Bull teams and steam engines
(Edited 06/08/2016, to correct the year from 1897 to 1896.)
This is the colophon of the Kamloops Wawa newspaper, from the first issue that ran it. That’d be November 1897, top of page 1.
It’s dense with Chinuk pipa (shorthand alphabet) Chinook Jargon.
Lots here to sink your teeth into–care to practice your reading skills? It even includes a handy key to the alphabet, well, kind of handy. You’ll see once you click the image to start in.
Here’s a foot in the door: the bottom of the left-hand column ends with the least offensive Muhammad Ali-ism ever. (Who knew pidgins could swagger?)
“Tkop man pipa kakwa bul tim, Chinuk pipa kakwa stim kar.”
(The white man’s writing is like a team of oxen, Chinook writing is like a steam engine.)
Yes!
I’ve figured out what the whole thing says, except for the French in the right column. Now, I read standard French, but in shorthand it might as well be Sumerian, eh?
Send me your attempts!
–Dave–
Hello Dave,
I am a Secwepemc archaeologist working for the Skeetchestn Indian Band in the southern interior of BC. I had recently been given a photo to scan from my cousin. It looks like it has Chinook writing on the back but comparing it to the example from the WaWa on your site – I can’t make anything out of it. Could you have a look?
Kukwstetsemc (Thank you).
Lea, thanks for writing. Look for my email in a moment.
Dave Robertson
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