J.S. Matthews and August Jack made special trips up and down Howe Sound by steamer, for the purpose of recording sites and traditional names of villages and landmarks, during 1934-35. On the west (Downtown Squamish) side of today’s Mamquam Blind Channel (formerly East Branch of the Squamish River), only one traditional place-name was recorded as part of this project: Whoh-nuck - "where they hung the heads".
(Tim Woodland)
Do you have any further information about August Jack? Our group, Family Ties, is doing the genealogy for our Sto:lo and lower Stl'atl'imx members.
ReplyDeleteSharon
Just to note that this is unrelated to the placename Whonnock, and is from a different language (Skwxwu7mesh, rather than Halkomelem...). The meaning of the Fraser Valley placename is "humpback salmon", not "where they hung their heads".
ReplyDeleteOther similar placenames are the Wannock River at Rivers Inlet (meaning "poison" in Wuikyala) and an older spelling of the name of the Unuk River in the Alaska-BC boundary area NW of Stewart.