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How did Nor-Papua initiation ceremonies involve paternal and maternal totems?

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totem fish mask — Totemism Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.

Among the Nor-Papua of New Guinea, initiation ceremonies provide a significant opportunity for individuals to define their relationship with their ancestral heritage. While the Nor-Papua are organized into patrilineal, exogamous groups associated with specific totems, children are given the choice during their initiation to decide whether they will respect their paternal or maternal totem.1

These totems, which are often animals such as fish, are central to the group's spiritual life; they are believed to be the source from which children originate and the entities that guide the souls of the dead to holy places. Throughout the initiation process, these totems are manifested in various ritual forms, including spirit creatures represented in sacred flutes, disguises, and figures kept in men's houses. At the conclusion of the initiation ceremonies, members of the group perform mimetic rituals to honor these totems.1