Minnesota, known as the \u201cLand of 10,000 Lakes,\u201d is a Midwestern state with a name rooted in the language of its earliest inhabitants. But what exactly does \u201cMinnesota\u201d mean and how did this landlocked state get a name associated with water?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name \u201cMinnesota\u201d comes from the Dakota and Ojibwe words for \u201csky-tinted water\u201d or \u201cmuddy water.\u201d Native Americans originally used the phrase to describe the Minnesota River, one of the state\u2019s major waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a few theories about the more specific meanings behind the Dakota and Ojibwe words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Dakota tribe, which has lived in Minnesota for over 1,000 years, did not keep written records so it’s unclear exactly when the Minnesota River became known as “Mn\u00ed Sota.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the name, meaning “sky-tinted water,” was well-established by the time French explorers like Pierre Le Sueur first encountered the region in the late 1600s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French gave the river another name – St. Peter’s River (“Riviere St. Pierre”) – believing they had discovered it on the feast day of St. Pierre. But the Dakota name persisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the StarTribune<\/a>, one of the earliest surviving written references to\u00a0Minnesota\u00a0appears on a 1702 French map of the Mississippi River area, which dubs the\u00a0Minnesota\u00a0River \u201cOuatebamenisout\u00e9 ou Riviere St. Pierre.\u201d This is the French interpretation of Mn\u00ed Sota Wakpa \u2014 the latter word meaning \u201criver\u201d in Dakota, according to \u201cMni Sota Makoce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1846, Wisconsin Territorial Delegate Morgan Martin first proposed the idea of a “Minasota” Territory to Congress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While some representatives suggested alternate names like “Itaska,” Congress ultimately passed the bill in 1849 establishing the “Minnesota” Territory. The state of Minnesota, created 9 years later, adopted the same name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So while Minnesota is now more associated with lakes, its name recognizes the indigenous people who called the land home for centuries before European settlement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The name connects the state’s natural beauty – those hazy blue lakes – with the Dakota language that originally shaped its identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional Sources: <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minnesota, known as the \u201cLand of 10,000 Lakes,\u201d is a Midwestern state with a name rooted in the language…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23585,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"MSN_Categories":"Travel","MSN_Publish_Option":true,"MSN_Is_Local_News":true,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[{\"longitude\":\"-93.2644\",\"latitude\":\"44.9775\",\"locality\":\"Minneapolis\",\"subRegion\":\"Hennepin 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the Minnesota Territory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Lasting Significance of Minnesota’s Name<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n