Topic summary
Ktunaxa
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Kutenai.
Name
In the Kutenai language, Ktunaxa is considered the most correct general term for the culture and peoples. Differing etymologies have been suggested, tying the name to the verb for "eating food plain, [meaning] without seasoning," or alternately to the verb for "licking up blood." In the same interview referenced above, Finley attests the latter meaning to the image of a Ktunaxa warrior shooting an enemy, drawing out the arrow, and licking the blood from the arrowhead. He also says that, historically, people identified themselves primarily with the name of their band and less so with the broad term Ktunaxa.