The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-05
MEANING OF MISSOURI.

MEANING OF MISSOURI.
The Wsrd signifies "wooden Canoew-
Algonquin Equivalent
CHr1llco1HE. No., Nov. Every many
Missourians do not know the meaning of
the name of the great state wherein they
i've. Indeed there is much misappseben-
slon and real ignorance of the subject dis
played everywhere, even among the schol-
afs OF the country, who can readily give the
etymology OF almost any other geographical
name in the world, from Mississippi, Tennes-
see and Ohio, in our own country, to
ALBANIA and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus. I"
Ihe commonly and almost universally &C
cepted definition of the word Missouri ia
muddy" or turbid. Everybody of course
knows that the state was named from its
principal river, and as the water of the
river is and has always been muddy in an
pearance and reality-e especially in that
portion on the border and within the state
mas passed into general belief, and even
into recorded history, that this inelegant
CHARACTERISTIC is responsible for the signf-
cation Of the name. This is q mistake
which ought not to stand or 60 unoorrected.
Ihe word does not and never did mean
muddy or turbid'' any more than it means
OF ever meant clear or crystalline. 1t is of
no consequence that innumerable publica-
lions contain contrary statement; it is q
mistake all the same.
The word Missouri properly means
Wooden Canoe" It belongs to the Illi-
nois dialect of the Algonquin Indian Ian
Ruage, the language which was generally
spoken by the various aboriginal tribes
that dwelt between the Mississippi river
and the Delaware bay, and which contained
many words used by the Indians of New
England. It is not very difficult to gather
of the name. Indian dictionaries are
sives Of the Algon aqa 'eg gss re-.
main, although neither are readily accessi-
BILE to everybody. Among the Abenakis, or
Indians of Maine, boat or canoe was
called "A-mai,sui." With the Narraean-
wares it was .Ma-shola;'' with the Miamis
about Lake Michigan it was 'tMis-sola;"
with the Illinois tribe it was "Wicwes-Mis-
SURF" for q birch-bark canoe, and s'We-
Mis-su-re,' or "We-Mes-su-re," for wood
en- canoe or canoe fashioned from log of
wood.
The name Missouri was originally applied
by the Illinois and other Indians OF the
Lake Michigan region to the tribe Of In
dams living west Of the Mississippi and
along the great muddy river" The term,
literally interpreted, meant '.the wooden
canoe people," or .'the people who use
wooden canoes" The Lake Michigan In
dams uniformly used birch.bark canoes.
while the Indians on the muddy river used
canoes dug out Of logs. The turbulent
adapted to frail bark vessels,
and the use Of log canoes was to the lake
Indians such popularity that they named
the tribe Of people using them from this
ChQrantoriokio RyYk ho h<Hr, i,
mind that the Missouri tribe of Indians did
not call themselves .'Missouris." They had
no such word in their language. Their
tribal name, or the name which they gave
their tribe, was "Nu-dar-cha," a Dakota
word, whose real Specification is not
has Consulted 'e every available aosSsorty
even the Sioux or Dakotas, themselves. 1t
may mean fishermen or fish eaters. The
first reference to the Missouri tribe of In
dlans made by European was by the inn
mortal Father Marquette. In letter or
report written in 1910, while stationed at
La Pointe. on Lake Superior, and addressed
to La Mercier. his father superior, he men
tions having heard from the Illinois, of ma
lions west of the Mississippi and below the
mouth of the Illinois river, who use canoes
OF wood" On Marquette's map. in the re-
gion referred to, appear the name and the
location of the SOU Messoure'' Indians.
Father Marquette must have obtained this
name from Algonquins, for he was only in
the company of and in communication with
representative Of that great family. On
the earliest maps the name is given either
s'Ou -Messoure," ''Oui- Messouret" or ''We-
Messouret,' the final ''t'' being silent.
But the Illinois Indians did not call the
river on which dwelt the Missouri Indians
by that name. They called it "Pek-a-tan-
oui," and it is SO designated on Marquette's
map. Now, this word "Pek-a-tan-oui"
does mean muddy" or turbid. In the
Sac and Fox dialect, another variety Of the
souri, river was .'Pek-a-ton-o-ke-Se po,"
meaning ''the river of whirlpools," from
"Pekatonoke," whirlpool, and ''Sepo,"
river: It may be repeated, therefore, that
the Mississippi Indians designated this
particular tribe by one name and the river
French gave the river the name. which,
practically, it now bears. They call it ..La
Riviere des Messoures"-the river of the
Missouries; that is to say, 'the river
whereon live the Missouri Indians" The
French named other rivers in the same
manner. as the River of the Illinois"
River of the Osages," from the Usage or
OuchaRe tribe; the "Riviere des Moines,'
from the Moingonan tribe, etc. It NAV be |
remarked that the word illinois, signifies |
the perfect men" and the word Ouchage |
means the strong armed" although the |
Osages called themselves by another name. |
Daniel Coke, the first Englishman to de-
scribe thoroughly the transmississippiI
region, called the Missouri, 1.-The Great Vel |
low river" but of course some one before |
him had 80 designated it, presumably from
The color of its waters. Coke also terms the |
Missouri tribe 1.-THE Massourites."
LONDON DOCKMEN.
Excellent Prospects for Another General |
Strike Of the Men.
LONDON, Nov. 4.-The scheme submitted