 One of these Natives, Wilamet (or Ouilamette or Wilamek), was appointed by La Salle to serve as a laison between New France and the natives of the Lake Michigan region.Wilamet was adopted by the Potawatomis, and his name, which meant "Catfish" in his native Eastern Algonquian language, was eventually transformed into "Winamac", which means the same thing in the Potawatomi language.Before long, he was recognized by the French as the "chief" of the Potawatomi villages along the St. Joseph River in what is now the U.S. state of Michigan.