Atala means man of honor in the Berger language of the Guanches of the Canary Islands (off the Northwest coast of Africa) who call themselves the Atara (r sounds l), and the land of the Cherokees in the Appalachians was called Atali (Atala in their language meaning mountain), a tribute to the man for whom the Atlas mountains were named, Atlas, a son of Sidon (Poseidon) and grandson of Canaan.