Stories from the Land: Indigenous Place Names in Canada

In Canada close to 30,000 official place names are, or may be, of Indigenous origin.

The story map below by the Federal Government provides a small sample of official geographical names selected by the federal, provincial and territorial naming authorities of the Geographical Names Board of Canada.

The naming of places is a cultural phenomenon dating back to the earliest of human history. Assigning names to places is a practice that serves many purposes.

Indigenous place names reinforce an intimate relationship with the land, convey a broad range of knowledge such as travel routes and traditional hunting and fishing grounds, and are touchstones for history and legends. They also embody and honour the teachings of Elders, and are a tool for educating youth.

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