Angel Falls is no more; now it's Churún-merú.

[rabs]

During his traditional Sunday program "Alo Presidente," Hugo rejected the gringo name of the waterfall and said from now on it would be called by its Indian name, Churún-merú.

Chavez may have been in error on the name because some say the indigenous name is "Parakupa-vena," and also "Kerepakupai merú."

Either way, someone is going to have to change the name on countless tourism brochures. :rofl:


--------------------------------

Angel Falls (indigenous name: "Parakupa-vena", which means "the fall from the highest point" or "Kerepakupai merú", which means "waterfall of the deepest place", in Pemon language; Spanish: Salto Ángel) is the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,647 ft). It is located in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela.


Angel Falls is the highest free-falling, fresh water waterfall in the world, dropping 3212 feet from the rim of Auyan-Tepui, a table-top mountain in Venezuela's Canaima National Park.


Angel Falls is named for the aviator James C. Angel, who spotted it from his small plane on November 16, 1933, while searching for what he believed would be a major deposit of gold. Prior to Angel, it had been known to few, including the local Pemon Indians, who call it Kerepakupai Merú ("fall of the deepest place").



(Spanish)

http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&idPub=171671&id=331854&dis=1&sec=1

[Peace Patriot]

1. Now that is what I call serendipity--that a guy named "Angel," who was no angel (driven by greed,,

looking for gold) happens to be the first gringo to see a spectacularly beautiful waterfall that looks like 'angel hair,' and thus it gets named "Angel Falls" not because the word "angel' is so appropriate but because the greedy, exploitative, gold-seeking gringo happened to have that very name.

I think maybe they should keep the name--as a reminder of these ironies.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Very kind of Hugo Chavez to give that waterfall back the name by which Venezuelans knew it,

before James Angel dropped by, and "discovered" it.

It's an excellent, correct step forward, and important as a symbolic act.

Very short sighted of USAmericans of Angel's time to have pretended Venezuela wasn't already inhabited by perfectly good human beings, who "discovered" their part of the world long before Angel appeared.

http://www.dmairfield.com.nyud.net:8090/people/angel_ji/images/JimmieAngel.jpg http://www.dmairfield.com.nyud.net:8090/people/angel_ji/images/jangel-04281928.jpg

http://www.dmairfield.com.nyud.net:8090/people/angel_ji/images/Angel_and_People_Before_Flight.jpg

Jimmie Angel (R) With Unidentified People, October 8, 1937

http://www.dmairfield.com.nyud.net:8090/people/angel_ji/images/Angel_Falls_From_Flamingo.jpg

Angel Falls From Flamingo NC9487, October 9, 1937
Biographical material:
http://www.dmairfield.com/people/angel_ji/index.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. Adventurer's niece saddened by renaming of Venezuela's Angel Falls

Adventurer's niece saddened by renaming of Venezuela's Angel Falls
Associated Press
1:10 p.m. CST, December 22, 2009

ARCATA, Calif. (AP) — The niece of adventurer Jimmie Angel says she is saddened that Venezuela President Hugo Chavez wants to go back to using the indigenous name for the world's tallest waterfall.

The waterfall, known as Angel Falls, was named after the American pilot who saw the natural wonder from his plane in 1933.

But Chavez said Sunday he wants the falls to be called by its Pemon Indian name: Kerepakupai-Meru.

Karen Angel, Angel's niece who runs the Arcata-based Jimmie Angel Historical Project, says the name should remain because he was the one who made the falls known to the world.

More:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-ap-angel-falls-travel-story,0,4572983.story

http://www.zefrank.com.nyud.net:8090/web/64.jpg http://marisapage.files.wordpress.com.nyud.net:8090/2009/06/500full-mia-farrow.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com.nyud.net:8090/_3ggnNfdZJT0/SmxaHJuwoRI/AAAAAAAAAgg/Sbp6lzgmdA4/RiverColors3_thumb2.jpg

Cry Mia River

http://www.sternplanet.com.nyud.net:8090/boards/images/gifs/reservoir_dogs-worlds_smallest_violin.gif

World's smallest violin.