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 The American wilderness is symbolized by a whole range of animals native to our
great continent, from the powerful image of the Grizzly Bear, to the sly antics of the Coyote. But, perhaps, no
creature so well characterizes the North American spirit as does as the Raccoon, Procyon lotor. Ranging all across
the continental United States and Canada, even reaching down into parts of Mexico, the Raccoon (and its procyonid
cousins the Coati and the Ringtail) hold a very special place in the collective body of Native American folklore
and mythology. The Raccoon is the trickster, the sly and crafty one who may appear slow, but who is quick and agile;
the opponent who outsmarts his enemies, and who uses his hands like a human. The Raccoon is the survivor, who lives
alongside man as if to show him that he cannot truly conquer the land.
Above all, however, The Raccoon is intelligent and
determined. It seems at times as if he can find his way into any closed container, or out of any cage. And he's
cute, too. What more could you ask for from a species?
The original names for the raccoon and its closest
relatives come from the tribal languages of Native Americans. All tribal names had descriptive meanings chosen
to distinguish each kind of animal from others in some way. However, not all of those meanings have survived the
centuries, and many of the names themselves have vanished from memory. Among those that eventually found written
record are these:
Names describing agile forepaws
| Algonkin |
asban, one who lifts up things |
| Abnaki |
ah-rah-koon-em, they rub, scrub, scratch |
| Atakapa |
welkol, (wilkol, wulkol, wutko), they rub and scratch |
| Aztec |
mapachitl, they take everything in their hands |
| Biloxi-Sioux |
atuki, they touch things |
| Chinook |
q'oala's, they scratch |
| Chippewa |
aasebun, aissibun, they pick up things |
| Choctaw |
shauii, graspers |
| Cree |
essebanes, they pick up things |
| Creek |
wutki, they rub and scratch |
| Delaware |
eespan, one who picks up things;
wtakalinch, one very clever with its fingers |
| Lenape |
eespan, hespan, they handle things;
nachenum, they use hands as a tool |
| Menomini |
aispan, they handle things |
| Mohican |
sha-we, grasper |
| Natick |
asban, they pick up things |
| Ofo-Sioux |
at-cha, one who touches things |
| Ojibway |
aispun, essepan, they pick up things |
| Seminole |
wood-ko, one who rubs |
| Shawnee |
shapata, ethepata, grasper |
| Takelma |
swini, picks up things with hands |
| Tschimshean |
que-o-koo, washes with hands |
| Yakima |
k'alas they scratch |
Names describing face
| Dakota-Sioux |
weekah tegalega, magic one with painted face |
| Hopi |
shiuaa, painted one |
| Huron-Iroquois |
attigbro, blackened (face);
gahado-goka-gogosa, masked demon spirit |
| Mandan |
nashi, blackened face and feet |
| Mexico (tribe not given) |
macheelee, white bands on face |
| Nicaragua (tribe not given) |
macheelee, white bands on face |
| Wyot |
cbel'igacocib, one with marked face |
Names implying magic (both sexes)
| Cheyenne |
macho-on, one who makes magic |
| Dakota Sioux |
wee-kah, (wee-chah, wee-kahsah, wici, wicha) one with magic;
wee-kah tegalega, magic one with painted face (or wici) |
| Omaha, Osage, Otoe |
mee-kah, (mee-chah, mee-kahsa) same meaning as wee-chah and variants one with magic |
| Sioux |
macca-n-e, one who makes real magic |
| Yankton Sioux |
wayatcha, (same root word as wee-kah) |
Names describing big tail (long tail, ringed tail)
| Chinook |
siah-opoots-itswoot, long-tailed bearlike one |
| Huron |
ee-ree-ah-gee, those of big-tailed (long-tailed) kind |
| Iroquois |
gah-gwah-gee, cah-hee-ah-gway, big (long) tailed ones |
| Sioux |
shinte-gleska, ring-tailed ones |
| Seneca |
kagh-quau-ga, big (long) tailed |
| Wyandot |
ee-ree, big-tailed, long-tailed ones |
Names comparing to dog
| Arawak |
ah-ohn, dog, of dog kind |
| Guyana |
mayuato, doglike leaper |
| Huron-Iroquois |
agaua, doglike one |
| Klamath |
wacgina, tamed like dog |
| Narragansett |
ausup, night doglike one |
| Taino |
ah-ohn, ah-oon, of the dog kind |
| Tupi |
agwara, doglike leaper |
Names indicating eaters of crabs, crayfish
| Choctaw |
shauii, graspers (of crayfish) |
| Guyana |
mauyato, doglike leaper on crabs and crayfish |
| Kiowa |
seip-kuat, pulls out crayfish with hands (seip-mantei, crayfish) |
| Tupi |
aguara-po-pay, doglike leaper on crabs, crayfish (used by other tribes in the Tupi trade-jargon
area) |
Names for pelt only or sewn pelt garment
| Algonkin |
match-koh (for pelt or pelt sewn into poncho-type coat) |
| Algonkin-Roanoke |
macquoc |
| Narragansett |
mohewonck, pelt sewn into poncho-type coat (wonck=coat) |
| Ojibway |
matchigode, raccoon fur garment for women |
| Wocoon |
auher |
| Alaska/Canada |
tsick-re-buck, Indian version of schupp/raccoon? |
| Iroquois |
tschoe-ra-gak, Indian version of schupp, used by traders asking first for schupp and then
raccoon skins--neither word known to Indians? |
Names without literal meanings
| Blackfeet |
kaka-nostake |
| Brazil (tribe not given) |
guassini, guachini |
| Caddo |
o'at |
| Canada (tribe not given) |
ottaguin, ochateguin |
| Iroquois |
tcokda |
| Mikwok |
patkas |
| Nez Perce |
kai-kai-yuts |
| Nootka |
klapissime |
| Pima |
va-owok |
| Suislaw |
pilquits |
| Taos |
pah-suh-de-na, water? |
| Tillamook |
dEwu'si, living raccoons; wEluhs, legendary raccoon |
| Tuscorora |
roosotto |
| Tutelo |
kanulo-nixa-niso |
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