Published in 1917 by pioneer historian and Indian trader John E. Rees, Idaho: Its Meaning, Origin and Application is a focused etymological monograph attempting to definitively trace the linguistic roots of the state's name. The text argues that the word originates from the Shoshone exclamation "Ee-dah-how," romantically translated as "the sun comes down the mountain," drawing heavily upon Rees's personal interactions with local tribes and early frontier lore. By compiling linguistic fragments, regional myths, and legislative records, the booklet served to establish a poetic Indigenous pedigree for the newly minted state, one that was enthusiastically embraced by local civic boosters despite subsequent linguistic disputes. A keen insight drawn from the work is how the pioneer-era appropriation of Native language functioned as a form of cultural trophy-hunting; by cementing a highly romanticized, settler-translated Indigenous phrase as the official state identity, early historians actively co-opted Native heritage to give the colonial government an aura of natural, ancient legitimacy while simultaneously overseeing the systemic marginalization of the very people whose language they claimed to honor.