SECTION II., 1901 [8] Trans. R. 8. C. 
[The Origin of the Totemism of the Aborigines of British Columbia. 
By Mr. CHARLES Hizz-Tour. 
Hon. Secretary of the Ethnological Survey of Canada. 
[Communicated by Sir: John Bourinot and read May 23, 1901.] 
As is well known to students of American ethnology, our Indians 
of the Northwest littoral exhibit many interesting peculiarities in their 
social institutions and customs. Among the more striking of these are 
their totems and totemic systems, which would appear to differ in 1m- 
portant and characteristic features from the totemism of other tribes 
and peoples elsewhere. To make this clear 1 cannot do better than 
quote the definitions of totemism as given by our two leading authori- 
ties on this subject, Frazer and Powell. 
“A totem is a class of material objects which a savage regards with 
superstitious respect, believing that there exists between him and every 
member of the class an intimate and altogether special relation 
Considered in relation to men totems are of at least three kinds: (1) 
The clan totem, common to a whole clan, and passing by inheritance 
from generation to generation; (2) The sex totem. . . . (3) The 
individual totem, belonging to a single individual, and not passing to 
his descendants. 
“The clan totem is reverenced by a body of men and women who 
call themselves by the name of the totem, believe themselves to be of 
one blood, descendants of a common ancestor and are bound together 
by common obligations to each other, and by a common faith in the 
totem. Totemism is thus both a religious and a social system. In its 
religious aspect it consists of the relations of mutual respect and pro- 
tection between a man and his totem; in its social aspect it consists 
of the relations of the clansmen to each other and to men of other 
clans.” 
“A tribe is a group of people composed of clans; a clan is a group 
of people having a common name. . . A clan always has a name, 
which is called its totem; and the object from which it is named is in 
like manner called its totem. . . . The totem derives great consid- 
eration in savage society. It is usually some beast, bird, or insect, or 
some important plant, such as the corn or the tobacco; or it may be 
the wind, the rain, a star, or the sun. The totem of the clan is consid- 


1 Totemism, J. G. Frazer. Edinburgh, 1887. 
