#taqʷuʔmaʔ #indigenouspeoplesday #tahoma #themountainisout #rainierwatch #mtrainier

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, I give you “taqʷuʔmaʔ” in all its snowy glory. In its anglicized spelling, “Tahoma,” the indigenous name for Mt. Rainier means “the mother of waters, or “snowy peak.” Finally fully adorned in its rightful snowy white, it’s living up to its name today.

I’ve engaged with Loowit in so many ways! I was a biologist for the USFS PNW research lab, I did my masters at Evergreen on toads in Meta & Curtis Lakes, I taught classes on ecological field methods at Portland State, then I became the wildlife ecologist at Mount Rainier NP, her sister, Təqʷuʔmaʔ

taqʷuʔmaʔ (Mt. Rainier). From Nisqually, WA. #Earth #photgraphy #blueskyartshow #pnw #sunrise

I prefer təqʷuʔmaʔ anyways.

I've lived in DC most of the last year, and Takoma Park never stops enraging me. The worst kind of appropriation. And here, at home, təqʷuʔmaʔ can't be called by its given name!

təqʷuʔməʔ Taquoma

I was labeled as Mount Rainier, but I’m really known as - təqʷuʔmaʔ, təqʷuʔbəd, təqʷuʔbəʔ, taqʷuʔma, təqubəd, təqʷubəʔ, t(xʷ)xʷaq’ʷ. These are just SOME of the names that our ancestors used to reference our beloved mountain 🏔️

Mountains are sacred spaces. Treat them as such. ✨ 🌍 👁️

Great feature on Twulshootseed, the language of the coastal Salish peoples and Mt. təqʷuʔməʔ — pronounced “Taquoma. It's so important to listen to these stories, especially right now.

Other pronunciations are
təqʷuʔmaʔ, təqʷuʔbəd, təqʷuʔbəʔ, taqʷuʔma, təqubəd, təqʷubəʔ, t(xʷ)xʷaq’ʷ.
youtu.be/OD54UdIaxYg?... is a great video that tells you more about the Mother of Waters.

This is the official BlueSky for the City of Tacoma. You can tell because our handle is @tacoma.bsky.social.

Contrary to popular belief, we are not named after your favorite Mexican sandwich.

White settlers couldn't type the name of our mountain, təqʷuʔmaʔ on their primitive typewriters.

Mount təqʷuʔməʔ
“Mother of Waters”

Snapped this one a year ago today. I love #SantaBarbara but I'd be lying if I said I don't miss seeing təqʷuʔməʔ(Mt. Rainier) all the time. #Tacoma #WasTheMountainOut #Photography

Holy shit. Is that a live look at Mt. təqʷuʔməʔ !? @cmikesspinmove.bsky.social used to look out for us. @camorooni.bsky.social too.

So how is Mt. Tahoma/təqʷuʔməʔ/(Rainier doing?

Gorgeous day. We went to the beach and could see təqʷuʔməʔ (Tahoma or Mt Rainier) all the way down at the end of Puget Sound #SalishSea #Yyj

Paddleboarders along Tacoma's waterfront being welcomed by a large group of what I think are Sea Lions, with təqʷuʔməʔ—pronounced Taquoma but commonly known as Mt. Rainier looking good in the background. Took this shot 3 years today and waited for these folks on shore to show them the photo.
🦑