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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph from N. II. Darton 

 ALONG THE DOCKS AT GALVESTON, TEXAS 

 The "Lone Star Stale" derives its name from an Indian word meaning "Friends" or "Allies." 



Our greatest western stream gives its 

 name to Missouri, and its yellow Row 

 toward its mouth well merits its mean- 

 ing, "Muddy Water." 



The popular meaning often given to 

 Arkansas is "Bend or Bow in the Kan- 

 sas," but it is manifest that this is erro- 

 neous, for this river does not enter the 

 State. One vi the Indian tribes of that 

 region bore this name, which was written 

 by early French explorers as "Alkansia" 

 or "Alkansas" and in many other forms. 

 The meaning of the word has been lost. 

 In 1S0S certain pioneers resident in 

 Arkansas County of Missouri Territory 

 petitioned Congress to establish the Ter- 

 ritory of Arkansas; her.ee these men are 



the ones who perpetuated the Indian 

 name. 



The wide plains of the Dakotas were 

 the home of the Sioux or Dakota tribes, 

 and this name, which, according to dia- 

 lect, was also written "Lakota," "Lah- 

 kota," or "Xakota." and signifies "Allies," 

 was used as the common name of all the 

 confederated Sioux tribes. 



The Sioux tongue also gives us Ne- 

 braska, an Otoe Sioux word meaning 

 ■Shallow Water" or "Broad Water," 

 terms descriptive of the river for which 

 the State is named. For the perpetua- 

 tion of this name we are indebted to Sec- 

 retary of War Wilkins. of President 

 Tyler's Cabinet, who in 1844 suggested 



