Totem

A sacred object, animal, plant, or symbol holding spiritual significance for a clan, lineage, or community, often invoked during seasonal ceremonies, initiations, and communal celebrations as a marker of collective identity and ancestral connection. Indigenous communities across the Americas, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands maintain totem systems that shape the structure and meaning of their festival calendars, with totem ceremonies at harvest festivals and new year celebrations reinforcing the community's relationship with the natural world.