Kokanee/kickininee

[Theresa Kishkan]

I have been following this thread with interest. Like Mike C. I have only
ever heard "kokanee" used for the fish we know is a landlocked sockeye. I
have caught them in the lake on my brother's ranch in the Nazko Valley and
they taste wonderful. Anyway, I looked in the Akriggs' British Columbia
Place Names to see what they have to say about the derivation of kokanee as
it's used for things like glaciers and creeks.

Kokanee Creek, N.E. of Nelson. From the Okanagan Indian word meaning "little
salmon", applied to the landlocked sockeye salmon. (see also Kickininee Park).

Kickininee Park, N. of Penticton. This is an anglicization of the Okanagan
Indian word "kekeni," meaning "little salmon". Kickininee, or kokanee, is
the name of the landlocked sockeye salmon found in many Interior lakes.

And my apologies for not being able to do the squiggles and things to the
"n" and the "i" in "kekeni" -- my character map doesn't show the proper ones.

Theresa K.
Theresa Kishkan
RR1 Site 20 C11
Madeira Park, B.C.
V0N 2H0
(604)883-2377
Red Laredo Boots (1996); Sisters of Grass (2000); Inishbream (2001)