totem
noun /ˈtəʊtəm/
/ˈtəʊtəm/
- an animal or other natural object that is chosen and respected as a special symbol of a community or family, especially among Native Americans; an image of this animal, etc.Word Originmid 18th cent.: from Ojibwa (an Algonquian language) nindoodem ‘my totem’.