The Redwood gazette., 1936-02-06
Indian Tribes Giyen Many
Queer Names by Explorers

story rejected outright, the
strange names of Indian tribes in
his letters do not necessarily
weaken his story. The early ex-
plorers seem to have been espe-
cially unfortunate in failing to
learn the true names of the tribes,
or it may be that they were adept
at evolving strange or impressive
names.
The Iroquois, one of the most
widely known tribes, or nations,
of American Indians had 134
names, all on record. Among
these were Acquinoshionee, Can
aghkouse, Haughgoghnuchshin-
once, Matchenawtowaig and Yak
wanasyanni. The Teton Sioux
were called by Hennepin "Thin-
tonha" and LeSueur labeled the
Yankton Sioux "Hinhanneton."
Even the names of some of the
tribes of Sioux in Minnesota at
the time of the Sioux outbreak in
1862 were tongue-twisters. The
tribes were the Medawakontons
Presidents of the village of Spirit
lake,, Wapatons (people of the
village of the leaves), Sissestons
jewellers in the village of the
Marsh) and Wapakutas (Leaf
Shooters).
So, even though we are to en-
counter other strange tribal
strange tribal names in Lohon-
tan's letters we know that these
names were not unusual. We re-
sumo today the baron's narrative.
Checking back, We learn that the
party left Capital Canton near
the mouth of the Chippewa river
in pirogues, or dugouts, with a
convoy of 300 Essanapes for the
land of the Gnascitares. Lahon-
tan wrote:
December the 4th l took leave
of this village :. the first day we
had enough to do to run six or
seven leagues, by reason Of the
Bulrushes with which the Lake
presumably Lac qui Parle) is en-
cumber'd. The two following days
we sailed twenty Leagues. The
4th day a West-North- West wind
surprised us with such a bolster
Gus violence, that we were forced
to put ashoar, and lay two days
upon a sandy Ground, where we
were in danger of starving for
Hunger and Cold; for the country
was so barren that we could not
find a chip of wood wherewith to
warm ourselves, or to dress our
Victuals, and as far as our Eye
could reach, there was nothing to
be seen but Fens cover'd with
Weeds and Clay and naked Fields
At last after sailing six days
more we arrived at the Point or
Lands-end Of that Island which
you see mark'd in my map with a
Flower-de-luce. twas then the
18th day of December, and we had
not yet felt all the rigorous Hard
ships of the Cold"
1t is probable that the party
padded through Marsh and Big
Stone lakes also, and some carto-
graphers fix Lahontan's Lands
end" as near Browns Valley. But
Lahontan did not venture in the
distant lands of the Mozeemleks
and the Tahuglauks. He was told,
he says, of the rivers, mountains,
a great salt lake and noble cities.
Could his informants have refer
red to the Rocky Mountains and
Great Salt lake? The baron tells
US he had a long conference with
the "Cacick" in the Gnacsitares
village and turned back after set
ting up "a great long pole with
the Arms of France done upon a
Plate of Lead" He wrote, 81 set
out the Goth of January and ar
riv'd safe on the 18th of February
in the country of the Essanapes.
We had much more pleasure in
sailing down the River than we
had in going up You must
know that the Stream of the
Tongue River is all along very
slack and easie, abating for about
three Leagues between the 14th
and 18th Village; for there indeed
it's Current may properly be calPd
rapid"
On Lahontan's map this rapids
seem to be near the mouth of the
Chippewa river, but some author
tiles think he referred to the
rapids near Granite Falls. 1t is
conceded that there may have
been material changes in the cur
rent and channel between Lahon-
tan's alleged visit and the first
settlement period. The description
of the stream continues:
"The channel is so straight that
it scarce winds at all from the
Head to the Lake F.. tbs navig-
able with the greatest of ease and
will bear barks of fifty Tun."
While most early explorers and,
particularly, photographers wholly
ignored Lahontan's claims and his
map, Nicollet offered a new in
depreciation. In a report he
wrote:
Having procured a copy of La
hontan's book in which there is a
roughly made map of his Long
River, / was struck with the re-
semblance Of its course as laid
down with that of Cannon River,
which l had previously sketched
in my own Textbook. / soon con-
vinced myself that the principal
statements of the Baron in refer
ence to the country and the few
details he gives of the physical
character of the river, coincide re-
markably with what l had laid
down as belonging to the Cannon
River. Then the lakes and swamps
corresponded; traces of Indian
villages mentioned by him might
be found by a growth of wild
grass that propagates itself
around all old Indian settlements. Y
So we have some latitude allowed
us in seeking to interpret Lahon-
-Northwestqrn Feature Sery-