Members of the Tribe

April 13, 2009 9:45 PM

How many commercial products can you think of that are named after Native American groups or other indigenous peoples?

The best I can do are: Jeep Cherokee, Pontiac cars, and, um...Eskimo pies. But there must be more, right? Note: I'm NOT looking for products which use Native American or indigenous peoples' imagery in their marketing (like American Spirit cigarettes), or sports franchises. How many can you come up with?
posted by AngerBoy to shopping (46 answers total)

Winnebago mobile homes, the Ford Apache pickup truck.
posted by pianomover at 9:48 PM on April 13, 2009

Tillamook County OR is named after the Tillamook Indians, who once lived there. And Tillamook Cheese is named after the county because that's where they make it.

Would that count for you?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:49 PM on April 13, 2009

Apache, the web server? Maybe not exactly commercial ...
posted by spaceman_spiff at 9:51 PM on April 13, 2009

The Dodge Dakota pickup
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:52 PM on April 13, 2009

Apache Helicopter
Apache Web Server (open source, so not technically commercial, but still a product)
Dodge Dakota truck
Oneida silverware
Aztec Software
Pontiac Aztek (double!)
posted by cerebus19 at 9:53 PM on April 13, 2009

Narragansett Beer
posted by blaneyphoto at 9:53 PM on April 13, 2009

Mohawk carpets.
posted by mr_roboto at 9:56 PM on April 13, 2009

There was a Comanche Helicopter in production when the program was cancelled by the military five years ago. Not sure if that counts.
posted by cerebus19 at 9:58 PM on April 13, 2009

And whaddaya know, there really is a Wikipedia page for anything.
posted by cerebus19 at 9:59 PM on April 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Inca Kola.

Do Potawatomi Bingo and Ho-chunk Casino count? The Daily Illini?
posted by hydrophonic at 10:00 PM on April 13, 2009

When you are done, these answers are begging to be made into a wikipedia list.
posted by Pants! at 10:00 PM on April 13, 2009

A couple not listed yet...

Crazy Horse Malt Liquor
Crazy Horse Jeans
Cherokee Jeans

I know that Crazy Horse's descendants are always in legal battles to stop use of his name.

And of course there are many pro sports teams* (Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, etc), cases where the whole corporation is using the name as a brand name.

Also not really related, but this is just weird.
posted by rokusan at 10:01 PM on April 13, 2009

Liz Claiborne Apache shoes
posted by Pater Aletheias at 10:02 PM on April 13, 2009

Covered wagons are called Conestogas

Columbia sportswear

Seneca fruit juice

Mojave clothing also Mojave cosmetics

Comanche Firearms
posted by Acacia at 10:03 PM on April 13, 2009

There's also Comanche helicopters. Also, apparently, an aeroplane and a ute.
posted by pompomtom at 10:06 PM on April 13, 2009

Chinook Helicopter, Chinook RV
posted by Fortnight Bender at 10:07 PM on April 13, 2009

Tabasco Sauce is named after a Mexican state that was originally named for the native tribe
posted by Acacia at 10:07 PM on April 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Minnetonka moccasins.
posted by Maisie Jay at 10:21 PM on April 13, 2009

Piper aircraft all have vaguely "Indian" names - Warrior, Archer, Tomahawk, Aztec, Seneca.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:25 PM on April 13, 2009

The Volkswagen Touareg is probably named after the Tuareg people of the Sahara.
posted by Doctor Suarez at 10:25 PM on April 13, 2009

Nobody's mentioned the America's oldest motorcycle yet: the classic Indian.

p.s. this is just weird.

from the site: "The shoe’s design draws inspiration directly from Native American culture."

If that sneaker really was inspired by Native Americans, it wouldn't be so white.
posted by LeLiLo at 10:47 PM on April 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Nanaimo bars?
posted by molybdenum at 11:21 PM on April 13, 2009 [1 favorite]

Delaware Punch is named after the Delaware grape which is named after Delaware, Ohio which is named after the Delaware Nation.

I love you, Wikipedia.
posted by nebulawindphone at 1:10 AM on April 14, 2009

Umpqua Bank... and Umpqua Dairy
Waterbrook Multnomah Press
posted by anarcation at 1:24 AM on April 14, 2009

Offensive confectionery from the Antipodes: Eskimos and Redskins. Eskimos are actually shaped like little people in hooded coats. I remember feeling vaguely guilty for eating them when I was a kid.
posted by embrangled at 2:36 AM on April 14, 2009

Just about every city west of the Appalacians (that's not French-based) and the stuff named after them. Milwaukee's Best, for example.
posted by gjc at 3:33 AM on April 14, 2009

Here in Albany we have the Mohawk Ambulance Company.
posted by brevator at 4:16 AM on April 14, 2009

Siouxsie Sioux
posted by brevator at 4:19 AM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

The Volkswagen Touareg is probably named after the Tuareg people of the Sahara.

The Tuareg might be a native people, but not "Native American". :)

Also, I notice Liz Claiborne owns a few of these lines (Apache shoes, Cherokee jeans). I tried checking the LC site to see how many more there might be, but I was caught in a clever trap of blinking Flash, crazy-bad organization and bad web design... all clearly intended to incapacitate trespassing paleskins.
posted by rokusan at 4:29 AM on April 14, 2009

I guess if "named after a state named after a tribe" counts then there should be a few hundred more products/companies... all the Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Utah, or Dakota somethings.

(I think that's all of them.)
posted by rokusan at 4:34 AM on April 14, 2009

On the helicopter front, the US Army codenames it's helicopters after native US tribes - Apache, Commanche, Kiowa, Sioux, Chickasaw, Shawnee, Chocktaw, Mojave, Chinook, Cheyenne, etc.

I believe that these names are generally selected by the Army rather than by the manufacturers.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 4:55 AM on April 14, 2009

Lakota describe themselves as "manufacturers of Lakota brand herbal supplements formulated by Native American traditions". Their tv ads have always seemed a little politically incorrect to me - some discussion here.
posted by oulipian at 5:16 AM on April 14, 2009

Seminole Tubular Products for pipes and fittings.
posted by metaquarry at 5:36 AM on April 14, 2009

Abenaki Pipe Tobacco

"Abenaki Line" of furniture from New England Woodcraft

Micmac Records

MICMAC (a font)
posted by anastasiav at 6:12 AM on April 14, 2009

the military has a long list of vehicles named after indian tribes. others have mentioned the apache and comanche helicopters but there are also the kiowa, chinook, black hawk and possibly iroquois (I'm not sure if the huey, its other name, is named after a tribe).

also consider the tomahawk missile.
posted by krautland at 6:24 AM on April 14, 2009

Minnetonka footwear.
posted by swellingitchingbrain at 6:32 AM on April 14, 2009

Wikipedia lists the etymologies of state names
posted by Queen of Spreadable Fats at 7:02 AM on April 14, 2009

Do Potawatomi Bingo and Ho-chunk Casino count?

Of course they don't count. What else are we supposed to call our bingo hall?
posted by elsietheeel at 7:46 AM on April 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

Many Native-run businesses use a tribe or group name to promote their own products.
posted by yohko at 8:56 AM on April 14, 2009

K2's main line of men's downhill skis all carry the Apache brand name. Before this they used the Comanche Moniker.
posted by mmascolino at 10:24 AM on April 14, 2009

Pretty much ALL of these count, actually. I can't believe how many I should have been able to think of on my own.

I think once I've collected as many as I can for my own project, I'll go ahead and update the Wikipedia page with all of these as well. These are awesome. You know, "awesome" in the oppressive-cultural-hegemony sense. Heh.
posted by AngerBoy at 11:33 AM on April 14, 2009

Mohawk Paper Mills
posted by elizardbits at 1:57 PM on April 14, 2009

"Orenda Iroquois" jet engine
posted by Taurid at 4:07 PM on April 14, 2009

...Just about every city west of the Appalacians...

Not so's you could notice it.

Apparently you haven't ever been to California, my friend, home of cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. And San Jose. And San Diego.

Or to Texas. Houston and Austin?

Or Oregon. Portland, Salem, Eugene?

Seattle, at least, is named after an Indian. Spokane is a tribe. But Olympia? That name is Greek.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:38 PM on April 14, 2009

Oneida flatware
posted by Acacia at 2:40 AM on April 15, 2009

Tanka Bars and a gorgeous resort Tu Tu Tun Lodge. Haven't been able to swing the moola, but it's named after my tribe specifically and looks divine.
posted by canijusa at 1:33 AM on April 23, 2009