in dubanka's world, i would eliminate the player reqt for totem and make it a resource requirement.

you can keep the type of totems...just each type has a large natural radius and has more room to plant.

in a change from the current form, you would be able to upgrade to the next type of totem, with the correct amount of resources, providing you did not have encroachment issues (insert influence and seige warfare discussions).

but to step back to the now.

simply change tribal member requirements to a resource requirement.
there already exists radius expansion code...it's just currently tied to players...make it a manual upgrade based on resource consumption.
incorporate a weekly maintenance fee that tiers up based on the type of totem and the level to which it has been upgraded.

Example.
Base totem creation requirements -
Homestead: 20 limestone
Clan: 20 granite, 20 branches
Tribe: 20 limestone, 20 granite, 20 branches, 1 large log

Base totem maintenance fees
Homestead: 10 branches, 10 limestone, 5 sand
Clan: 10 small logs, 20 granite, 10 sand
Tribe: 10 large logs, 20 granite, 20 limestone, 20 sand, 10 Grass Tarps (eh how about that...a use for the grass tarp!)

Upgrade 1 level of radius
Homestead: 1 flint, 10 long wooden poles, 50 metal stakes
Clan: 1 quartz, 50 bone stakes, 10 large metal sheets
Tribe: 1 obsidian, 50 steel wedges, 20 cloth tarps, 50 long wooden poles

jsut examples...obviously trying to integrate some crafting elements into the totem piece...