Menominee

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A Native American nation living mainly in Wisconsin and Michigan ; the Algonquian language spoken by the members of that people
2. An indigenous people historically based around the Wisconsin and Michigan region ; the Algonquian tongue that belongs to those people
3. A tribe of Native Americans from the upper Great Lakes area ; the Algonquian language traditionally used by the members of that tribe

Etymology: The Menominee are an Indigenous nation whose homeland lies along the Wolf River and the western shore of Lake Michigan, in what is now Wisconsin. Their name comes from Ojibwe "manoominii," which means "wild-rice people," built from "manoomin," the Ojibwe word for wild rice. The name is an outsider's label, given by neighbouring Ojibwe speakers, and it reflects the central role that wild rice played in the nation's food, seasonal rhythms and identity. The name is a useful reminder that many Indigenous peoples of North America were named by their neighbours, and the term often names a people by a resource they relied on rather than by any self-description. In English the word serves as both the name of the people and an adjective describing their language, culture and territory, so "Menominee" can refer to the nation, one of its members, or things connected with them.