Salish Sea Naming (Photo credit: BC Gov Photos)

In 2009, Washington State and British Coilumbia both re-named the larger Puget Sound area the “Salish Sea,” honoring the Salish people who lived here for thousands of years before European explorers ever arrived.

The Salish Sea encompasses all the inland waterway between the city of Olympia in the south to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia in the north.

Soon after this re-naming, “Salish Sea” was selected as “Name of the Year” by the American Name Society, even beating out “Twitter,” which at the time was the fastest-growing word searched on Google. The society felt that the “Salish Sea” was the “most culturally and historically significant name.”

Salish Sea Naming (Photo credit: BC Gov Photos)