Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Matowcas (Brooklyn)

Matowcas is a Brooklyn-area placename and broader territory name connected with the Native sachemdom associated with what became Brooklyn. The name is preserved through later historical writing about Brooklyn and through broader discussions of early European names for Long Island peoples and territories. It belongs alongside existing Brooklyn and Canarsie places rather than as a replacement for those more specific places. Related forms include Matowcas, Mattanwake, Meitowax, Matouwax, Matouwacs, Metoac, and Meitowacks. A fuller interpretation is deferred to the Meitowax entry, where the name is connected with shell or periwinkle country. Why Place Names Matter “Linguistic studies of both older and younger names also give us the opportunity to understand how and what people used to think regarding their surroundings.” — Josefin Devine, Place names tell a story of older...