Totem & Manitou
Kanti's has gotten herself into another tight situation. She impulsively bet her spear against Ahanu's bear-claw necklace in a canoe race she can't win. Her only hope is that Migizi will help her. You may have noticed Chogan and Kanti don’t have last names to identify their families like we do. This is not a problem in a small village, but it can be confusing in larger villages where there are more than one Chogan. The Ojibway solved this problem by using totems to identify their families. Each clan (which we would call a family) was represented by one of approximately twenty-one animal totems. Migizi is Chogan and Kanti's totem.
According to oral tradition, when the Chogan and Kanti’s ancestors lived along the Atlantic coast, seven great Spiritual Beings appeared out the sea to teach the Ojibway people about hunting, fishing, healing, as well as many other survival skills. Before they returned to the sea, the Spiritual Beings provided the people with five totems to identify their various clans. They also gave each clan a particular skill to master such as healing or hunting. As the Ojibway population grew, so did the number of clans and totems. With a few exceptions, children inherited their totem from their fathers. Marriages between individuals with similar totems were forbidden, so the father’s totem was always different than the mother’s totem.
Many people confuse the totem with the manitou. The totem is a family designator. A manitou is an animal spirit that watches over individuals and protects them. This can be the same animal as the family totem, but is more likely a different animal. Kanti is convinced Migizi is both her totem and her manitou. Chogan does not share this view. We will have to wait and see if Migizi can help Chogan and Kanti win the big canoe race.
Nooke (Black Bear) Clan
Sometimes a symbol was used to describe a clan instead of the actual animal’s name. The Nooke totem was one of those. Nooke means “Tender” in Ojibway. I wouldn't have chosen Nooke to describe the makwa (bear) in the picture at the left, but the bear was highly regarded by the Ojibway people. Nooke was one of the largest clans. Bear clan members protected villages from invaders and provided medicinal plants to the sick. The Nooke is Ahanu's totem. That's why he is so fond of his bear-claw necklace.
Wawaazisii (Bullhead) Clan
The Wawaazisii or bullhead is a type of catfish. The Spiritual Beings placed members of the Wawaazisii totem in charge of teaching and healing. The Wawaazisii were the intellectuals of the community.
Aan'aawenh (Duck) Clan
The Spiritual Beings placed the Aan’aawenh (pintail duck clan) in charge of internal and domestic communications. The Aan'aawenh mediated domestic disputes and arguments. These discussions often occurred around the council fires.
Moozwaanowe (Little Moose) Clan
Members of the Moozwaanowe (Little Moose tail) clan were expected to scout, hunt, and gather food. A rabbit or a partridge feeds one or two people at most, but a moose provides more meat than any small family could consume before it spoiled. Any one killing a moose shared the meat with the entire clan.
Baswenaazhi (Crane) Clan
Basweaazhi is another symbol and translates as “echo-maker.” The actual Ojibway name for the crane is ajijaak. The sand hill crane has a loud, clear cry that can be heard at great distances. Members of the crane clan were, therefore, felt to have good oratory skills. They acted as interpreters when different tribes met in council.
Migizi (Bald Eagle) Clan
Unlike the five above totems, the eagle was not one of the original totems, but was added later along with many other animals as the Ojibway population grew. It is now one of the most admired and respected totems. Native Americans throughout the United States and Canada use eagle symbols and feathers in many of their sacred ceremonies.
Tradition suggests clan members possessed skills specific to their clan. In reality, everyone needed to master a variety of skills to survive. Everyone needed to be a good hunter to put meat on the table. They also needed to know which plants would cure illnesses. If a person were a good speaker, he was free to argue his cause at the council fire even if he did not belong to the crane clan.
Now we know why Kanti wanted Migizi's tail feather, but can she win the race without Migizi's tail feather. We'll soon find out.