Kamloops Indian Church

A nice news piece, which may clarify history as locally understood from English-language records:

[left column:]

     Iaka ukuk Kamlups chi styuil haws[.]
     This is Kamloops’s new church.

Kopa Oktobir < 20>, < 1900>,
On October 20, 1900, 

Kamlups tilikom mamuk kakshit klaska
the Kamloops [Aboriginal] people knocked down their

ankati styuil haws, pi kopa
old-time church, and on

Disimbir < 20>, mokst mun kimta,
December 20, two months later,

klaska kopit ukuk chi styuil=
they finished this new prayer=

haws.
house.

     Tlun Sondi Kamlups tilikom
     For three weeks the Kamloops people 

skukum mamuk kopa ukuk
worked hard on this 

styuil haws: iht son
church: one day 

ilip ayu kopa taham=
there were more than six-

tatilam tilikom
ty people 

mamuk kanamokst
working together 

kopa ukuk styuil
on this prayer 

haws.
house.

     Kopa tlun Sondi
   In three weeks

iaka kopit kopa
it was completed on 

klahani.
the outside.

     Iawa, ayu tilikom klatwa mamuk
     Then, a lot of the people went 

mawich, pi iht iht mitlait kopa
hunting, but several stayed with 

styuil haws.
the church.

     Ol man Bob pi Piir Pio* klaska
     Old man Bob and Pierre Pio (?)

ilip skukum kopa kanawi: kopit pus
were the most determined: only when 

styuil haws iaka kopit kopa insaid
the church was finished on the inside 

pi klaska kopit mamuk.
did they stop working. 

[right column:]

     Kopa Disimbir < 20>, iaka drit kopit
   On December 20, it was quite done, 

ukuk styuil haws, pi kopa Disimbir
this church, and on December 

< 23>, iaka blist.
23, it was blessed.  

     Kopa Istir Sondi < 1901> iaka
     On Easter Sunday 1901 it 

kopit pint kopa klahani, pi taham
was done being painted on the outside, and six

Sondi kimta klaska mamuk pint
weeks later they painted 

iaka kopa insaid.
it on the inside.  

     Kamlups tilikom piii < 1, 500>
     The Kamloops people paid 1,500 

tala pus mamuk ukuk styuil
dollars to build this prayer 

haws. Tikop man wawa
house.  The white men say 

pus iaka ilip aias makuk
it must be worth more 

kopa < 3, 000> tala.
than 3,000 dollars.

     Tilikom klaska
     The people 

mamuk, kakwa
worked [on it], [and]

chikmin wiht
ukuk.
that is like money too.  

     —

Recognize this from the drawing? —

Compare what the above firsthand report by Father Le Jeune (who personally designed this and several more ‘Indian churches’) says with the dates shown below.

The ankati styuil haws, ‘old-time church’ of St. Joseph’s at Kamloops Indian Reserve, was about 30 years old when demolished.  But the still-existing building dates from 1900.

Chinook Jargon: a valuable research tool.