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Correspondence from William Brooks Cabot to Fannie Hardy Eckstorm ca. 1930-1946, part 1 (ms158_b1f017_001.03.pdf)

447 Marlboro April 7/30

Dear Mrs. Eckström,

I will call up Mr. Barry [?], & glad of the chance.

About Monhegan, Ruttenbro [?] has this: -

..."Muheakun was the name of the people occupying both banks of the river (Hudson) from -- a few miles south of Catskill, north & east - - The Dutch wrote Mahikan, Maikan, & the English of Connecticut Mohegan which was claimed by Drs. Schoolcraft & Trumbull to be derived from maingun (Cree mahiggun) wolf - - from their prevailing totem or prevailing coat of arms, The wolf, the French called them Loups [one underlined], 'wolves', and also monhigans, including under the name 'the nine nations gathered between Manhattan & Quebec."

This looks reasonable, though there is a little room for speculation on other lines. The under meaning of the wolf name connects with eating, it is the animate form, what is eaten was the meat sort, perhaps people; Mohawk did mean cannibal.

Your Mohegan word for Monhigan seems merely a spelling of the common word for island - monahan usually.

I think your cornland name is pretty

Description: Letters concerning Indian languages, culture, and history.

Link to document in Digital Maine

Language: English

Date: ca. 1930-1946

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