Totem Poles Not Gods, But Exert Powerful Taboos

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 8, 6 July 1949, Page 6

Totem Poles Not Gods, But Exert Powerful Taboos

All over the world where primitive man has existed can be found totem poles. They are not worshipped though they have all the appearance of the household gods of primitive peoples and they exert, powerful taboos over the habits of the tribe. Symbolic of the group banded together by marriage relationships they are a definite tribal bond. In some instances they represent complex marriage rules creating moieties by which a clan is divided according to sex, groups with indirect descent, and the like. Totems are usually made in the image of an animal, though variations include human and semihuman form, representations of flora and ' even abstract ideas. As an illustration of the latter, “pride” is the totem of a clan of a weaver caste in Madras and “red” the totem of a Omaha clan. Split totems, like the tongue of a buffalo- instead of the animal itself, are no doubt instances of the splitting of a tribe and the consequent splitting of the tribal totem. Similarly cross-totems may be the merging of totem groups. A number of totems are sometilmes held by a single tribe and are called “linked totems.”

Differences in custom occur, too, regarding the treatment of the animal, bird or plant represented by the totem. In some parts of the world, the tribe would not think of eating or killing the sacred animal, in others, it is in the nature of their faith to do so. Other tribes would not think of killing the totem animal themselves but feel no compunction should a member of another totem group do the killing. Punishment for violating the totem taboos are inflicted by the tribe, or it is believed, by the totem itself. The totem is one of man’s first ways of expressing his solidarity with the rest of the community. There were probably psychological reasons for the creation of totem poles such as the remorse of a tribe for killing one of their number and afterward holding sacred his memory.

Boy Scout troops or cub packs do not seek these explanations. When they carry their own totems poles they do so with simple healthy faith and fulfil that part of their nature which cries out for fellowship. In this sense the world needs more totems!