Final answer:
Totems contribute to social cohesiveness by reinforcing group identity, serving as powerful symbols, and providing focal points for ritual activities. They encapsulate a belief system where spiritual kinship with animals or plants symbolizes and unites a community, infusing societal norms with deeper cultural significance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Totems help create social cohesiveness by D) all of the above: A) stressing group identity, B) representing powerful symbols for people to focus on, and C) acting as objects for group ritual activity. Totemism encompasses a belief system where groups have strong spiritual connections to their totem, whether an animal or a plant, which symbolizes their identity and fosters a sense of kinship within the group. This connection manifests through various cultural expressions such as origin stories, rituals, and the totempole. Origin stories promote a common cultural identity by explaining where a group comes from, their place in the world, and their relationships to it. In societies with totemic beliefs, these stories and symbols serve to unify individuals and outline social rules, such as those governing marriage within totemic clans.
Within the Anishinaabe tribe, clans were identified by local animals which served as totems, with each member of a clan having spiritual kinship with their respective totem. This kinship was not just symbolic, but translated into tangible societal norms—like occupational roles and marriage rules—enhancing the social structure and cohesiveness of the community. Moreover, these animals were featured in the oral traditions and religious systems as teachers and messengers, highlighting the integral role of animals in human cultures and the strong relationships of respect with their totemic emblem.