"Names are a way of remembering as well as of identifying. Since Kansas City’s native American heritage is largely several generations removed from current existence, we often forget how much we developed right in the middle of “Indian Country.” However, several street, institution and place names provide us with a constant, if sometimes unconscious, reminder of the important role the various tribes played in Kansas City’s early history.

Let’s begin with a game—How many street, place and institution names in the Kansas City region include references to the tribes that originated here or were moved in at a later time?

A dozen? A hundred? Several hundred? If you answered the last option, you’re closer to the truth than you probably ever expected. To be honest, it is nigh unto impossible to determine exactly how many native names are commemorated in our region. But, let’s make a start.

To start with, what are the names of the original tribal groups that inhabited the general Kansas City region? You probably got “Kansas” right off. Maybe you remembered that the Osage also lived here about 200 years ago. But did you remember the Missouri tribe? Most folks don’t even know that there was a Missouri tribe.

In terms of names and variations of names, it’s possible that the “Missouri” people are the most important because variations in the spelling and pronunciation of their name has led to the unofficial state question of the Show-Me State. Do you say, “Missouree?” Or “Missourah?”"

Get the Story:
William Worley: What’s in a Name?—Kansas City as “Indian Country” (The Kansas City Tribune 1/15)