Totem, << TOH tuhm, >> is a symbol for a tribe, clan, or family. The Native American Chippewa, or Ojibwa, people first used the term for the animals or birds associated with their clans. The clan totem may be a bird, fish, animal, plant, or other natural object. Some groups consider the totem as an ancestor of the clan. A clan may have rules against killing or eating the species to which the totem belongs. Clan members are often known by the name of the clan’s totem. Some clans consider the totem holy and pray to it. Totemism, as a form of religion, may have been widespread among Native Americans and Africans.
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Many Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest carved the family and clan emblems on totem poles. The tribe held a potlatch, or feast, when the totem poles were put up.
Totem poles may be seen in Saxman and Ketchikan, Alaska; in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia; and in Seattle. Some museums, including the Field Museum in Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, also have totem poles.
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