Request for Question Clarification by
byrd-ga
on
06 Feb 2004 10:10 PST
Hi websitedude,
Wow, I think good luck indeed will be needed to find the exact origin
and meaning of this word as it is currently spelled.
What I?ve learned with regard to Native American word roots in the
South Lake Tahoe area is that, although the dominant Native American
tribe historically associated with that area is the Washoe, and also
the Sierra Miwok and Nisenan (Southern Maidu), as well as possible
links to some other small obscure tribal bands, there are no easily
accessible word lists, let alone dictionaries available for these
languages. In fact, many of them appear on this list of Extinct and
Endangered Languages:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/elr/nextinct.html#namerica I did find a
short vocabulary of Washoe, but ?hekpa? was not included.
On further searching, however, I did locate ?hekpa? as a syllabic
fragment within two words (different meanings) of Sioux origin, which
is of a completely different language family than Washoe. This could
be possible, since Lake Tahoe as a settlement was not really
established or settled until the latter half of the 19th century and
by that time, of course, there was quite a bit of movement throughout
the West not only by white settlers, but also by representatives of
various Native American groups as individuals were often employed as
scouts and guides. I had no luck in finding a history of South Lake
Tahoe that included dates of street names. But if you have access to
a historical society or library section there and could provide any
information on dates of this street name, that could prove helpful in
trying to track down or verify its origin.
Ultimately I would say that, for a chance at a really definitive
answer to this mystery, your best best would be to consult with an
expert linguist familiar with the enthnology of Native American
languages of this area and historical period. Must of this
information remains offline and buried in dusty academic stacks,
though there are a number of significant efforts at work to bring it
online. It may yet show up. So I?m hoping another Researcher,
perhaps with better access to these types of materials than I have,
might be able to come up with more definitive information for you.
But if not, and you?d like me to post the scant clues I have found in
answer to your question, I?ll be glad to do so. Just let me know.
Best wishes,
Byrd-ga
