Native Americans and Buffalo.
A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol of a tribe, clan, family, or individual. Some Native American tribes’ tradition provides that each person is connected with nine different animals that will accompany them through life, acting as guides.
Different animal guides, also called spirit guides, power animals, or spirit animals, come in and out of our lives depending on the direction that we are headed and the tasks that need to be completed along our journey.
These tribes’ beliefs further explain that a totem animal is with you for life, both in the physical and spiritual world. Though people may identify with different animal guides throughout their lifetimes, this one totem animal acts as the main guardian spirit.
With this one animal, a connection is shared through an interest in the animal, its characteristics, dreams, or other interactions.
This Animal Guide offers power and wisdom to the individual when they “communicate” with it, conveying their respect and trust. This does not necessarily mean that they have touched or spent time with this animal, but they are more open to learning its lessons.
Knowing what their totem animal is is almost a natural process for some. It’s as if they’ve always known, inexplicably drawn to the animal, or have a special feeling for its energy. For others, they wonder how to tell what their animal totem is.
Totem carving in Alaska.
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re wondering what your animal totem is:
Have you ever felt drawn to one animal or another without being able to explain why? This could be any living creature, including birds and insects.
Does a certain kind of animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical appearance. It could be represented in other ways, such as receiving cards and letters with the same animal pictured repeatedly, unexplainable dreams of a particular animal, watching television and seeing the same animal featured repeatedly, or having the animal appear.
What are you most interested in seeing when you go to the zoo, a park, a wildlife area, or a forest?
Are there any animals that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?
Is there a particular animal that you frequently see when you’re out in nature?
Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
Have you ever had a recurring dream about a specific animal or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?
Are you drawn to figurines or paintings of a specific animal?
If you still need more help, ask the Universe for a dream or a vision to see if anything comes up. Also, ask the animal to show itself to you and pay attention to what you begin to see from all sources — television, books, billboards — it doesn’t have to be the actual animal. Does one animal begin to appear frequently?
Remember that you cannot choose your totem spirit; instead, it chooses or has already chosen you. The Spirit chooses you, and they decide to whom they will reveal themselves. Much of the process of identifying your spirit animal involves paying attention to both your past and present. It is a process of developing your inner knowledge and spiritual understanding.
The totem itself is a symbol that represents this animal. This could be any number of items – a crest, a totem pole, an emblem, a small figurine, an engraved or painted stone, or anything else that depicts your animal guide.
Note: Native American totems did not include all of the animals listed below, as many of these creatures did not exist in North America or, in some cases, not at all (such as the unicorn.) However, the concept of “totems,” by whatever name they were called, has been known throughout the world since the earliest days of Greek Mythology. Though the unicorn and dragon are generally accepted as centuries-old mythical creatures of Europeans, pictures of these fabled animals have been found in Native American tapestries and pictographs. It is also worth noting that not all Native American tribes held these beliefs.
Thunderbird Totem Pole.
Alligator
Maternal, revenge-oriented, quickness, aggression, stealth, efficiency, basic survival instincts.
Ant
Group-minded, determined, patient, active, purposeful, unity, self-sacrifice, and industrious.
Anteater
Lethargy, curiosity, nosiness, ability to smell trouble, rooting for solutions, finding the lost.
Antelope
Active, agile, jumpy, keen eyesight, survival, willing to sacrifice, mental clarity, intuitive, protective.
Armadillo
Safety, grounded, sensitivity to attack, firm boundaries, trusting, reclusive, neutral, peaceful.
Badger
Courage, aggressive, healer, problems relating to others, energy conduit, determined, focused, confident.
Bat
Rebirth, longevity, secrecy, initiation, good listener, long life, illusion, journeying, inner depth.
Countless Indian words have become a part of the English language. Just a few of these include barbecue, cannibal, caribou, chipmunk, chocolate, cougar, hammock, hurricane, mahogany, moose, opossum, potato, skunk, squash, toboggan, and woodchuck. – From our Native American Facts & Trivia
Bear
Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, willpower, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength.
Beaver
Determined, strong-willed, builder, overseer, dreamer, protector, builder, motion, subconscious.
Bee
Organized, industrial, productive, wise, community, celebration, fertility, sweetness, defensiveness, obsessive nature, and enjoys life.
Native American Symbols, Totems & Their Meanings – Digital Download
Boar/Pig
A very powerful totem – prosperity, spiritual strength, organized, balanced complacency and activity, fearless.
Buffalo
Sacredness, life, great strength, abundance, gratitude, consistency, blessings, stability.
Bull
Insight into the past, fertility, raw expression, rushing into things, confidence, strength, and provision.
Butterfly
Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change, lightness, soul, vulnerability.
Camel
Survival, endurance, obedience, nobility, positivity, accomplishment, adaptive, temperance, humility.
Caribou
Traveler, mobility, preference to be nomadic, adaptability to adversity, sensitivity, guidance, surety.
Cat
Guardianship, detachment, sensuality, mystery, magic, independence, astute, watchful.
Cheetah
Swiftness, insight, focus, brotherhood, self-esteem, acceleration, elusiveness.
Cougar
Leadership, loyalty, courage, responsibility, foresight, sensing danger, and awareness.
Cow
Love of home, community, contentment, joy, easy-going, patience, grounded, fertility.
Coyote
Trickster, intelligence, stealth, wisdom and folly, guile, innocence, skill.
Cobra
Swift and decisive, power of life and death, transformation, energy, connected to eternity.
Crab
Good luck, moves sideways, savvy, unorthodox, relaxed, cycles.
Crane
Solitude, justice, longevity, independence, intelligence, vigilance, and focus.
Crocodile
Ensuring your emotions are displayed accurately/appropriately.
An estimated 18-20 million Native Americans lived in the United States when Europeans first arrived. – from our Native American Facts & Trivia
Crow
Magical, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, inelegancy, energy, higher perspective.
Deer
Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence, and selling adventure.
Dog
Noble, faithful, loyal, teaching, protection, guidance, obedience, sensory perception.
Dolphin
Kind, salvation, wisdom, happiness, playfulness, prudent, capable of deep emotion, and happy.
Dove
Cross-world communication, spirit messenger, peace, gentleness, love.
Dragon
Longevity, richness, prosperity, infinity, wisdom, power, fiery, mythic.
Dragonfly
Flighty, carefree, strong imagination, higher aspirations, lightness, joy, and transformation.
Duck
Water energy, helper of seers, affectionate, community-oriented, can clearly see/deal with emotions.
Eagle
Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom, and risk-taker.
Elephant
Strength, power, affection, loyalty, royalty, wisdom, reliability, sense of history, and pride.
Elk
Strength, agility, pride, majestic, independence, purification, nobility, and sensuality.
Falcon
New beginnings, adventure, passion, leadership, rising above, guardianship, superiority, prophecy.
Fish
Graceful, slyness, open-minded, quick to change one’s mind, fertility, good luck, happiness.
Flamingo
Heart healing, psychic, people person, flirtatious, colorful, open, power of illusion.
Fox
Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shape-shifting, and invisibility.
Frog
Water, cleansing, rebirth, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, peace, adaptability, metamorphosis.
The United States has thousands of pictographs and petroglyphs, with the greatest concentration in the American Southwest. The site that has the most is the Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico. At the monument, archaeologists have estimated there may be over 25,000 petroglyph images along the 17 miles of escarpment.
– From our Native American Symbols, Pictographs & Petroglyphs
Gazelle
Awareness, speed, grace, eagerness, lightness, overcoming vulnerability, alertness.
Giraffe
Intelligence, intuition, attaining the unreachable, seeing the future, elegance, cleverness, and beauty.
Goat
Surefootedness, stubbornness, independence, diligence, in the moment, aloofness, virility, sturdiness.
Goose
Self-demanding, reliable, prudent, rigid, vigilance, parenthood, productive, teamwork, fellowship.
Gorilla
Family-oriented, intelligent, strong, environmental protector, keeps peace through aggression.
Grasshopper
Good luck, abundance, forward, progressive, virtuous, forward-thinking, and creative.
Grouse
Personal power, enlightenment.
Hawk
Messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship.
Heron/Egret
Aggressive, self-determined, self-reliant, multi-tasking, balanced, calm, present, and independent.
Hippopotamus
Power, creation, imagination, healing, birth, mother fury, family protection, and emotional depth.
Horse
Freedom, stamina, mobility, the land, travel, power, freedom, grace, nobility.
Hummingbird
Messenger, timelessness, healing, warrior, energy, vitality, infinity, affection, playfulness.
Native American Symbols, Totems & Their Meanings – Digital Download
Jaguar
Chaos, shape-shifter, aggressiveness, power, confidence, manifestation, breath.
Kangaroo
Forward, balance, creative, stamina, leaping away from danger, nurturing, generous.
Lion
Family, strength, energy, courage, guardian, protector, ferocity, and authority.
Lizard
Conservation, vision, self-protection, hidden defenses, shrewdness, variation.
Llama
Comforting to others, secure, responsible, strong, adaptable, hard work, curiosity.
Lynx
Keeper of secrets, guardian, listener, guide, aware, intuitive, unconventional.
Plains Tribes by George Catlin.
More than 50% of state names are based on Native American words. Twenty-seven state names have Indian meanings, including Utah, named for the Ute tribe; Kentucky, which means planted field in the Iroquois language; Kansas, named for the Kanza (Kaw) tribe; and dozens more. – from our Native American Facts & Trivia
Meerkat
Community, precise vision, good boundaries, lively, courageous, intuition, heart energy.
Mole
Sensitivity, guidance, searching, extended senses, underworld, hidden treasure, digger.
Mongoose
Good boundaries, good defense, courage, cleansing, heart-forward, rebellious, impulsive, authentic.
Monkey
Ability to change the environment, health, success, light and dark, communication, swiftness, and energy.
Moose
Headstrong, longevity, steadfastness, wisdom, self-esteem, primal feminine energy.
Mouse
Innocence, scrutiny, order, organizer, eye for details, grounded, super-aware, temerity.
Octopus
Intelligence, camouflage, nocturnal.
Opossum
Smart, clever, sensible, grounded, group-minded, proper use of deception, strategic, surprising.
Ostrich
Grounded, practical, avoidant, spiritual truth, understands denial, truth, and justice.
Otter
Playful, friendly, dynamic, joyful, helpful, sharing, love of young, sensibility without suspicion.
Owl
Wisdom, deception, intuition, insight, messenger, mystery, freedom, secrets, stealth, vision.
Ox
Sacrifice, chastity, faith, humility, self-denial, enduring, strong, magical.
Panther
Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions, multi-dimensional, dark, and light.
Native American Symbols, Totems & Their Meanings – Digital Download
Parrot
Communication, beauty, the guide for wisdom, mockery, language, prophecy, verbosity, and promise.
Peacock
Immortality, dignity, self-confidence, self-esteem, knowledge, refinement, beauty, sexuality, and pride.
Pelican
Resilient, unselfish, rising above, friendliness, responsible, safety, camaraderie, bounty.
Penguin
Self-discipline, order, purpose, community-minded, grace, self-confidence, spirituality.
Porcupine
Innocence, companionship, trust, curiosity, imagination, good-natured, non-interference.
Prairie Dog
Swiftness, industrious, constructive, preparedness, common goals, retreat, family, digger.
Puma
Companion on journeys to other worlds, grace, silent power
Native Americans often served as guides in the exploration of America. Many of their trails became emigrant roads, later followed by the railroads. – From our Native American Facts & Trivia
Quail
Group work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)
Rabbit
Fertility, artistic, in motion, hyper-vigilant, joyful, lives by own wits, steps through fear.
Raccoon
Curiosity, disguise, explorer, secret, night vision, cleanliness, dexterity, seeker.
Ram
Stoic, sensitive, persevering, curious, imaginative, new beginnings, change, life force.
Rat
Fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury, intelligence, wealth, success, drive.
Raven
Magical, introspective, self-realized, courageous, transformational, messenger, psychic, divination.
Rhinoceros
Wisdom, solitary, insightful, solid, good judgment, paradox, stamina, freedom, longevity.
Roadrunner
Mental agility, speed, opportunism, multi-tasking, energy, busy, accomplishment.
Rooster
Persistence, honesty, strength, flamboyant, upward reaching, eagerness, cocky, watchful.
Salmon
Proud, intense, confident, wisdom, inspiration, can swim upstream, rebirth, determined, spiritual desire.
Scorpion
Transforming, strong, inspiring, chaotic, passionate, altered perception, death and rebirth, seduction.
Seagull
Versatility, loud, easy-going nature, creativity, laziness, resourceful, opportunistic, freedom.
Seahorse
Confidence and grace
Seal
Love, longing, dilemma, active imagination, creativity, protection during change, dreaming, and good luck.
Shark
Prowess, perpetual motion, hunter, survival, warning signs, workaholic, savior, guardian, superiority.
Skunk
Reputation, presence, and strength, demands respect, sensuality, steady, pacifism, and taking your time.
Snail
Protective, aware, solitary, tender nature, androgyny, healing, sensitivity, time, and cycles.
Snake
Impulsive, primal energy, shrewdness, rebirth, transformation, initiation, and wisdom.
Spider
Balance, wisdom, creativity, communication, networker, cyclical, crafty, fate, protection.
Squirrel
Planner, gatherer, preparedness, awareness, sociable, playful, energy, prudence, resourceful.
Stag
Lord of the forest, masculine power of regeneration, signs.
Swan
Grace, balance, innocence, soul, love, beauty, elegance, transformation, and dreams.
There are approximately 296 spoken (or formerly spoken) indigenous languages north of Mexico. Hundreds of others have entirely ceased to exist. – From our Native American Facts & Trivia
Tiger
Strength, courage, power, energy, devotion, tact, royal, illuminated, unpredictable.
Toad
Inner strength, luck, self-examination.
Turkey
Generosity, life-giver, sharer, abundance, blessings, pride, virility, sacrifice.
Turtle
Nurturer, shy, protecting, patient, strong, innocent, endurance, longevity.
Native American Symbols, Totems & Their Meanings – Digital Download
Unicorn
Purity, innocence, dreaming, personal power, gentle, spiritual vision, other realms, faith, healing.
Weasel
Strength, energy, ingenuity, stealth, wild, ferocious, aggressive, commanding.
Whale
Wisdom, provider, intelligence, kindness, deeper awareness, nurturing, navigation, and communication.
Wolf
Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition, spirit, appetite for freedom, can be a loner.
Woodpecker
Sensitive, protective, devotion, prophecy, progress, determination, balance, and communication.
Zebra
Clarity, motion, individuality, balance, illusion, instinct, free, wild, communal, playful, social.
Compiled and edited by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, with expanded meanings and additions by Kevin Kaiser, updated April 2024.
Native American Totem Pole, 1895.
Also See:
Legends, Myths & Tales of Native Americans
Native American Symbols, Pictographs & Petroglyphs
Sources:
Hodge, Frederick Webb; Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico; Smithsonian Institution; 1910
Manataka American Indian Council
Mystic Familiar
Shaman Links