(perhaps this has been asked before but i couldn't find it.)

is there a pattern as to what totem style a villager gets when they become an EE ?

I do not think it is related to likes or dislikes, head or body style, skills/professions, age, sex, or health.

It does not seem to be random though, as the same villager seems to get the same totem style when restoring and playing a backup file. (I was doing this to see if there were any previously unreported island events and I noticed the totem thing.)

Any theories, observations, or even wild speculations would be much appreciated!!

I think its totaly random but designated when the child is born and what totems you get depends on which villagers you choose to become elders, i tried to run a new tribe to see if i could find the pattern (like different villagers getting the exact same skills in the same order) but it was always different, so im guessing its a random thing thats decided at birth, and then you just have to bring it out of them.

Hmmm I think in the future LDW should make totem more predictful to get the style you want like they done with children.

all my master parents got the totem with the big grin .. but some master parents got other totems.. i think maybe their research/farming bar was higher

I have had no big . blue grin totems from elders who were not master parents , I have 9 of them totems