THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME MANITOBA by Don Pelechaty The name Manitoba originated in the language of the Native people who lived on the prairies and who traveled the waters of Lake Manitoba. These people, the Cree and Assiniboine Indians, introduced European explorers, traders end settlers to the region and the waterways. They also passed on to the newcomers the ancient names and poetic legends associated with the places they inhabited. Over two centuries of contact and trade between the Europeans and the Indians resulted in a blending of their languages. From Indian name and legend, to official title of the Province, the evolution of the word Manitoba mirrors the history of the region. The most common concept of the name Manitoba, claims the word originated with the Cree words Manitou (water spirit) and Wapow (narrows), or, in Ojibway, Manito-baw. The straight of the narrows of the spirit, referred to the narrows of Lake Manitoba. There, a strong north or south wind can send the waves crashing against the limestone shingles on the shore of the Lake and Manitoba Island. The Indians believed the eerie sound made by the wind and the waves was the voice or drumbeat of the Manitou or Great Spirit. Henry Youle Hind, one of the leaders of an expedition into what is now southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, was impressed by the mysterious noises produced by the waves on Manitoba Island. One night while camping near the Narrows, Hind awoke and thought he heard the sound of chimes or distant church bells. As the wind subsided the chime-like tune was replaced by a low wailing sound. He observed that the eerie noises produced by the wind and the waves werequite sufficient to strike awe into his mind as no doubt it did for the Indians. Hinds impressions were confirmed by the Canadian Geographical Survey of 1890-91, when J.B.Tyrell noted that the water pounding against the resonant limestone cliffs and pounding along the pebbled shores created the sound the Indians believed to be the voice of Manitou. He also wrote that a light wind produced the sound of tinkling bells described by Henry Hind. The narrows of Lake Manitoba were sacred to the Cree and Saulteaux. When crossing the Narrows or camping nearby the Indians offered gifts to the Greet Spirit which were thrown into the waters of the Lake. A prayer or offering was thought to bring good luck to those who passed by and many traveled to the narrows seeking signs of good will or ill fortune. A legend that supports the Cree origins of the name Manitoba show how the area came to be associated with magical power. The tragic tale concerns two young people from an Indian village on the Lake shore, Makoos (the Bear) and his fiance, Wahsiap - the daughter of the Chief. Makoos and Wahsiap were to wed in the Spring after the young men returned from the hunt. Wahsiap promised her lover that she would meet his canoe on its return. On the appointed day she set out for the rendezvous but soon discovered she was being pursued by the Mutchi-Manitou (Evil Spirit) who wanted her for himself. Wahsiap knew that Mutchi-Manitou could not cross water so she leaped onto a beaver mound in the middle of the Lake only to find that the evil spirit was busy blowing on the intervening water to dry it up. Totem the Beaver tried to help by building a row of mounds out into the Lake but Mutchi-Manitou dried up the water too quickly. Suddenly, Makoos canoe appeared and Wahsiap watched helpless, as Mutchi-Manitou seized her lovers paddle, dealt him a fatal blow, and threw his body into the Lake. Chased by the evil spirit in Makoos canoe, Wahsiap called on the Gitchi-Manitou (good spirit) for help. He came to her rescue at the last moment, struck down the Mutchi-Manitou and led Wahsiap safely to shore. Gitchi-Manitou hid the young girl among the reeds and it is said that the sorrowful sound of the wind in the rushes is the voice of Wahsiap mourning her lost lover. According to the legend, the part of the Lake made narrow by the beaver mounds was named after the Great Spirit in memory of that tragic event. Thomas Spence, leader of the Canadian settlement at Portage la Prairie was the first person to use the word Manitoba in reference to both the Lake and the land surrounding it. By 1858 the population of the Portage community had grown to the point it needed a municipal council of its own. It was in his declaration of independence to the British Colonial Office that Spence informed the officials that his new district was to be known as The Republic Of Manitobah. As we know, the Government was not recognized but the name endured. After the Red River resistance of 1870, Thomas Spence joined Louis Riels Metis Council. In the Spring of 1870 delegates were sent to Ottawa to negotiate the transfer of Red River to the Government of Canada. Although the document stated the new province would be called Assiniboine, Riel had misgivings, thinking Assiniboine would be limiting the new territory to the Red River settlement, while the new Province was to include a wider region. When on May 2,1870, Sir John A. MacDonald entered the House of Commons he announced one new province had entered Confederation under the terms of The Manitoba Act. He said the name had been chosen because of its pleasant sound and its old association with the original inhabitants of the area. Both the Cree and the Assiniboine terms, legends and the events associated with their use are preserved forever in the Provinces name. A plaque commemorating the origin of the name Manitoba is located on the East side of the Narrows of Lake Manitoba. Don Pelechaty
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 19:02:11 +0000
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