TOTEMISM IN CALIFORNIA 1

Abstract

That totemism exists among the Indians of California seems to have escaped the notice of ethnologists. This may be due to the less conspicuous part it plays in the lives of the people compared with its high development in some other regions, notably Alaska and British Columbia. Nevertheless totemism not only exists in California, but is rather widely prevalent; it is present in many tribes - tribes distributed among widely different stocks; and, when one comes to understand something of the inner life of the people, it is found to be as deeply rooted, and in some cases as important, as in other regions.