As a boy in Minneapolis, it was a simple matter to hike to the surrounding countryside. Of the string of lakes to the west, Cedar and Brownie were still in a partial state of wildness; Glenwood, Twin and Sweeney Lakes were to us the last frontier. Beyond to the northwest lay the mysterious Medicine Lake source of the slowly meandering Bassett’s Creek, a fit land for any intrepid explorer. Prairies to the south were not far beyond Minnehaha Creek. The Falls, colorful sandstone cliffs, springs and caves along the way to Fort Snelling were our raison d’etre. And the Fort with the wide, blue Minnesota Valley fading into the sunny quiet of an afternoon, would conjure up images of long ago. But wait! Is this not an old Indian trail to Good Road’s and Shakopee’s? And that sound, the throb of a distant drum!

Through the means of these place-names, the land will be made to give up its silence—to speak out, to tell of a land peopled by spirits and monsters, alive again with laughing children, tipis, and dusky warriors on the warpath. These names are a witness to the sound of the flute, its folklore and spiritual beliefs. It has been said the frontiers of speech are the only real ones, for we carry them with us. Language is the vehicle of tradition; it might even be said that language is tradition itself, the living past.

-- Paul Durand, from the introduction to Where the Waters Gather and the Rivers Meet

This memorial site is dedicated to Paul Durand, humble historian of Native American place-names of the Upper Midwest. Paul's lifelong research has helped to preserve a history that might have otherwise been forever lost.

Two unique books with accompanying maps document Dakota and Ojibwa place-names, including their English translations. Many of the books' entries also describe the geographical features, historical events, and mythology that contributed to each place's name. The books include:

TA-KU-WA-KAN TI-PI "Dwelling Place of the Gods"

Where the Waters Gather and the Rivers Meet

Other information:

How to see or buy the books and maps

A eulogy for Paul Durand

Other links