Place Names in Lushootseed

Have you heard the term “Place Names” and wondered what that means? This page of Lushootseed Vocabulary focuses on significant and sacred places in the Snoqualmie Valley that are meaningful to the Snoqualmie People.

Place names are our traditional Lushootseed names for our lands, waterways, harvesting areas, and other important areas. Overtime, many of these places have had other names assigned to them by non-Native colonizers. Despite the recent history, the Snoqualmie People have an ancient, unbroken connection to these lands which still carry their own names in out native Lushootseed language. Significant places carry their own names from our oral histories passed down for generations.

In order to deepen understanding and experience of a place, it is important that place names are shared and represented appropriately. We look forward to sharing with you some Snoqualmie place names!