For thousands of years, Spokane Falls has been a gathering place because of its location on a major inland waterway and its access to annual salmon runs. The Spokane Indians who traditionally occupied the region around Spokane Falls called the falls "s/xetkw," meaning "fast water." During the early summer fishing season, visitors included neighboring Coeur d'Alenes, Kalispels, and Salish-Kootenai, who came to fish, renew ties, trade goods, share stories, and exchange news. Such gatherings continue throughout the region, keeping cultural ties strong among area tribes. One local tribal account of the origin of Spokane Falls tells that when Coyote and Fox were traveling north near Spokane, Coyote sought a Coeur d'Alene woman as a wife and offered salmon to the Chief of the Coeur d'Alene, but the Chief refused because his people did not approve of their women intermarrying with other tribal members. Angry at the refusal, Coyote declared that he would make a big waterfall in the river so salmon could no longer pass upstream to feed the Coeur d'Alenes, and the great falls immediately formed. The city's name, Spokane, was derived from the name of a local tribal leader, "sp'q'n'i," meaning "Sun."