nooksack
nooksack Lexical Profile
• noun
American A member of a federally recognized Native American people of the Coast Salish group, indigenous to the Pacific Northwest Coast and primarily residing in Whatcom County, Washington.
"The Nooksack tribe has inhabited the region surrounding Mount Baker for thousands of years, relying historically on the abundant salmon populations."
American A river in northwestern Washington state that originates in the Cascade Mountains and flows westward into Bellingham Bay, an inlet of the Salish Sea.
"During the heavy winter storms, the Nooksack River overflowed its banks, causing significant flooding in nearby agricultural communities."
American The extinct Coast Salish language historically spoken by the Nooksack people in the Pacific Northwest.
"Linguists and tribal members have worked diligently to preserve historical recordings and vocabulary from the Nooksack language."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the indigenous Salishan word 'Noxwsʼáʔaq', which roughly translates to 'always bracken fern roots', referring to a prominent food source in their traditional territory.