Cultural Terms
Exploring cultural heritage and preserving the beauty of language through education and understanding.
Local TermsAk-Chin
ahk-chin
Means "mouth of the arroyo" in O'odham language.
Vechij
veh-chee-j
O'odham word for "plant" or "tree."
Wii Gi Wosh
wee gee wosh
A phrase meaning "helpful water."
Azeeʼ
ah-zay-eh
Apache word meaning "medicine."
Chíʼį́įdii
chee-eeh-dee
A term referring to "spirit" or "ghost."
Diyin
dee-yin
Apache word for "holy" or "sacred."
Goyaałé
go-yah-lay
Apache word meaning "the one who yawns," the name of Geronimo.
Ndee
en-deh
Apache word meaning "The People," their name for themselves.
Shį́į́
shee-eh
Word for "sun" in Apache.
Tú
too
Apache word meaning "water."
Xón
hohn
Apache word for "sun."
Hohóu
hoh-hoh
Arapaho greeting meaning "hello."
Heetce’nóóhobé3en
het-seh-no-hoh-beh-en
Word for "thank you" in Arapaho.
Nííbe
nee-beh
Arapaho term for "water."
Ceebísee
chee-bee-seh
Arapaho word for "buffalo."
Wóóxuse
woh-ksoo-seh
Arapaho term meaning "bear."
Oki
oh-kee
Blackfoot greeting meaning "hello."
Aapááhso
ah-pah-soh
Word for "deer" in Blackfoot.
Issksiniip
iss-ksee-neep
Blackfoot term for "teacher."
Niitsitapi
nee-tsee-tah-pee
Term meaning "the real people," used to refer to the Blackfoot people.
Ponoká
poh-no-kah
Blackfoot word for "elk."
Nadleh
nahd-leh
Word meaning "river" in Carrier.
Sba
s-bah
Carrier term for "dog."
Ts’uhoh
tsoo-hoh
Carrier word meaning "tree."
Uza
oo-zah
Carrier word for "sun."
Wai
why
Carrier greeting meaning "hello."
ᎠᎹᎦᎵ (Amadahi)
ah-mah-dah-hee
Cherokee word for "forest" or "woods."
ᎠᏂᏬᏂᎯᏳ (Aniyvwiya)
ah-nee-yuh-wee-yah
Cherokee word for "the real people," referring to the Cherokee themselves.
ᎡᎶᎯᏛᎢ (Elohi)
eh-loh-hee
Cherokee word meaning "earth" or "world."
Osiyo
oh-see-yoh
A Cherokee greeting meaning "hello."
ᏍᎦᏯ (Sgaya)
sgah-yah
Cherokee word for "man."
Halito
hah-lih-toh
Choctaw greeting meaning "hello."
Issuba
is-soo-bah
Choctaw word meaning "horse."
Nanih Waiya
nah-nih wah-yah
Sacred mound in Choctaw tradition, considered the origin of the Choctaw people.
Oklahoma
oh-klah-hoh-mah
Derived from the Choctaw words "okla" (people) and "humma" (red), meaning "red people."
Yakoke
yah-koh-keh
Choctaw word for "thank you."
Avikwame
ah-vee-kwah-may
Sacred mountain in Cocopah culture.
Kwapa
kwah-pah
Cocopah name for themselves, meaning "River People."
Nyeʼe
nyay-eh
Cocopah word for "spirit" or "soul."
Kîsik
kee-sik
Cree word for "sky."
Mîkisow
mee-kee-soh
Cree term for "eagle."
Nipiy
nee-pee
Cree word for "water."
Tânisi
tah-nee-see
Cree greeting meaning "hello."
Wâwâ
wah-wah
Cree term meaning "snow goose."
Edlánet’e
ed-lah-neh-teh
Dene greeting meaning "hello."
Sųłįį
soo-lee
Dene term for "good."
Tth’í
tuh-thee
Word for "dog" in Dene.
Tsán
tsahn
Dene word for "rock."
Yáá
yah
Dene word for "snow."
Aha Makav
ah-hah mah-kahv
Mojave name for themselves, meaning "People of the River."
Kuukuu
koo-koo
Mojave word for "house" or "shelter."
Nyavely
nyah-veh-lee
Mojave term for "sunrise" or "morning."
Gila
hee-lah
Derived from the Pima language, referring to the Gila River.
Himdag
heem-dahg
Pima word meaning "way of life" or cultural ethos.
Vainom Kug
vye-nom koog
Phrase for "big mountain."
Havasupai
hah-vah-soo-pie
Means "People of the Blue-Green Water."
Matavi
mah-tah-vee
Word for "water" in Havasupai.
Weelaba
wee-lah-bah
Havasupai term meaning "cliff" or "canyon wall."
Aloha
ah-loh-hah
Hawaiian word meaning "hello," "goodbye," and "love."
Keiki
keh-ee-kee
Hawaiian word for "child" or "children."
Mahalo
mah-hah-loh
Hawaiian word for "thank you."
ʻOhana
oh-hah-nah
Hawaiian word meaning "family."
Pono
poh-noh
Hawaiian word meaning "righteousness" or "balance."
Kiisonvi
kee-son-vee
Hopi word meaning "plaza" or "village center."
Paaqavi
pah-kah-vee
Hopi word meaning "reed."
Qöya
koh-yah
Hopi word meaning "mountain."
Tutuveni
too-too-veh-nee
Hopi word meaning "newspaper."
Tuuvi
too-vee
Hopi word meaning "child."
Hualapai
wah-lah-pie
Meaning "people of the tall pines," this is the name of the tribe and language.
Hunyah
hoo-nyah
Hualapai word for "sun."
Matavi
mah-tah-vee
Hualapai word for "water."
Nyava
nyah-vah
Hualapai word for "talk" or "speech."
Wiha
wee-hah
Hualapai word meaning "no" or "negative."
Dáni
dah-nee
Klamath word meaning "deer."
Ewksikni
ewk-sik-nee
Klamath term meaning "earth."
Gó:gwa
goh-gwah
Klamath word for "sun."
Kóka
koh-kah
Klamath word meaning "water."
Shápla
shah-plah
Klamath word meaning "mountain lion."
Čhaŋté
chahn-teh
Lakota word for "heart" or "compassion."
Čhaŋté Wašté
chahn-teh wah-sh-tay
Lakota phrase meaning "good heart."
Háu
how
Traditional Lakota greeting used mainly by men.
Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ
mee-tah-kway oh-yah-seen
Lakota phrase meaning "we are all related."
Oyáte
oh-yah-tay
Lakota word for "people" or "nation."
Táku
tah-koo
Lakota word meaning "something" or "what."
Wakan Tanka
wah-kahn tahn-kah
Lakota phrase meaning "Great Spirit" or "Great Mystery."
Wašíču
wah-shee-choo
Lakota term for "non-Native" or "white person," historically used to describe settlers.
Wóyute
woh-yoo-teh
Lakota word meaning "food" or "meal."
Boozhoo
boo-zhoo
Ojibwe greeting meaning "hello."
Gitchi Manitou
gih-chee mah-nih-too
Ojibwe term for "Great Spirit" or "Creator."
Makwa
mah-kwah
Ojibwe word for "bear."
Manidoo
mah-nih-doo
Ojibwe word meaning "spirit" or "spiritual being."
Miigwech
mee-gwetch
Ojibwe word for "thank you."
Mino-Bimaadiziwin
mee-noh bih-mah-dih-zih-win
Ojibwe phrase meaning "the good life" or "living well."
Nibi
nee-bee
Ojibwe word for "water."
Nibinaabe
nih-bih-nah-beh
Ojibwe term meaning "mermaid" or "water spirit."
Ampa
ahm-pah
Paiute word for "water."
Appuh
ah-poo
Paiute word meaning "tree" or "wood."
Kaibab
kai-bab
A Paiute term meaning "mountain lying down."
Kooyooe
koo-yoo-eh
Paiute word for "fish."
Numu
noo-moo
Paiute word meaning "The People."
Paya
pah-yah
Paiute word meaning "fish."
Sage
say-j
A word referring to sagebrush, significant in Paiute culture.
Tuhduh
tuh-duh
Word for "sun" in Paiute.
Tumpit
toom-pit
Paiute word for "rock."
Hiaki
hee-ah-kee
Yaqui name for themselves, meaning "The People."
Hiapsi
hee-ahp-see
Pascua Yaqui word for "life."
Itom
ee-tohm
The Pascua Yaqui word for themselves, meaning "The People."
Itom Aye
ee-tom ah-yeh
Phrase meaning "Our Land."
Maso
mah-so
Pascua Yaqui word for "deer."
Nookam
noo-kahm
Word meaning "spirit" or "soul."
Seewa
see-wah
Pascua Yaqui word for "flower."
Siime
see-meh
Pascua Yaqui word for "flower."
Tekia
teh-kee-ah
Word for "home" or "shelter."
Yoeme
yoh-eh-meh
Pascua Yaqui word for "person" or "people."
Akimel Oʼotham
ah-kee-mel oh-oh-thahm
Name of the Pima people, meaning "River People."
Chumuth
choo-muhth
Pima word for "earth" or "ground."
Keli Akimel
keh-lee ah-kee-mel
Maricopa phrase meaning "Friendly River."
Piipaash
pee-pahsh
Name of the Maricopa people in their language.
Shaʼchuk
shah-chook
Word for "sun" in Pima.
Ahamak
ah-hah-mahk
Quechan word for "river."
Kwatsan
kwah-tsan
Quechan name for themselves, meaning "The People."
Nyeche
nyeh-cheh
Word for "sun" in Quechan.
Piipa
pee-pah
Word meaning "water" in Quechan.
Tamakwah
tah-mah-kwah
Word for "village" or "community."
Deadiyoh
day-ah-dee-yoh
Seneca word for "tree."
Gaiwiyo
guy-wee-yoh
Seneca term meaning "good message."
Ha’tsi:yo
hah-tsee-yoh
Seneca word meaning "my friend."
Nya:wëh
nyah-weh
Seneca word meaning "thank you."
Ongweoweh
ohng-way-oh-weh
Seneca word meaning "original people."
Smiyúuł
smee-yool
Spokane word meaning "hello."
Qép
kep
Spokane word for "water."
Šey
shay
Spokane term for "sky."
Twk’wé
twk-weh
Spokane word meaning "star."
Sqélixʷ
sqeh-leek
Spokane term meaning "the people."
Baboquivari
bah-boh-kee-vah-ree
Sacred mountain of the Tohono O'odham.
Ha:san
hah-sahn
O'odham word for "saguaro cactus."
Jiosh
hee-ohsh
O'odham word for "god" or "creator."
O'odham
awe-awe-thahm
Means "The People" in the O'odham language.
We:weli
way-way-lee
O'odham word meaning "butterfly."
Hakame
hah-kah-meh
Yavapai word meaning "spring" or "water source."
Hakiva
hah-kee-vah
Yavapai word for "mountain."
Kwevkapaya
kwehv-kah-pah-yah
Yavapai name for themselves, meaning "The People of the Forest."
Matak
mah-tahk
Word for "earth" in Yavapai.
Matavi
mah-tah-vee
Yavapai word for "sky."
Nyavkay
nyahv-kay
Yavapai word for "mountain."
Wayi
wah-yee
Yavapai word for "fire."
Wipuk
wee-pook
Word meaning "pine" or "forest" in Yavapai.
Yavapai
yah-vah-pie
Their name for themselves, meaning "People of the Sun."
Yawa
yah-wah
Yavapai word meaning "speak" or "language."
Cauyaq
chow-yahk
Yup'ik word for "drum."
Ellam Yua
el-lahm yoo-ah
Yup'ik term for the spirit of the universe or everything.
Qaspeq
kah-spek
Yup'ik word for a traditional hooded garment, also called a "kuspuk."
Ulu
oo-loo
Yup'ik word for a traditional woman's knife used for food preparation.
Yuraq
yoo-rahk
Yup'ik term for a traditional dance or ceremony.