A better understanding of where kəmtəks / kumtuks / komtax comes from

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Once we realize that in its earliest pidgin form (in Nootka Jargon), the famous Chinuk Wawa word kəmtəks / kumtuks / komtax lacked an “s” sound at the end, we can become enlightened.

An effectively identical sentence in Jewitt and in Lewis + Clark

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For early Chinook Jargon history, it’s enormously significant to find virtually the same sentence spoken at about the same time, but 300 miles apart and by different ethnic groups.

Mayka kumtuks _ka naika? mayka kəmtəks qʰa nayka?

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pre-1923, BC: Ending Haida slavery

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Little people? (Image credit: Etsy) An interesting article from one of the only newspapers ever published in Haida Gwaii contrasts Chinook Jargon and Haida in one section: Children born of slaves were also… Continue reading

Sign up for the world’s best Chinuk Wawa class!

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My friend Beth is perhaps the best Chinuk Wawa teacher in the business.

Chinook in the news: NVMA re the dedication of a church in Merritt, BC

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Chinook Jargon was there. I lifted this from a recent Facebook post by the excellent Nicola Valley Museum & Archives in Merrit, BC. Enjoy! Happy Easter! Today we’ll take a look at the… Continue reading

1912, WA: Interesting growing in Chinook club

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“The Patriarch” was at it again!

Alaxwa from Nak’waxda’xw

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Here is another slahaal song from Kwakwaka’wakw people. 

“A white workman” complains in Chinook Jargon

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I always heard, “The poor workman blames his tools.” 🙂

CJ in the news: The First Breath of British Columbia

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The October 1, 2025 edition of  The British Columbia Review was a nice report on people’s work to get Northern Chinook Jargon spoken again. Go give it a read, it’s good! 𛰅𛱁‌𛰃𛱂 𛰙𛱁𛱆‌𛰅𛱁 𛰃𛱄𛰙‌𛰃𛱄𛰙?… Continue reading