New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-03
NAME OF THE NEW TERRITORY.

NAME OF THE NEW TERRIlOhr.
ADOPTION or "HURoN" AS THE NAME A MISTAKE
APPROPRIATENESS OF THE WORD "PEMBINA"
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR: A bill il now under consideration In
Congress to form new Territory the northern por-
ton OF Dakota Tho OF Pembna first proposed mas
rejected in the Senate and the appeaton OF huron
agreed upon. 1 wish q show briefly that the rejection
OF Pembina" was based upon glarmg misappreheh-
sion OF its meaning and origin, and that :" Huron 10
open to very serious objections Pembna Is the ha'no
OF village OF few hundred inhabitants standing on tho
west bank OF Red River OF the North near the mouth
OF small tributary the Pembna River and at the CEN
ter of fertile agricultural region IL was noted rem
devious for halfbreeds and FrencCanadan traders III
1872 few families OF Chippeway Indians sui pch
their lodges by One OF their dencaces III INC sc
son Is the fruit of the high cranberry-Dush ''ow""
OD,ls As this shrub grows most abundanty Oh ri'e'
bottoms they call its berries Np Mnan, waterDerres
nipt water mindn, berries. As the PemDiha hNeI IN
renowned for its clumps of cranberybush they call 1t
Nipi Minan Stpins. waterberries small rver-np'
minan. wster-berries; spins, small river. the cary
Canadian pOydqeurs drop ing the first syllable readiy
changed npi Bn0n into the French WORD Bempiha, anu
the half-bIecds to-day use ndiscrimnatey Npt NINA"
and Penbina The latter name mas been appiieu Dy 'e
whites not only to the berry and to the river Dut he
wise to Indians vino fed on the former ana dwe, OH
the latter and the Pembna Indians came to be known
as distinct branch OF the great Chippeway STOCK III Is
Tins made clear that word PembIna is corruption
from the Chppcway Npi Minan the meaning OF winch
anybody can verify in a Chppeway dictionary.
Now with these facts before US, let us look at the
Senatorial way OF solving chronological diincuties
read from The chicago Tribune: "senator BoSy SAID
Pembina not Indian name, but corrupt FRENCH
appelation meaning holy bread pain btnO' IL does
not appear that the Senator gave any authority Tor sc
an assertion. However it was not conradicted anu tie
corrupt pain benz was dropped Great was t dur ds
. th. Dargl ipin
coyory and several OF them have been trying nara
but in vain to identify The hoy bread rerisa 10 W. nt
Senator In the way rrfutOi IL wouId nc suIlclent
observe that French words with definite mealts
like pain bfni. could not possibly wlthn century NV
CORRUPTED into a meaningless appeatiOn by the very
people who introduced them, for American anu Lgnsl
men did reinbina until long after tie name
had been cOnsecratcd by use. . $500
The wish of the senators who spoke the subject was,
%e tSh lH ha %we on its rivers or warred
its praires, apply TO country the name o. peo
miles away would violence TO our sense OF the Mt
ness of things and deceive pOstery, WHICH fehes upon
ma fop tc prnpcr setting OF the landmarks OF the ancient
history OF our OF the several tribes mentioned o
the Senators, none has had permanent looeiNs IN
Northern Dakota Ihs AssinigoimeS n ave nrtbsbV
prior claim to this country but they reueaten DOT, W
during the last century aud were sccee ed ny p Va
Cihinuev,ays VINO emlgrated hither from Sault ste
Marie the outlet OF Lake superior ana are tll rom
this circumstance origin, called Saalteurs Tradition
Indians have been IN possession when theis acesHs
first wandered TO Ed River, before the beginning OF the
present cenJury II is with this band OF the graf emp,
peway nation That Gov Ramsey OF Minnesota concluded
a treaty in ISL purchasing rom IL What lorihco 'ne
richest part of the new Territory. go - l.. ,,t
the Iurons 1t can be proved tnat even Ia 'u p
distant peregrinatons, they never croSsea to ho
River of the Nortn Their proper home was the peuin-
sula included between the lakes huron, ETC anu oin
tario and Northern Dakota has more right to per
pcuate The name. of that unOI tunate tribe IMAM IL mas
that OF the CherOkees the Pequods For te se'sla
reasons developed above, hope may conclude ina,
Pebna has the clearest title to the new Territory anu
this, its original name should be restored l 70 c aS
have been proposed. II IL is deemed o9ectOhapie Oh