Manitou

Manitou is a term used in several Algonquian languages to denote a spiritual force or power that animates objects, people, and places. It can refer to a general life force or specific spirits, including benevolent or malevolent beings, and is central to many Indigenous belief systems in the Great Lakes region and adjacent areas.

Etymology; the word comes from Proto-Algonquian *manit-, meaning "spirit" or "power." It spread across Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Cree, and other communities; in English-language records, it was adopted by French explorers and traders in the 17th and 18th centuries, shaping popular conceptions of Indigenous spirituality.

Cultural role; Manitou features in rituals, storytelling, and everyday life, including beliefs about animating forces in objects such as rocks, trees, or rivers, and in personified spirits of ancestors or landscapes. The specifics vary among communities.

Modern usage; the name is used in place names and geographic features in North America (for example Manitou Springs, Colorado). It also appears in corporate and brand names, most notably the French manufacturer Manitou Group, which produces material handling equipment and machinery, and other businesses that draw on the cultural resonance of the term.