In Washington State where I live, place names, courtesy of the Duwamish, Suquamish, and other tribes, can get pretty interesting, and often provide great amusement, amazement, and great confusion to tourists and other flatland furriners.

The Duwamish river runs through part of south Seattle (city named after a Suquamish chief). Dosewallops, Duckabush, Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqalmie are nearby rivers. Sequim (pronounced "skwim," but tourists invariable call it "SEE-kwim") is a small city up on the Straits of Juan de Fuca (which is named after a Greek, Apostolos Varianos, who called himself "Juan de Fuca" because he was employed by the Spanish to try to find the western outlet of the Northwest Passage, and may or may not have discovered the Straits in 1592). Kathlamet, Wahkiakum, Klickitat, Yakima—all in all, it's kinda hard to ask directions around here without chipping a tooth.

What's in a name. . . ?

Don Firth