Menominee Indian Totems

Last Updated on October 15, 2013 by Dennis

Chauvignerie gives their principal totems as the

• Large-tailed Bear
• Stag
• Kilou (a sort of eagle).

Neill (Hist. Minn., 1858) classes the Menominee, evidently on French authority, as Folles Avoines of the Chat and Orignal or Wild Moose and Elk. Hoffman gives the modern totems as follows:

1. The Owa’sse wi’dishi’anun, or Bear phratry, consisting of the following totems and sub-phratries: Owa’sse (Bear), Miqkä’no (Mud-turtle), Kitä’mi (Porcupine), with the Namä’nu (Beaver) and O’sass (Muskrat) and sub-phratries.
2. The Kině’uv wi’dishi’anun, or Eagle phratry, consisting of the following totems: Pinäsh’iu (Bald Eagle), Kaka’k (Crow), Inä’qtěk (Raven), Ma’qkuana’ni (Red-tail Hawk), Hinanä’shiuv (Golden Eagle), Pe’niki’konau (Fish-hawk).
3. The Otä’tshia wi’dishi’anun, or Crane phratry, consisting of the following totems: Otä’tshia (Crane), Shakshak’eu (Great Heron), Os’se (“Old Squaw” Duck), O’kawa’siku (Coot).
4. The Moqwai’o wi’dishi’anun, or Wolf phratry, consisting of the following totems: Moqwai’o (Wolf), “Hana” [(änä’m] (Dog), Apaq’ssos (Deer).
5. The Mons wi’dishi’anun, or Moose phratry, with the following totems: Mōns (Moose), Oma’skos (Elk), Wabä’skos (Marten), Wū’tshik (Fisher).