Does anyone know the difference between totems, clans and how a person go their name? If they were named after an animal, does that mean they were of that clan/totem? thanks! Cindy

>Does anyone know the difference between totems, clans and how a person go their name? > If they were named after an animal, does that mean they were of that clan/totem? Possibly, but not at all necessarily. Historically / traditionally there were different typ[es of names -- birth & deed names were broadly used, names stemming from personal visions generally tightly-held. You're right to first understand what clan / dodem are, and are not. Despite what seems to be a generalized (in some circles) belief that a dodem animal is a personal guardian spirit, it is not. Dodems are kinship groups, equivalent to what we might call clans; among Algonquian peoples they are patrilineal and exogamous (meaning people must marry 'out' of their dodem). "ote / ten" = village; "nind oten / nind odem" = my village; indicates group of people related by kinship, not geographic location or cluster of houses. Thee animal symbols representing individual dodem were used as insignia on grave markers and village poles to indicate kinship groups. This is at the Library of Michigan and well worth reading for its explanation of your question. Schenck, Theresa M. 'The Voice of the Crane Echoes Afar': The Sociopolitical Organization of the Lake Superior Ojibwa, 1640-1855, New York & London: Garland Publishing Co, 1997 regards - rdw

mii gwech...I will be checking out this book... thanks.. Cindy -------Original Message------- From: RDWinthrop Date: 02/19/05 13:01:51 To: NISHNAWBE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [NISHNAWBE] Re: Totems, Clans and Names >Does anyone know the difference between totems, clans and how a person go their name? > If they were named after an animal, does that mean they were of that clan/totem? Possibly, but not at all necessarily. Historically / traditionally there were different typ[es of names -- birth & deed names were broadly used, names stemming from personal visions generally tightly-held. You're right to first understand what clan / dodem are, and are not. Despite what seems to be a generalized (in some circles) belief that a dodem animal is a personal guardian spirit, it is not. Dodems are kinship groups, equivalent to what we might call clans; among Algonquian peoples they are patrilineal and exogamous (meaning people must marry 'out' of their dodem). "ote / ten" = village; "nind oten / nind odem" = my village; indicates group of people related by kinship, not geographic location or cluster of houses. Thee animal symbols representing individual dodem were used as insignia on grave markers and village poles to indicate kinship groups. This is at the Library of Michigan and well worth reading for its explanation of your question. Schenck, Theresa M. 'The Voice of the Crane Echoes Afar': The Sociopolitical Organization of the Lake Superior Ojibwa, 1640-1855, New York & London: Garland Publishing Co, 1997 regards - rdw ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx