Michigan’s heritage is reflected in the names of its rivers. The River Raisin, the Huron, the Rouge and the Clinton are the four major rivers in southeastern Michigan. Their names speak to us of our state’s Native American, French, English and American roots.

This article explores the origins of the names of the Raisin and the Huron. A subsequent article will consider the Rouge and the Clinton.

The River Raisin was discovered by the famous French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle. He and his companions were the first Europeans to see its mouth on a voyage to the western end of Lake Erie in 1670. But, of course, the river was well known to the Native Americans, who called it Num-ma-sepee, meaning River of Sturgeon.

Somewhat later, French settlers, impressed by the abundant grapevines that covered the river’s banks, renamed it Riviere Aux Raisins. When the French ceded this part of North America to the British in 1763, the British simply anglicized the name to River Raisin, rather than translating it ¾ a good decision, in my opinion, since it’s much more fun to say "River Raisin" than "River Grape."

LaSalle also would have paddled past the mouth of the Huron River on his 1670 voyage, but he made no reference to it in his journal. A decade later, however, he discovered the Huron under very different circumstances.

In 1680 he, four companions, and an Indian guide came upon the river somewhere near Portage Lake in Livingston County while traveling overland from Lake Michigan to the Detroit River. After constructing canoes, LaSalle and his party paddled down the river until they reached the vicinity of Belleville, then crossed over to the Detroit River on foot.

The Native American name for the river was Cos-scut-e-nong-sebee, meaning Burnt District River, referring to the practice of setting fires to maintain openings in the forests. The French named the river after the Huron Indians, who had established settlements near the mouth.

The oldest map on which the Riviere Aux Hurons appears is one drawn by Joseph Gaspard de Lery in 1749. But the Hurons, a confederation of Iroquoian tribes, didn’t call themselves Hurons. The Hurons in Michigan referred to themselves by a name that has been variously rendered as Wendots, Wyandots, Oendats, or Guyandots. "Huron" is a French word.

Two origins of the word "Huron" have been suggested. The more colorful is that it is derived from the Old French "hure," meaning the rough hair on the head of a man or animal, specifically, a wild boar.

According to this explanation, the French referred to Wyandot braves as Hurons, because their Mohawk-style haircuts reminded them of wild boars. The other explanation notes that the word "Huron" was used in France as early as 1358 as a name expressive of contempt for an unkempt person, a lout, or a peasant or savage. Whichever the correct explanation may be, it is clear that "Huron" was not an appellation of respect.

So how do you think the Rouge and Clinton Rivers might have acquired their names? Stay tuned for Part 2.

Michael Martin can be reached at jmartin@HRWC.org.