Ah-wa-sis-se—Small cat fish, of Matche-kwe-we-zainse. Sometimes they call the people of this totem, “those who carry their young,” from the habits of the small cat fish.
She-she-gwun—Rattle snake; the totem of Gish-kaw-ko, Manito-o-geezhik, etc. and by them given to Tanner.
Many more might be enumerated, but these are sufficient to give an idea of the kinds of objects from which they choose to derive their names. The trivial or common name of a man may be, and often is, changed on his going to war, or at the occurrence of any remarkable event; but the totem is never changed. It is not true, that they have, in all instances, the figure of whatever may be their totem always tattooed on some part of their body, nor that they carry about them a skin, or any other mark, by which it may be immediately recognised. Though they may sometimes do this, they are, in other instances, when they meet as strangers, compelled to inquire of each other their respective totems.[57]
The word totem is of the Ojibbeway language, and, like almost all others, is readily moulded into the form of a verb, as will appear from the following examples:—
Ah-neen en-dah che-un-net, O-to-tem-e-waun maun-duh-pe?
How many are these are totems here?
How many are the totems of this band?
Wa-nain way-gi-osh-kun wa-to-ta-met?
What the gull is his totem?
What is the gull’s totem?
KNOWLEDGE OF ASTRONOMY
Of the opinions of the Indians respecting the heavenly bodies, little need be said. An extensive acquaintance with the motions, figures, distances, etc. of these bodies, could not have been expected from people situated as they are, and deprived altogether of the aids of instruments, and a written language. They pretend to no more knowledge on these subjects than they possess.