The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-07-20

DIOouI bIouIu WIS gwen 10 bdHieI
Boone, the famous borderer Of the
early days of the state, by IN intelll'
gent Indian chief OF his day, and the
title is supposed to have been descrip
tive of the bloody warfare in colonial
times, not only between the Indians
and the whites, but also betw cen the
Indians from both sides Of the Ohio
river, who used this region as a battle
wound.
The Buckeye state. Ohio. takes its
name from its principal river, which
bore a long lroQuois Indian maine.
meaning Beautiful River"
Illinois is named for the Illini tribe
of Indians, who lived in hat section
and whose name meant Men" and TO
which the French added their adjec-
tive termination, "ois."
The name of another Indian tribe,
A~h-hec-oo-ba, is perpetuated in Iowa.
The name meant SLEEPY Ones or
"Drowsy Ones" and this probably
goes far toward explaining why this
tribe VAS nearly eXterminated by the
Sioux. It's members lived In the val
ley Of the states principal river, TO
which they gave their name and after
which, in turn, the state wHs named.
The Indians penchant for naming
places after bodies Of water Is further
illustrated In the name Of Michigan,
which from an Algonquin word,
"Mishigamaw,' meaning big Lake"
or Great Water"
Now we come To another state name
the origin and meaning of which are
uncertain. Wisconsin, written by the
early French explorers OF that region
rs "OuiscOnsin" and named for Its
chief stream, Is thought to have come
from a Sank Indian word translated
rs wild Rushing Channel" and also
rs having reference to holes In the
banks OF streams where birds nest.
Others Named From Rivers.
Another river-named state Is Mime
sofa, derived from a Sioux Indian
word meaning CLOUDY Water" or SKY
Tinted Water"
Our greatest Western stream gives
its name To Missouri, and its yellow
flow toward its mouth well merits Its
meaning, Muddy Water"
The popular meaning often given to
Arkansas is Bend or Bow in the Kan.
sas,' but it is manifest that this Is er.
roneous, for this river does not enter
! the state. One Of the Indian tribes Of
that region bore this name, which was
written by early French explorers az
"Alkansia," or Arkansas" and In
many other forms. The meaning Of
the word has been lost. In 1903 GER
tain pioneers resident In Arkansas
county Of Missouri territory petltiOned
congress to establish the territory OF
Arkansas; hence these men are the
! ones who perIetuated the Indian name.
The wide plains OF the Dak0tas
were the home of the Sioux, or Dakota
tribes, and this name, which, accord
Ing to dialect, was also written "LakO-
ta," "Lahkota," or "Nakota." and sig
nifes allies was used as the com
mon name OF all the confederated
Sioux tribes.
The Sioux tongue also gives us Ne
braska, an Otoe Sioux word meaning
shallow Water or Broad Water
terms descriptive of the river for
which the state is named.
The state Of Kansas was named for
an Indian tribe which inhabited that
region and lived along the river to
which IT gave its name. The Kansas
or KAMA Indians were OF the Sioux
family and their name means wind
People," or people Of the South
Wind
Oklahoma also bears a tribal name
taken from the Choctaw tongue. 1t has
the peculiarly significant meaning OF
Red people"
II is a strange fact that a valley In
Pennsylvania, famed for n Revolu'
tionary massacre, and a far-westerr
state should bear the same name; yet
The latter Is named for the former
Two meanings, both well supported
by competent authorities, have been
given to the word Wyoming. One Is
that II Is a corruption Of a Delaware
or Leni-Lenape word, "Maugh-wau
wanna" meaning Extensive Plains
The other Interpretation which ha.
been put upon 1t Is Mountains witt
Valleys Alternating" Both Of these
meanings could be fttingly applied t.
the state OF Wyoming.
One Of the most highly civilized In
dian tribes in the history Of the New
World, the Aztecs, has given us a state
name, for our Southern %neighbOr de
rives her name from the word "Mexi
TIL" nm Aztec tutelary divinity. hence
New Mexico. Another meaning giver
TO this word Is "Habitation Of the Coo
OF War"
A small Southwestern tribe, tn,
Papagos, a peaceful people and sadl!
harassed by the warlike Apaches
gives US the name. of Arizona. 1t Il
taken from a former locality Of their
called ~"Arizonac," or "~Arizonaca,
meaning "Place Of the Small Springs.
The Mormon state. Utah. takes IL