Historic Geographic Names

Historic geographic names were shaped by the interactions of Indigenous peoples, European explorers, traders, and settlers. These names often reflected the cultural, economic, and environmental context of the fur trade, which centered on the exchange of furs for goods. Geographic names that were derived from Indigenous languages, often described the landscape, resources, or cultural significance of a place. Traders adopted these names for navigation and communication. An example of this would be the Saskatchewan River (from Cree kisiskāciwanisīpiy, meaning “swift flowing river”).

Other of geographic names in the fur trade era were those that came from French, British, American, and Spanish explorers and traders that often named places after their patrons, saints, or descriptive features related to the fur trade. Many historic geographic names are tied to forts or posts established by trade companies like the Hudson’s Bay Company or the North West Company. These names often reflect their strategic importance. Fort Michilimackinac (from an Odawa term for “great turtle,”) was a critical trade hub in the Great Lakes.

Historic geographic names persist today, though some have changed due to political shifts or efforts to restore Indigenous names. For example, places once named by European traders might now reflect Indigenous heritage, like the trend toward using Anishinaabe names in parts of Canada. The fur trade also left a legacy of bilingual names, especially in French English regions, such as Lac La Biche (French for “Lake of the Doe,” from an Indigenous description). Surprisingly, many names did not survive and are not listed within the official Geographic Names Boards of both Canada and the United States, although they maybe still used by the today’s indigenous peoples; one can only hope.

As research is conducted into the travels of such people, phonetically recorded indigenous names, historic names recorded down by travelers, and the modern geographic names of these features are captured. The result of which are Historic Geographic Names Spatial Datasets on a feature by feature basis. More features are being prepared for release starting with historic portages. More will become available in the near future.

Historic Portages which can be acquired HERE.