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[edit] Meaning of the name Yakutat

I'm not sure that I agree with the "canoe bobbing" citation - I heard a presentation by a Tlingit lecturer last week that indicated the name meant "place where the canoes rest." I suppose I could be confusing this with something else but I'm pretty sure I remembered it right. If it's worth anything, this site corroborates my memory. -Etoile 18:56, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

In Frederica de Laguna's work on the Tlingit of Yakutat she lists a number of different derivations for the name. It is likely that the name was originally Eyak, then adopted by the Tlingit. As time passed a Tlingit meaning was attributed to the name, but different families or groups had different derivations. De Laguna discussed the name with her informants and none came to a decisive conclusion. Another theory is that the name definitely contains yaakw "canoe", and is followed by the root of the verb yadaa "flow, ebb (as in tide)". It's hard to say, really. If you can find the Yakutat IRA corporation or non-profit group they may have an "official" explanation for the name, or can get one from local elders. — Jéioosh 06:09, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

The speaker I heard on board the Oosterdam last week was Fred White, if I remember his name correctly; if he was not the speaker then he was the elder who sat in the audience and was introduced at the end of the lecture. As a representative from the local tourism group I would trust him as an "official" source. I found an interview with him here (I don't think that's him in the picture!) and he also taught Tlingit language classes. I am comfortable trusting his statement about "where the canoes rest" but I would be fine with including alternatives in the article text. -Etoile 23:23, 14 September 2005 (UTC)

Fred White is definitely a Tlingit speaker, and is a knowledgeable Yakutat elder with a long history in the area. I would feel most happy with the Tlingit words used to derive this meaning, but I will take Fred's word for it. I'll make the change, and I'll ask around for the derivation. — Jéioosh 19:06, 15 September 2005 (UTC)