TRIBAL SOCIETY 245 



not mean a deity which is extraordinary in itself, but 

 things which are strange, or mysterious, are Manitou. 

 Thus the Indian has no idea of one Great and Ruling 

 Spirit as we have, but he believes in a multitude of spirits 

 animating all surrounding objects. 15 



One of the most interesting institutions of primitive 

 people is "Totemism." Frazer defined a totem as, "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 alto- 

 gether special relation." 10 Becaues totemism is often 

 closely connected with the social and religious institutions 

 of primitive people it is one of the most illuminating sub- 

 jects of study for the anthropologist. There are several 

 features which various authorities have believed to be 

 symptomatic of totemism. Dr. Goldenweiser has sum- 

 marized them as follows: 



(1.) An exogamous clan. 



(2.) A clan name derived from the totem. 



(3.) A religious attitude towards the totem; as a 

 "friend," "brother," "protector," etc. 



(4.) Taboos, or restrictions against killing, eating 

 (sometimes touching and seeing), the totem. 



(5.) A belief in descent from the totem. 17 



Since totemism among the Australian tribes and among 

 the Indians of British Columbia presents certain charac- 

 teristic features mentioned above, we will study these 

 primitive groups and their relation to totemism. It is 

 necessary to recognize that the totem is of three general 

 kinds: the clan totem, common to all members of the 



15 Jones, W. "The Algonkin Manitou," Jour. Amcr. Folk-Lore, vol. 

 xviii, pp. 183-190. 1G Frazor, J. G. Totemism, p. 1. 



IT Goklenweiser, A. A. "Totemism, An Analytical Study," Jour. Amer. 

 Folk-Lore, vol. xxiii, April-June, 1010, no. Ixxxviii. 



