There seems to be quite a bit of confussion about spirit animals acting as your guide.
Are spirit animals guides the same as totem animals? Not really. A totem animal was
usually the symbol for a group or clan within a tribe. People in the group proudly
displayed their totem animal for all to see. In many Native American tribes you were
born into your mother's clan. Marriage could get you into another clan.
In some tribes certain clans could not intermarry. This was a way to stop inbreeding
between close family members. Some groups adopted members, while other
groups only took in those who passed a test or initiation. Totem poles were placed outside
of a home or village to show what group or groups lived there.

Spirit animals are another thing. They are extremely personal and a source of secret
guidance and power. YOU NEVER TELL ANOTHER PERSON WHAT YOUR
SPIRIT ANIMAL IS!! There are several reasons for this. It is considered bragging
by some. If you go around telling people that Bear is your animal when the next battle
comes up, Bear will abandon you for disrespecting him and take his strength with him.
To be abandoned by your animal guide is tantamount to death.

Another reason goes along the same lines as keeping your name a secret. If a powerful
Shaman got ahold of your name, they could work magic against you or enslave you.
Knowing what your spirit animal is works almost the same way. A Shaman can have several
spirit helpers, and they could gang up on yours to cause trouble.

The bond between you and your SA is strong and should never be taken for granted.
Normally you went on a vision quest ALONE to find your SA. They wanted to be
alone with you, not part of a group. You did not come home and say who you found,
only that you did find someone. You could say some of what they told you, just not who
told you.

With all the New Age re-tooling of Native American beliefs going on, it is important
to weed out ideas that are so very misunderstood. It is dangerous
to not know what you are doing in an adopted religion. People
who are not Native American don't have the passed down knowledge and have
to get guidance from others, many of whom are equally ignorant. In fact, many
native peoples today don't know their heritage. How can they teach others when
they don't understand the subject themselves? I hope this clears things up and
helps others to think about the path they are on, and with whom they are walking.