The Canadian government has a web page which is entitled “Aboriginal place names contribute to a rich tapestry“. It gives some of the place names of Canada which came from the language of the aboriginal people who lived there. The name “Canada” itself, comes from the Huron language word for settlement or village, “Kanata“.

Place names are never just meaningless sounds. Rather, they embody stories about the places to which they are attached. They give us valuable insights into history and provide clues about the country’s cultural and social development. A study of place names will always reveal the astounding diversity and depth of Aboriginal peoples’ contributions to contemporary Canada.

When I was growing up we had a children’s song to teach us to count -”Little Indian Boys“. I suppose that is no longer sung, as political correctness has probably banished it from the land.

No Little Indian Boys - anymore, and it is a cultural loss.