Archaeology Paper Reports Meaning Of Indian River Names

Monterey Herald ^ | 3-10-2003 | Ernest Herndon

[blam]

There you go.

[IronJack]

I've been told that "Omaha" means "great stinking water." So "Council Bluffs" must mean "world's largest open sewer."

[EggsAckley]

Here's one from Santa Cruz. Awatos. It means "where the waters meet." Was the source for the town "Aptos." (aWATos) Ohlone Indian word.

[Temple Drake]

This is cool!"yockni catawpha" -- Faulkner's "Yoknapatawpha" is extremely close to this -- if the two words mean "land divided" it sheds new light on the sotries that take place therein.

[Alouette]

So "Council Bluffs" must mean "world's largest open sewer."

That would have to be Detroit, which is French for Detoilet.

[Shermy]

What does Blix mean?

[razorback-bert]

ping

[Michael.SF.]

That tidbit is in a research paper by University of Southern Mississippi anthropology student Chris McPhail: "Mississippi Rivers: A Study of Choctaw Indian Place-Names of the Streams and Rivers of the State of Mississippi."

Sounds like ol Chris has a lot of spare time on his hands. Sure hope this was not done a a grant from the feds.

[gcruse]

A river named by Indians of another continent is the Ganges river, which means "Don't get any of that on you." Unfortunately not enough people pay attention.

[NerdDad]

Love it that this was published at USM. Clarinet_King (my oldest son) was notified yesterday that he was selected to receive the University of Southern Mississippi Leadership Scholarship. It pays $2200 per year for 4 years and is designated to pay room and board expenses. Now if he can get the band to come through for tuition (or some of it) he might even get to go to college this fall.

Of course, I say this without any sense of pride or anything. (Yeah, right)

[Anchoragite]

My personal favorite (from here in AK) -- Anaktuvuk Pass/River: Means, "Place where the caribou poop."

[jim_trent]

Actually, Omaha is supposed to mean "above all others" on a river. That is further proof that South Dakota and North Dakota don't exist. They are just a figment of someones imagination.

However, your translation of Council Bluffs is right-on.

[tubebender]

_Tallahatchie River,

Did he say anything about finding the body of Billy Joe McAllister ?

[blam]

"Did he say anything about finding the body of Billy Joe McAllister ?"

Lol. Not a word about Billy Joe. (Some, to this day, say he faked the jump.)

[Ramius]

"Shock and Awe" : From Cherokee word "Shaukeenaaw" meaning "to soil one's loincloth".

Sure, I posted it somewhere yesterday, but I still really like it. :-)

[Vigilantcitizen]

You mean Indian names like Chattahoochie, Tallapoosa, Coosa, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Sweetwater, Warwoman ?

[HairOfTheDog]

I have about three jokes. I use 'em over and over again!

[IronJack]

Actually, Omaha is supposed to mean "above all others" on a river.

Yeah, that's the "sanitized" definition. But there are natives who insist that the true translation is considerably less flattering.

On the other hand, there is no ambiguity regarding Council Bluffs. All they need is banjo lessons ...

[flying Elvis]

I'm in Oktibbeha County which literally translated means, "perennial losing seasons at football."

[r9etb]

It happens that just about every Indian name river in the Pacific Northwest is the local tribe's name for "dead, stinking fish."