English

Clark's nutcracker, gray jay

Arapaho

1. see3íínii’éíhii ; 2. hi3ó’owóótenó’nii’éíhii

Translation of Arapaho

1. ‘pine bird’ ; 2. ‘pinyon pine bird’ (refers to Pinyon Jay??)

Location

the higher mountains, up to timberline.

 

Clark's Nutcracker and the Arapaho

The first term seems to be used especially for the Clark’s Nutcracker, which relies heavily on Limber Pines and also Ponderosa Pines for its food. The name is extended to the Gray Jay, which looks similar to the Clark’s Nutcracker and lives in similar areas (but which does not rely on pine trees to the same degree). The second word was given by Mark Soldierwolf. He could not remember the exact name, but said it was composed of the two elements above, the first of which he said means ‘pinyon pine’. Since pinyons are absent from Wyoming and northern Colorado, the tree in question is most likely Limber Pine (though this word is otherwise undocumented), with Whitebark Pine being a less likely possibility. Nutcrackers feed heavily on Limber Pine seeds.

A Clark's Nutcracker