1839, in the meaning defined above
missegmented from Ojibwa ninka·pi·han “west,” perhaps influenced by Ojibwa Ab-boin-ug (19th-century spelling), alteration of pwa·nak “Sioux” (plural), associated by folk etymology with apwe·, “to roast,” apwa·na·kk “roasting stick” (alluding to the alleged Sioux custom of torturing enemies)