the
Australian continent. In tattooing. and
In tribal communication through pic-
tire-writing. The Corean totem IL
doubtless boundary god. one Of the
great company Of deitiex among whom
THpminmu ka1A hlRh sSsuA r.. -