We were born and raised in Geauga County so we wanted to tell you a little bit about our mascot – a raccoon named Jack!
If you grew up in Geauga County you probably learned that the county was named after a “Native American” word meaning raccoon, most likely translated as Geauga, Sheauga or Sheoga. We researched this extensively to find Native American records to correspond with this, however we could not. Having some Native American heritage, we felt it important to verify this. After reviewing several sources, we were able to find a more accurate reference!
“Geauga” most likely originates from the Iroquois, Onondoga or more specifically the Seneca’s word for raccoon written as jo’ä·ka, pronounced (jo-ack-ah) – also referenced as dzo’ä:ga’ pronounced (tso’araka’) by the English – Seneca Dictionary which sounds a bit like “Geauga” when you say it out loud, doesn’t it?
So why do some references still say it was “Sheauga” or “Sheoga”?
Spoken translations (which usually come before written ones) sometimes have their sounds misinterpreted and the evolution of translated sound references from Native to English or other languages may not have been completely accurate. Although these references may not be wrong, we live in a much more informed world now, and we have the ability to update our information to be more accurate, which is what we are trying to do.
Additionally, “Ohio” originates from the Seneca word ohi:yo’, translates literally to “good river” – and was used by the Seneca to reference the Allegheny River.
Jack wants you to remember his name – which might help you remember what he was once called by the Seneca! Also, if you want to learn more about the Seneca people, you can visit their website: https://sni.org/education/seneca-language-departments/
