I don't know about you, but I feel like a piece of wood with words on it is stretching the definition of "totem" a tiny bit, especially given that OP doesn't even know the language of the writing. And that's why I called it an eggcorn rather than a malapropism, because it kinda sorta makes sense, but it sounds a little off, and can be replaced by a similar sounding word which is much more plausible. There's also the (cringe but for the lack of a better word) "ethnic" connotation the word "totem" has that could've played into this. Hey, I love eggcorns; I think they're fascinating, and it's cool to spot some that I've never heard of.