Multnomah (Sauvie Island Indian Village)

Published In

The Oregon Encyclopedia

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Subjects

Sauvie Island (Or.) -- History, Native Americans -- Oregon -- Social life and customs, Native Americans -- Oregon -- History

Abstract

"Multnomah" is a word familiar to Oregonians as the name of a county and a waterfall, among other places. Less well known is its origin as the name of an Indian village once located on the upriver end of Sauvie Island facing the Columbia River. The name is from Chinookan ɬnumax̣ (also nímaɬnumax̣) ‘those toward water’ (or ‘toward the Columbia River’, known in Chinookan as ímaɬ or wímaɬ ‘the great water’).

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/25245

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