Spokane is a Native American word meaning "Children of the Sun." Well before the 1700’s Native Americans were settled along the Spokane River near the falls, in the valley, and on the pasturage. The compelling falls on the river had been the focus for settlement for years. The Falls were a great place to fish, and the surrounding areas for hunting. These groups of Indians who had come to be known as the Spokane Indians lived off of the boundaries which nature provided.