LITTLE HAWK LAKE HISTORY

Location: Stanhope Township

Origin of the name Little Hawk Lake:
According to Craig Macdonald, an expert on Aboriginal languages who knows much of the history of First Nations people in the Haliburton and Muskoka regions: Peepeck or Pipik is the word for 'little sparrow bird'. Wabikong means 'poop rock' or 'rock where little sparrow birds nest'. The name of this lake means 'The Place of the Sparrow Hawk Nesting Rock” (Source: Macdonald, C. personal communications with researcher Elinor Whidden, 1998.)

Aboriginal names ending in “ing”, “ong” and “ung” mean “at the place of”. Many lake names depict a certain place where something happened. Little Hawk Lake translates into “at the place of the sparrow hawk nesting rock”. (Source: Macdonald, C. personal communications with researcher Elinor Whidden, 1998.)

Also Known As:
• Peepeckewaubelling Lake (MNR archives)
• Pipikwabi Lake (MNR archives), (map at Rudy's restaurant in Carnarvon)
• Peepeekawau Lake (MNR archives)
• Peepeebewahbekonk Lake (MNR archives)
• Pee-pee-ke-wah-be-kung Lake (MNR archives)
• Peepeekewaubekung Lake (MNR archives)
• Hawke Lake (MNR archives)
• Hawk Lake (MNR archives)

Much of the Aboriginal presence in Haliburton County was erased with the arrival of Europeans. Many of Haliburton's lakes were already named before White people came to the area. However, names were changed and replaced by Whites to reflect their own (hi)story. The use of new these names erased the (hi)story of Aboriginal people.

The above information came from: Discovering the (Hi)story of Haliburton Through Its Lakes' Names by Elinor Whidden, a student report prepared for Trent University- Bioregionalism Course, 1998. From the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research Collection.