Still, we’re fortunate that all of the original place names
weren’t obliterated. The same can be said for the Native
American words that persist in what we now know as the American
language. They add a poetic, almost musical touch to our
everyday lives that would otherwise be sorely missed. It’s
interesting to keep track of the ways we find books that we
enjoy via reviews, blurbs, word of mouth, etc. Before Christmas
my friend Lee Knight, the folklorist and musician, came by for a
visit and presented me with a little book titled Tracks That
Speak: The Legacy of Native American Words in North American
Culture (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002) by Charles L. Cutler.
“There,” he said, “You’ll be able to get several columns out of
that one.” Lee knows me pretty well, so I just nodded agreement.
And he was, of course, quite right. It’s my kind of book and
touched upon the sort of material that I like to share via this
column. I’m going to provide some of Cutler’s research to whet
your appetite. Many will then no dou