I have lived under Four Winds Mountain in Mosquito Lake for 20 years. I have asked many people where they believed the name of the mountain came from with no firm understanding revealed. It doesn’t appear to be a Tlingit name, although I am sure there is a Tlingit name for it, perhaps incorporating “shaa” or “tak”.
I have always wondered if the name of Four Winds Mountain is related to the time in 1898 when 500 reindeer landed in Haines and were driven up to Dawson City in the Yukon. Laplanders from Norway accompanied and herded the reindeer. Laplanders traditionally wear a hat called a four winds hat. Four Winds Mountain kind of looks like a four winds hat when you approach it. It is just an odd observation and may just be wild speculation on my part. But I am curious.
If anyone knows where the name Four Winds Mountain came from, I would appreciate learning that information. Please write a letter to the editor or email me at [email protected]
David Voth