According to Moonalice legend, the Coast Miwok tribe of the northern California coast held the regional franchise for Moonalice in the years before Europeans arrived. The Miwoks had many villages in and around present day Petaluma. When the Spanish showed up with their plan to build a mission, they asked the name of the area. The Miwoks said, "péta lúuma ." The Europeans thought the phrase meant, "hill backside." Huh? We looked for guidance in a Moonalice-English dictionary . . . "horse's backside." Ah. Those Miwoks were such kidders.