Native American languages Native American Indian culture Native genealogy

Madawaska

There are several different places named "Madawaska" in the US and Canada. However, they do not all seem to have a common source. Instead, they are apparently corruptions of several different Native American place names in an attempt to simplify them to be easier for English speakers to pronounce and remember:

1) In Maine, "Madawaska" was said to have come from the Maliseet name Madaweskek, which means "porcupine place."
2) In Ontario, "Madawaska" was derived from the Algonquin name Matàwacka, which means "reeds at the fork of the river." This was also used as the name for a historical Algonquin band who lived by the shores of this river.

Sponsored Links

Here are links to our webpages about the Madawaska tribes and languages:

Algonquin Indian language
Maliseet language
The Algonquins
The Maliseet people
Algonquian

Here are a few good books about the Madawaskas:
The Algonquins
Tales from Maliseet Country
Algonquian Spirit

Back to our Native American encyclopedia

Would you like to help support our organization's work with the Madawaska language?