Recently I enjoyed a browse through The Atlas of the North American Indian, by Carl Waldman, first
published in 1985 and updated in 2009. I found the pages explaining the
Northwest Indians and their culture to be so interesting.
One unexpected thing I gleaned from this book was a list of
place names in Washington that are of native origins. Could you have come up
with this list of 73 places?? (The list does include two names of French
derivation.)
“TN” denotes a tribal-origin name. Places were tribal names,
chief’s names, or of Indian derivation. For some names, the tribe was
designated and for others it was not. Sometimes the meaning was given and
sometimes not.
Anatone – TN
Asotin – Nez Perce “elk creek”
Cathlamet – TN
Chehalis – TN “sand”
Chewelah – TN
Chimacum – TN
Chinook – TN
Clallam – TN “big brave nation”
Conconully – TN “cloudy”
Copalis – TN
Cowlitz – TN “power”
Ilwaco – Chief El-Wah-ko-Jim
Entiat – TN “rapid water”
Kalotus – TN “hole in the ground”
Kittitas – TN “shoal people”
Klickitat – TN “beyond”
Latah – Nez Perce “place of pines”
Methow – TN
Moclips – Quinault “place where girls were sent during puberty
rites”
Napavine – TN “small prairie”
Naselle – TN
Nespelem – TN
Nisqually – TN
Okanogan – TN “meeting place”
Omak – TN
Palouse – TN “grassy expanse”
Pend Oreille – French; “ear pendants”
Potlach – TN “give”
Puyallup – TN “generous people”
Queets – TN
Quilcene – TN
Quillayute – TN
Quinault – TN
Sanpoil – TN
Seattle – Chief Sealth
Selah – TN “still water”
Sequim – TN “quiet water”
Simcoe – TN “waist spine”
Similk – TN
Skagit – TN
Skamania – TN “swift water”
Skamokawa – Chief name
Skykomish – TN “inland people”
Snohomish – TN
Snoqualmie – TN “moon”
Spokane – TN “people of the sun”
Stehekin – TN “pass”
Steilacoom – Chief name
Sultan – Chief name
Suquamish – TN
Tacoma – TN “mountain god”
Tenino – TN
Tieton – TN “roaring water”
Toppenish – TN
Touchet – French; “fire cured salmon”
Toutle – TN
Tucannon – TN “bread root”
Tukwila – TN “land of hazelnuts”
Tulalip – TN “by with small mouth”
Tumwater – TN “heart”
Twisp – TN
Wahkiakum – Chief name
Walla Walla – TN “little river”
Washtucna – Chief name
Waukon – Chief name
Wauna – TN “spout creature”
Wenatchee – TN “river from canyon”
Whatcom – Chief name
Willapa – TN
Yacolt – TN “haunted place”
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