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Archiver > QUEBEC-RESEARCH > 2006-02 > 1139847869


From: "B Benware Burt" <>
Subject: Re: [Q-R] Montreal area/Caughnawaga to Kahnawake
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2006 11:39:10 -0500
References: <BAY102-F4165FB669C87AF74B9BBB2B00F0@phx.gbl> <4054d5732d581583b45074138f4e2051@87-203-24.mc.videotron.ca> <002c01c62a85$df776a80$af1ce048@nycap.rr.com> <00ff01c62a92$8311a000$657ba8c0@ab.hsia.telus.net> <05e5845fe03414907e9d1249c3b34267@87-203-24.mc.videotron.ca>


Want to thank everyone for clearing up the question for me. While watching
the "local" news on CBC when in northern NY or Montreal, I wondered about
the reserve called "Gonawogee" in their reports. From my Mohawk friends I
was aware of Caughnawaga, but it took my pea brain a while to realize
Kahnawake and Caughnawaga were one in the same place. Therefore, my
curiosity as to when/why the name change. Thanks for clarifying for me.
Barbara
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Rozon" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Q-R] Montreal area/Caughnawaga to Kahnawake


> Here is an explanation from http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/index.htm
>
> It says in 1980 Kahnawake became the definitive term.
> It does not say why the change came to be. Maybe if one were to find
> the source material: Noms et lieux du Québec, ouvrage de la Commission
> de toponymie paru en 1994 et 1996.
>
> My guess it was somehow related to Bill 101, the language law when many
> places names were officially "renamed". I know in Northern Quebec many
> places were given official French names even though they had Native
> names already. This is due to islands being created due to flooding
> because of hydrelectric projects. Maybe it was changed due to a request
> from the Mohawks themselves. I don't know for sure.
>
>
>
> C'est en 1667 qu'une dizaine d'Oneidas, membres de la grande nation
> iroquoise, joignent quelques familles françaises à
> Saint-François-Xavier-des-Prés, petite mission que les Jésuites
> viennent tout juste d'établir sur leur seigneurie de la
> Prairie-de-la-Madeleine. Dans leur langue, ils dénomment l'endroit
> Kentake, ce qui signifie à la prairie. En 1673, une quarantaine de
> Mohawks en provenance du village de Kaghnuwage, sur la Mohawk River,
> dans l'actuel État de New York, viennent s'ajouter à la population.
>
> Richard's Note:
> Kaghnuwage may have been the source of the English place name
> Caugnawaga. See Gary's reply below.
>
> Pour différentes raisons dont l'appauvrissement du sol, le village a
> dû être déménagé à plusieurs reprises, soit en 1676, 1689, 1696 et 1716
> pour se rapprocher et même passer en amont du sault Saint-Louis, mieux
> connu aujourd'hui sous le nom de Rapides de Lachine. Toujours sous la
> gouverne des Jésuites, le village prit, à partir de 1676, le nom
> français de Saint-François-Xavier-du-Sault ou simplement Le Sault. En
> mohawk, il prit respectivement les noms de Kahnawake, au rapide, en
> 1676, Kahnawakon, dans le rapide, en 1690, Kanatakwenke, d'où on est
> parti, en 1696 et Caughnawaga, en 1716. Ces mêmes noms se retrouvent
> sous une multitude de variantes graphiques selon les sources
> consultées. Ce fut en 1980 que le nom de Kahnawake s'implanta
> définitivement. Aujourd'hui Kahnawake compte plus de 6 000 habitants et
> constitue le plus gros village autochtone du Québec. La communauté
> s'implique profondément dans l'éducation et le maintien de la paix dans
> la réserve; la plupart des services sociaux sont administrés par les
> Mohawks eux-mêmes. Ceux-ci sont toujours considérés, surtout dans
> l'État de New York, comme les experts dans l'échafaudage de structures
> d'acier des gratte-ciel.
> Source: Noms et lieux du Québec, ouvrage de la Commission de toponymie
> paru en 1994 et 1996 sous la forme d'un dictionnaire illustré imprimé,
> et sous celle d'un cédérom réalisé par la société Micro-Intel, en 1997,
> à partir de ce dictionnaire.
>
> On Feb 5, 2006, at 3:26 PM, Gary Boivin wrote:
>
> > Caughnawaga was the English White Man's spelling of what his ear could
> > hear... Not necessarily what the Native man was saying.
> >
> > The Natives all across Canada have developed a writing using the same
> > alphabet with a slightly different sound to the letters (some letters
> > are
> > not used at all in some Native languages). They've changed some of the
> > letters to get the sound closer to what they are saying.
> >
> > For example... The K was used because you shape the mouth to say a K
> > but say
> > a G. So it becomes a KG sound (which we don't have in English --- the
> > best
> > we can do is say G). The final E has a soft AY sound.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "B Benware Burt" <>
> > To: <>
> > Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 11:56 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Q-R] Montreal area/Caughnawaga to Kahnawake
> >
> >
> >> Can anyone explain when/why Caughnawaga became Kahnawake?
> >>
> >>
> > ------- Snipped to save our database --------
> >
> >
> >
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