Native American Indian Beliefs

Psychology and Science of Totem Animal Spirits in Nature

Jul 30, 2009

American Indians never questioned an animal's ability to communicate knowledge and they also believed in animal totems.

American Indian philosophy is centered mainly around scientific observations of the world which were then transformed into deeply held spiritual beliefs. Totems were used as a way of listening to the innate wisdom of animals, offering psychological insight comparable to methods sometimes used in clinical therapy today.

What are Indian Totem Animals?

In the Algonquin language, "totem" means "brother" or "family member." Animals were considered part of man's family, and when a wild animal reoccurred unexpectedly, even through dreams, it was given synchronistic meaning and deemed a personal totem guide.

The Native American observed nature with the passion of a physicist because of his closeness to it. In particular, he understood animals. If his/her totem was a bear, for example, the particular wisdom of that species was readily sought.

Since bears hibernate all winter and wake in spring, the lesson might be learning the importance of rest after activity, or vice versa. A fox is clever, but its totem medicine also teaches to discard traits of slyness, too. In many ways, totems served as a spiritual mirror and interpretations differed according to various circumstances and the subconscious of an individual.

How Psychology Simulates Totems

Totem medicine was an early way of seeking reflections into one’s psyche very similar to certain methods used centuries later by famous European psychologists, Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud, via synchronicity and dream interpretation.

Jung writes, “Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connections between the subjective and objective world,” implying coincidences can bring personal insights. Jung called these figures Archetypes and his favorite was the Egyptian Scarab Beetle.(1)

Although there’s little scientific basis in Freudian dream interpretation, Jungian synchronicity, or animal totems, many people find meaning in such concepts today and realize much of what Native Indians believed about ecology is true.

American Indian Spiritual Beliefs

Despite being important to American Indian spirituality, totem animals were never made into gods or idols. Totem poles were not worshiped as deities. Animal and man were considered as being the same, neither one above the other. All things were considered different, but equal, from nature’s perspective and to break part of life’s web meant to break the whole.

“Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” Chief Seattle supposedly spoke these words in his 1854 Treaty Oration, later transcribed by Henry A. Smith. (2)

Possessing a monotheistic belief in only one creator, America's First Nation People also honored all the precious handiwork, including trees, stones, mother earth and father sky, cloud people (clouds), the winged ones (birds), finned ones (fish), four-legged (animals), and two-legged (people), but only animals were totems.

Totems remained the same for life, though some changed (a person easily had several), but American Indians would never kill, harm, or eat an animal that was their own totem. Instead, they’d honor the species by emulating its personality traits and perhaps by carrying something – such as a tuft of its fur or a feather – to be reminded of its truths. Often, an entire tribe would have one totem, for example, the turtle clan or wolf clan.

How Traditional American Indian Beliefs Reflect Modern Science

Modern man can benefit from the Indian’s respect toward the nature and the concept that every species exists for a purpose. Even the smallest insect is related to man in some way, since all evolved from the same origins: earth.

American Indians were excellent ecologists and Darwinist in their understanding of the natural world, since evolution supports the theory that life is interconnected. Einstein spoke on this, saying, “Relativity teaches us the connection between the different description of one and the same reality.” (3)

Thus, people today can gain knowledge and also have fun learning Indian culture by finding their own animal totems, since man can relate in some way to practically any animal he may encounter. In doing so, personal insights possibly may be discovered. There’s nothing supernatural about this; it’s just unadorned psychology with a very earthy touch of science.

The copyright of the article Native American Indian Beliefs in Analytical Psychology is owned by Paula Marie Deubel. Permission to republish Native American Indian Beliefs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.