totem
Ancestral animal symbol
A totem is an object—typically an animal or plant—serving as a spiritual emblem for a group, especially among Indigenous peoples of North America.
The totem represents ancestral connection and identity.
A totem pole is a carved wooden column depicting such figures.
Figuratively, anything symbolizing a group's identity or values: Homeownership became a totem of the American dream.
Personal animal representation
salmon · orca · thunderbird · turtle · coyote · owl · deer · serpent
Soul, mood, or liquor
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
ritual · ceremony · offering · prayer · blessing · consecrated · shrine · respect
Original inhabitants of America
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- Pacific NorthwestCoastal American region, northward
- AboriginalAustralia's native peoples
- MaoriNew Zealand's indigenous people
indigenous · tribal · traditional · cultural · shamanic · animism · dreamtime · ancestral spirits
Those from whom one descends
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- kinshipState of being related
bloodline · forebears · progenitors · descendants · genealogy · family · roots · predecessors
Magical protective charm
- amuletWorn protective token
- fetishIrrational devotion to something
- mojoMystical personal power
- mascotGroup's symbolic figure
pendant · medallion · lucky · protective · personal · worn · carried · pouch
Cylindrical shaft or extremity
- cedarDurable, fragrant conifer
- woodworkCraft of building with lumber
- sculptureShaped three-dimensional art
- craftsmanshipSkill in making objects
Northwest Coast · Haida · figures · faces · wings · beaks · painted · stacked
Representational sign or device
- representationDepiction or likeness
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- badgeWorn symbol of membership
- insigniaDistinguishing mark of rank
crest · figure · motif · identity · belonging · recognition · heraldic · tribal mark
spirit animal
Personal animal representation
wolf · salmon · orca · thunderbird · turtle · coyote · owl · deer · serpent · frog
spirit
Soul, mood, or liquor
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
- venerationProfound admiring respect
reverence · ritual · ceremony · offering · prayer · blessing · consecrated · shrine · respect · honor
Native American
Original inhabitants of America
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- Pacific NorthwestCoastal American region, northward
- AboriginalAustralia's native peoples
Maori · indigenous · tribal · traditional · cultural · shamanic · animism · dreamtime · ancestral spirits · ceremony
ancestors
Those from whom one descends
kinship · bloodline · forebears · progenitors · descendants · genealogy · family · roots · predecessors · tradition
talisman
Magical protective charm
mascot · pendant · medallion · lucky · protective · personal · worn · carried · pouch · medicine bag
pole
Cylindrical shaft or extremity
- cedarDurable, fragrant conifer
- woodworkCraft of building with lumber
- sculptureShaped three-dimensional art
craftsmanship · Northwest Coast · Haida · figures · faces · wings · beaks · painted · stacked · monumental
emblem
Representational sign or device
- representationDepiction or likeness
- iconPictorial screen symbol
- badgeWorn symbol of membership
insignia · crest · figure · motif · identity · belonging · recognition · heraldic · tribal mark · sign
- AlaskaFairbanks, Juneau, Denali, Sitka, Kodiak
- ancient religiongods, goddesses, pantheon, deity, polytheism
- Indigenous AustraliansAboriginal, Dreamtime, traditional lands, Dreaming, corroboree
- African traditionsinitiation ceremonies, naming ceremony, ancestral worship, rites of passage, tribal chiefs
- guardian spiritsguardian spirit, guardian angel, protective spirit, ancestral spirit, guiding spirit
- indigenous loanwordsmoccasin, tomahawk, wigwam, kayak, canoe
totemtaboo
Cultural or social prohibition
profanity · desecration · sacrilege · abomination · blasphemy
totemtaboo
Cultural or social prohibition
untouchable · cursed object · jinx · hex
- totem poleCarved pillar with clan symbols
- low on the totem poleLowest in hierarchy
- high on the totem poleHaving high status
- totem animalsSymbolic ancestral creatures
- animal totemsSymbolic guardian beings