My attention has recently been drawn to an island in the Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, called “Et-Then Island”.
Does anyone know the origin of this name? There’s a geologic unit named after it, but I can’t find the meaning or origin of the name.
Here’s a map: ET-THEN ISLAND Geography Population Map cities coordinates location - Tageo.com
It’s named after a local native group.
On this page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipewyan_people there is a reference to “Etthen”
A Etthen Island Google book hit from the early 1800s(Royal Geographical Society) says it meant Rein-Deer Island, probably from the language of the Cree or the Chippewa.
Yeah, looks like it’s Dene (Chipewayan) for ‘Caribou’. Thanks!