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SALI 201: Introduction to the Salish Sea: Place Names Search Tips

Research and writing support for your place portfolio

Finding Information About Your Place

A place name can change in different eras, disciplines, languages, and perspectives. The questions below can help you think through how to describe your place. You can use this language to:

  • Write keyword searches in archival collections, library databases, and Google.
  • Browse information resources that are organized or tagged.
  • Think through what sources you need to seek out, particularly for government information from tribes, First Nations, and colonial entities. 
  • Read and contextualize the information that you find through your searches.

Questions about your place's name

  • What are the names of the Indigenous nations whose traditional territories your place is within? Are there variations of these names in multiple languages?
  • What colonial jurisdictions does your place fall within? What are the names of the town, county, state, or province that your place is within?
  • Are there any treaties that include your place?
  • What geographic names include your place? Are there islands, archipelagos, or bodies of water that your place includes? Is your place a part of any of these?
  • Have any of the names above changed recently or at different times in the past?
  • Are there names for your place in multiple languages?
  • Does the spelling of your place name vary in different contexts?
  • Are there other places that share a name with your place? How can you tell the difference when searching online?
  • What are the geographic coordinates of your place?