totem

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun An animal, plant, or natural object serving among certain tribal or traditional peoples as the emblem of a clan or family and sometimes revered as its founder, ancestor, or guardian.
• noun A representation of such an object.
• noun A social group having a common affiliation to such an object.
• noun A venerated emblem or symbol.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun Among the Indians of North America, a natural object, usually an animal, assumed as the token or emblem of a clan or family, and a representation of which served as a cognizance for each member of it; hence, a more or less similar observance and usage among other uncivilized peoples. See totemism.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A rude picture, as of a bird, beast, or the like, used by the North American Indians as a symbolic designation, as of a family or a clan; also, the object or animal itself, considered as an symbol of the family.
• noun Anything which serves as a venerated or mystic symbol or emblem.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family.
• noun The representation of such object or creature.
• noun The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun emblem consisting of an object such as an animal or plant; serves as the symbol of a family or clan (especially among American Indians)
• noun a clan or tribe identified by their kinship to a common totemic object