The Totemic Landscape
“Totem” is a Chippewa word, but surprisingly, totemism among the Chippewa hasn’t been studied much. That’s mostly because researchers were hesitant to talk about how people see themselves connected to animals. They often avoided the idea that humans might descend from animals or said totems just represent social bonds. They even avoided naming animals like pike or bear to keep their academic image.

This book gets right to it and explains that a totem is really about a special relationship between a person and an animal. It explores how the Chippewa in Ojibwaia have a close, meaningful connection with nature, which shows up in how their villages and families—organized into totem clans—are structured. The book uncovers all the ways totemism shapes their landscape and culture.

Leif Selstad is a friendly social anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Bergen. He’s done fieldwork in Oklahoma and Japan, learning about indigenous groups and traditions. Now retired from the University of Stavanger, he spends his time writing and traveling, with a passion for Native American history and social anthropology.