Native American Place Names in Mississippi

By Keith A. Baca

Biloxi. Tunica. Pascagoula. Yazoo. Tishomingo. Yalobusha. Tallahatchie. Itta Bena. Yockanookany. Bogue Chitto. These and hundreds of other place names of Native American origin are scattered across the map of Mississippi. Described by writer Willie Morris as “the mysterious, lost euphonious litany,” such colorful names, which were given by the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and other tribes, contribute significantly to the state’s sense of place. Yet the general public is largely unaware of exact meanings and tribal roots.

Native American Place Names in Mississippi is the first reference book devoted to a subject of interest to residents and visitors alike. From large rivers and towns to tiny creeks and rural communities, Keith A. Baca identifies the most probable meanings of many names with more than one recorded interpretation. He corrects misconceptions that have arisen over the years and translates numerous names for the first time. For the benefit of travelers, he provides the location of each named place. To bring attention to often inconspicuous and unmarked streams, he also indicates points where highways cross rivers and creeks with Native American appellations. Sidebars present Native American history, legends, and myths that surround these enigmatic and alluring designations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Release date: Mar 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781628469899

Book preview

A

Abiaca Creek (uh-BY-uh-kuh)

SW Carroll/SE Leflore/NW Holmes counties. Crossed by U.S. Hwy. 49E one mi. N of Cruger. From Choctaw abaiyυka, the side of a swamp or creek (Seale 1939, p. 34).

Abotcaputa Creek

W Carroll County. Local pronunciation unrecorded. From Choctaw apokta, doubled and pυtha, wide (Seale 1939, pp. 33–34), i.e., a wide creek with two branches.

Acona

Community (founded c. 1850) in N Holmes County. Local pronunciation unrecorded. This name somewhat resembles the Choctaw words okhina, water course; ford; stream and aiikhυna, place for learning; school. Another possibility is that Acona is derived from Choctaw yakni, land (cf. Yocona River and Yokena, q.v.). The belief that Acona is "from the Indian word meaning whoa (Brieger 1997, p. 272) is unfounded: while the English term whoa is not found in the Byington (1915) or Watkins (1892) Choctaw-English dictionaries, none of the various Choctaw equivalents of the synonyms to stop and to halt" bear any resemblance to Acona. As for the similar Chickasaw language, hika, to stop is also used as an equivalent to whoa (Munro and Willmond 1994, p. 105); this word shows no similarity to the place name.

Alampa Creek

SW Winston County. Local pronunciation unrecorded. Apparently from Choctaw alumpoa, hiding places.

Alamucha (al-uh-MUCH-ee)

Community (founded c. 1832) in E Lauderdale County. Named for nearby Alamuchee Creek (see for translation).

Alamuchee Creek (al-uh-MUCH-ee)

SE Lauderdale County, Miss./Sumter County, Ala. Apparently from Choctaw aluma, hiding place (cf. alumpoa for Alampa Creek, above) and sha, to be there (cf. Seale 1939, p. 35). However, Read (1984, p. 4) suggests that the second element of the name may be from the Choctaw diminutive suffix ushi. If so, the name means little hiding place (Read 1984, 4; Seale 35–36).

Alamuchee Creek, Little

SE Lauderdale County. See Alamuchee Creek for translation and local pronunciation.

Amite County (uh-MIT, am-EET)

Established 1817; named for the Amite River. See Amite River, East Fork for translation.

Amite River, East Fork

Amite/SW Lincoln counties. See Amite County for local pronunciation. Crossed by Miss. Hwy. 24/48 six mi. E of Liberty. Amite is possibly a corruption of Choctaw himmita, young (Seale 1939, p. 38). However, the name is popularly believed to be derived from the French word amitié, friendship, ostensibly a reference to friendly Indians encountered by early eighteenth-century French settlers along the lower Amite River in Louisiana. No historical documentation has been found to confirm this supposition, however (Seale 1939, pp. 37–38). Stewart (1970, p. 13) incorrectly suggests that the name is Choctaw for ant (sh kυni is the actual Choctaw word for the insect).

Amite River, West Fork

Amite County. Crossed by Miss. Hwy. 48 three mi. SW of Liberty. See Amite River, East Fork for translation and Amite County for local pronunciation.

Apookta Creek (uh-POOK-tuh)

W Attala County (q.v.). Crossed by Miss. Hwy. 35 two mi. NW of Kosciusko. From Choctaw apokta, doubled, i.e., a creek with two branches (Seale 1939, p. 38). Little Apookta Creek (q.v.) is the other branch. Cushman (1999, p. 480) incorrectly states that the name is derived from A-yuk-pa . . . place of happiness (cf. Choctaw aiyukpa,

Reviews for Native American Place Names in Mississippi

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A helpful guide to those researching places in Mississippi who are unfamiliar with many of the Native American place names. My biggest criticism is that places with the same stem are not grouped together and there are too many cross references to see another term (usually not the first one alphabetically with that term) for the definition. It would also have been helpful if the actual definition had been more prominent. It is often buried in a paragraph with several other variants, some of which the author noted are incorrect renderings. The author notes differences of opinion in definitions as well as words which have unknown meanings. Locations of the places are also noted at least at the county level and include counties in adjoining states where needed.