The totem of each named clan
The totem of each named clan with one or more lubabat or 'totem' pictured.
Mei-Zagareb, northeast season and wind; totems include seagull and Torres Strait pigeon.
Meauram, northeast season, north wind; totems include turtle.
Komet, northwest season and wind; totems include sardine and mangrove.
Peibre, northwest season, west northwest wind; totems include mantaray.
Dauareb, southwest season, Giar Dauareb sub-clan has west southwest wind, frigate bird and mackerel totems.
Teg Dauareb, sub-clan has south southwest wind; mackerel and turtle totems.
Teg Magaram, southeast season, south wind; totems include whale and snake.
Geauram, southeast season, south wind; totems include whale, snake and dove.
Samsep/Meriam, southeast season, east southeast wind. The two sub-clans, Piadram and Samsep share tiger shark, Torres Strait pigeon and driftwood totems; Piadram also has whale.
Some clans are also associated with celestial alignments; for example, Piadram has Beizam or shark constellation and Tagai constellation belongs to a sub-clan of the Giar Dauareb. Moreover, the two easterly Samsep people are 'garden people' as against the territorial groups of the western side who are fish groupings. In the Malo ceremonies, the garden groupings are the dancers, the fish groupings the song men.
Mei-Zagareb, northeast season and wind; totems include seagull and Torres Strait pigeon.
Meauram, northeast season, north wind; totems include turtle.
Komet, northwest season and wind; totems include sardine and mangrove.
Peibre, northwest season, west northwest wind; totems include mantaray.
Dauareb, southwest season, Giar Dauareb sub-clan has west southwest wind, frigate bird and mackerel totems.
Teg Dauareb, sub-clan has south southwest wind; mackerel and turtle totems.
Teg Magaram, southeast season, south wind; totems include whale and snake.
Geauram, southeast season, south wind; totems include whale, snake and dove.
Samsep/Meriam, southeast season, east southeast wind. The two sub-clans, Piadram and Samsep share tiger shark, Torres Strait pigeon and driftwood totems; Piadram also has whale.
Some clans are also associated with celestial alignments; for example, Piadram has Beizam or shark constellation and Tagai constellation belongs to a sub-clan of the Giar Dauareb. Moreover, the two easterly Samsep people are 'garden people' as against the territorial groups of the western side who are fish groupings. In the Malo ceremonies, the garden groupings are the dancers, the fish groupings the song men.
Keywords: clans, Meriam culture, Stars of Tagai, totems, wind, 1993
Sharp, Nonie 1993, 'Stars of Tagai: The Torres Strait Islanders', Aboriginal Studies Press. Drawing partly on the work of H. Kitaoji, Miriam Perception of Themselves unpub. paper 1980,pp.56-57 ; Cambridge Reports VI, 1908, p 174