Terms from Chinook Jargon, a regional trade language of the Pacific Northwest, have been used as place names since contact between Europeans and Indigenous people began in the late-18th and early-19th centuries. Anthropologist Douglas Deur has described the "toponymic complex" of Chinook Jargon place names as "perhaps the most extensive ... in North America." The language includes words from both the Indo-European languages of settlers, primarily English and French, as well as Native Pacific Northwest languages, primarily the Chinookan and Salishan language families. While many place names date to the contact period, others were bestowed later by government agencies like the United States Forest Service. Others are a hybrid, with an earlier contact-era Chinook Jargon name combined with a later, English addition. Spelling in Chinook Jargon, outside of its contemporary use at the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde reservation, has never been standardized, resulting in wide variability both across and within eras and regions.
The following is an incomplete listing of place names derived from Chinook Jargon, generally found in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, the Canadian Yukon Territory and the U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Some outliers exist in California, Utah, Nevada, the Canadian Prairies and the Great Plains States, and as far east as Michigan, Ontario, Quebec and New Hampshire; those in the Prairies or Plains and Ontario or Quebec may be assumed to have been "carried" there in the contact era by fur traders.
Note: multiples entries of the same name are sorted in alphabetical order by state or province.
A
Placename Meaning Countyor Region State/Province Type USGS Quador NTS topo Latitude Longitude CommentsAlki"soon", "the future"West Seattle, KingWAneighborhoodDuwamish Head47.576°N122.409°WThe earliest American settlers in the Seattle area called their settlement "New York Alki." "Alki" is the state motto of Washington.Alki Beach"West Seattle, KingWAbeachDuwamish Head47.579°N122.409°W Alki Creek"St. Mary Lake, W of CranbrookBCstream82F/949°36′57″N116°12′58″W Alki Creek"near Dawson CityYTstream116B/264°03′55″N138°59′15″W Alkie Creek"Tatshenshini-AlsekBCstream114P/1159°41′33″N137°12′55″W Alki Crest"PierceWAsummitGolden Lakes46.964°N121.893°W Alki Elementary"KingWAschoolDuwamish Head47.578°N122.406°W Alki Point"West Seattle, KingWAcapeDuwamish Head47.576°N122.419°W Alki Point Lighthouse"West Seattle, KingWAlocaleDuwamish Head47.574°N122.418°W
B
PlacenameMeaningCountyor RegionState/ProvinceTypeUSGS Quador NTS topoLatitudeLongitudeCommentsBig Mowich Mountainmowich means "deer"HarneyORsummitBig Mowich Mountain43.952°N119.564°Walso indexed under "M"Big Mowich Reservoir"GrantORreservoirSuplee Butte44.224°N119.608°Walso indexed under "M"Big Skookumsee SkookumMasonWAinlet47°12′20″N123°01′01″WMore commonly called Hammersley Inlet today. See also Little Skookum.Boston Bar"American" (as opposed to British which was "King George")Fraser CanyonBCcommunity & bar92H/1449°51′58″N121°26′31″Walso Boston Bar Indian Reserves nos. 1A, 8, 9, 11. "Bar" means sandy riverbank.Boston Bar Creek"Coquihalla River,Canadian CascadesBCstream92H/649°29′18″N121°12′41″WBoston Bay"Comox LakeBCbay92H/649°38′0″N125°8′0″WBoston Bluff"KlamathORcliffDevils Peak42.678°N122.226°WBoston Brook"ShoshoneIDstreamSteamboat Creek47.719°N116.209°WBoston Canyon"UmatillaORvalleyGibbon45.684°N118.362°WBoston Creek"Comox LakeBCstream92H/649°38′10″N125°8′2″WBoston Drain"MalheurORcanalVale West43.932°N117.319°WBoston Flats"Cache Creek-Ashcroft junctionBClocality & flat92I/1450°45′57″N121°18′40″WBoston Gulch"BoiseIDvalleyPlacerville43.896°N115.902°WBoston Harbor"ThurstonWAbaySquaxin Island47.142°N122.902°WBoston Harbor"ThurstonWAtown/citySquaxin Island47.139°N122.900°Walso Boston Harbor Elementary SchoolBoston Hill"NE of Red DeerABsummit83A/652°28′00″N113°26′00″WAlberta location code 29 and 30-40-24-W4; presumably of Chinook origin, but possibly notBoston Horse Camp"MalheurORlocaleBrogan44.128°N117.608°WBoston Islands"Wales Island, Tongass Pass/Chatham SoundBCislands103J/1054°42′0″N130°34′0″WBoston Lake"N of Comox LakeBCislands92F/1149°39′3″N125°12′44″Wsource of Boston CreekBoston Mills (historical)"LinnORlocaleHalsey44.461°N123.081°WBoston Mills Post Office (historical)"LinnORlocaleHalsey44.461°N123.081°WBoston Mountain"IdahoIDsummitBoston Mountain45.646°N115.188°WBoston Mountain Lake"IdahoIDlakeBoston Mountain45.642°N115.181°WBoston Point"Cook Channel, Nootka Island, Nootka SoundBCcape92e/1049°39′376″N126°36′53″WBoston Point"JeffersonWAcapeBrinnon47.665°N122.903°WBoston Ridge"N side Comox LakeBCridge92F/1149°38′18″N125°11′53″Wflanks Boston CreekBoston Sink"CrookORflatHardin Ranch43.882°N119.926°WBoston Tunnel"GrantORmineGranite44.864°N118.389°W
C PlacenameMeaningCounty or RegionState/ProvinceTypeUSGS Quad or NTS topoLatitudeLongitudeCommentsChack Chack Lake"bald eagle"Desolation SoundBClake92F/949°41'00"124°09'00""Named after L.H. Roberts of Nelson Island, whose Indian name is Chack-chak (the Chinook Jargon word for "bald eagle")"Chako Creek"come", "become"LaneORstreamGroundhog Mountain43.519°N122.284°WChickaman Gulch"metal, ore"MissoulaMTvalleyCarlton Lake46.746°N114.193°W usually spelled "chikamin" or "chickaman"Chickaman Mine"MissoulaMTmineBlue Mountain46.751°N114.193°WChikamin Bay"metal, ore"Chikamin Range,Hazelton MountainsBCbay93E/753°28′00″N126°56′0″WChikamin Creek"Chikamin Range,Hazelton MountainsBCstream93E/753°28′00″N126°59′0″WChikamin Creek"ChelanWAstreamChikamin Creek47.904°N120.729°WChikamin Creek"Grays HarborWAstreamMount Hoquiam47.503°N123.541°WChikamin Creek"SnohomishWAstreamGlacier Peak West48.033°N121.198°WChikamin Lake"KittitasWAlakeChikamin Peak47.481°N121.305°WChikamin Mountain"Chikamin Range,Hazelton MountainsBCsummit93E/753°23′19″N127°3′2″WChikamin Peak"KingWAsummitChikamin Peak47.480°N121.315°WChikamin Range"Hazelton MountainsBCrange93E/653°24′0″N127°5′0″WTahtsa Lake;Chikamin Ridge"ChelanWAridgeChikamin Creek47.973°N120.688°WChikamin Ridge"KittitasWAridgeChikamin Peak47.458°N121.293°WChinooksee Chinook windDeer River,N of BrooksABunincorporated area72M/751°27′00″N110°55′00″WAlberta location code 4-29-7-W4Chinook"BlaineMTtown/city & localeChinook48.590°N109.231°Walso Chinook Alliance Church, Chinook Cemetery, Chinook Fire Department, Chinook Golf Club, Chinook High School, Chinook Police Department, Chinook Post OfficeChinooksee Chinook salmonPacificWAtown/cityChinook46.273°N123.944°WChinook Bay Campgroundsee Chinook salmonCusterIDlocaleStanley44.159°N114.912°WChinook Bendsee Chinook salmonLincolnIDbendDevils Lake44.881°N123.960°WChinook Campgroundsee Chinook salmonIdahoIDlocaleLoon Lake45.213°N115.809°WChinook Covesee Chinook salmonNorth Thompson River,N of BarriereBCunincorporated area92P/1 and 92P/851°14′00″N120°10′00″WChinook Creeksee Chinook salmonMatanuska-SusitnaAKstreamTalkeetna Mountains D-562.803°N149.163°WChinook Creeksee Chinook windWapiti RiverABstream83L/1254°44′00″N119°57′00″WAlberta location code 66-13-W6Chinook Creeksee Chinook salmonNorth Thompson River,N of BarriereBCstream92B/851°16′00″N120°11′00″WChinook Creeksee Chinook salmonPierceWAstreamChinook Pass46.800°N121.558°WChinook Creeksee Chinook salmonSkamaniaWAstreamBare Mountain45.961°N122.114°WChinook Creek"Teslin Lake,near CarcrossYTstream105D/860°31P0621'00"N134°13′00″WChinook Elementary Schoolsee Chinook salmonKingWAschoolAuburn47.290°N122.180°WChinook Elementary Schoolsee Chinook wind and Chinook salmonCayugaNYlocaleFair Haven43.317°N76.718°WChinook Jettysee Chinook salmonPacificWAlocaleChinook46.254°N123.946°WChinook, Lacsee Chinook windRiviere St.-Maurice, near La Tuque,MauricieQClake31P/647°17′00″N73°01′00″WChinook, Lac du"Duhamel, PapineauQClake31J/346°00′00″N75°16′00″WChinook, Lac du"Riviere de Sault aux Cochons,near Lac-au-Brochet,La Haute-Côte-NordQClake22F/449°03′00″N69°51′00″WChinook, Lac du"Lac-Ashuapmushuan, Le Domaine-du-RoyQClake32A/1248°40′00″N73°58′00″WChinook Lakesee Chinook salmonFlatheadMTlakeTally Lake48.433°N114.528°WChinook Lake"Etamami RiverSKlake63D/852°23′00″N102°28′00″WSaskatchewan location code 39-4-W2Chinook Lake"Wapiti RiverABlake83L/1254°38′00″N119°56′00″WAlberta location code 65-13-W6Chinook Middle Schoolsee Chinook salmonKingWAschoolClyde Hill43.37°N122.126°WChinook Middle Schoolsee Chinook salmonKingWAschoolKirkland47.628°N122.210°WChinook Middle Schoolsee Chinook salmonKingWAschoolDes Moines47.435°N122.279°WChinook Middle Schoolsee Chinook salmonThurstonWAschoolLacey47.054°N122.826°W Chinook Mountainsee Chinook salmonShuswap Highland, NE of BarriereBCsummit92P/851°18′00″N120°07′00″WChinook Mountainsee Chinook salmonValleyIDsummitChinook Mountain44.733°N115.352°WChinook Parksee Chinook windCalgaryABunincorporated area82J/1650°59′00″N114°05′00″WChinook Parksee Chinook salmonJosephineORparkGrants Pass42.429°N123.259°WChinook Passsee ChinookYakimaWAgapChinook Pass46.872°N121.514°WChinook Pass Work Centersee ChinookYakimaWAlocaleCliffdell46.902°N121.016°WChinook Peaksee Chinook windCrowsnest PassABsummit82J/1649°35′00″N114°37′00″WAlberta location code 27-5-7-W5Chinook, Petit lac du"Riviere de Sault aux Cochons,near Lac-au-Brochet,La Haute-Côte-NordQClake22F/449°04′00″N69°51′00″WChinook Pointsee Chinook salmonPacificWAcapeChinook46.252°N123.921°WChinook Ridgesee Chinook SalmonWapiti RiverAB/BCsummit83L/1254°39′00″N120°00′00″WChinook Riversee Chinook salmonPacificWAcapeChinook46.302°N123.971°WChinook Schoolsee Chinook salmonAnchorageAKcapeAnchorage A-8 NW61.142°N149.937°WChinook Valley"Peace RiverABunincorporated area83L/1256°29′00″N117°39′00″WAlberta location code 24-86-24-W5Chum Creek"painted, marked"Little Shuswap LakeBCstream83L/1350°51′54″N119°35′52″WChum (sometimes spelled tzum often means the chum salmon - i.e. spotted salmon (or dog salmon), which may be the case here; given the location (near Chase) it could just as easily have to do with coloured stones, or availability of ochre or other pigments. Also Chum Creek Indian Reserve No. 2 at same locationChum Lake"S of Little Shuswap LakeBClake83L/1350°49′0″N119°35′0″Wsource of Chum CreekChum Point"Salmon InletBClake83L/1349°39′12″N123°37′57″Wat this location probably refers to salmon; the point opposite is Steelhead Point, and this is Salmon Inlet (an arm of Sechelt Inlet)Chumstick"painted/marked wood/tree"ChelanWAtown/cityWinton47.688°N120.638°Wpossibly refers to a type of tree, or to the use of a particular type of wood or tree used as a paintbrush, or as a source of dye or paint. Chumstick Creek"ChelanWAstreamLeavenworth47.603°N120.643°WChumstick Mountain"ChelanWAsummitChumstick Mountain47.651°N120.450°WColchuck Glacier"cold water" i.e. "ice"ChelanWAglacierEnchantment Lakes47.480°N120.839°WCole + chuckColchuck Lake"ChelanWAglacierEnchantment Lakes47.480°NColchuck Lake Dam"ChelanWAdamEnchantment Lakes47.495°N120.835°WColchuck Pass"ChelanWAgapEnchantment Lakes47.481°N120.819°WColchuck Peak"ChelanWAsummitEnchantment Lakes47.477°N120.844°WColchuck Trail"ChelanWAtrailEnchantment Lakes47.498°N120.838°WCosho Peak"hog, pig, swine"SkagitWAsummitMount Logan48.589°N120.926°Wfrom fr. le cochon; Cosho Peak is on Ragged Ridge, which also includes other Jargon-named peaks: Kimtah Peak, Katsuk Peak, Mesahchie Peak (q.v.)