Totemism
/ˈtoʊ.tə.mɪ.zəm/noun
A system of belief or social organization in which a group maintains a special relationship with a totem, often an animal, plant, or natural object.
Did you know?The English word entered European usage through Ojibwe terminology, but “totemism” was later generalized by colonial scholars into a broad category that does not precisely describe every Indigenous tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Before 18th Century
Ojibwe
doodem / ototeman
“A clan, kin group, or its associated emblem; the exact forms and meanings vary by dialect and grammatical context.”
1791
English
totem
“An English borrowing popularized through Jonathan Carver Long’s account of Ojibwe usage, referring to a kinship emblem or guardian relation.”
19th Century
English
totemism
“A scholarly formation using totem plus the suffix -ism to describe beliefs or social systems associated with totems.”
Modern English
English
totemism
“The anthropological term for systems involving symbolic, spiritual, or social relationships between human groups and particular beings or natural objects.”
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