Cascadia and Chinuk Wawa
HYIU TILLICUM SKOOKUM: “United We Stand”? — Cascadia’s seal (image credit: Medium.com)
What’s currently the closest thing to a nation with Chinook Jargon as an official language?
Grand Ronde Indian Reservation! 🙂
Or the Métis Nation of BC 🙂
Seond runner-up, however, is Cascadia Illahee.
Just ask the Cascadia Dept. of Bioregion. (Website: https://deptofbioregion.org/)
Founded November 5, 2018, this organization weaves Chinuk Wawa throughout its public presence.
There’s that logo shown above.
And the name for this region of the Pacific Northwest:
Cascadia Illahee is the name of the land given by the people who live here and a bioregional movement to empower every person to be active about what they care about. We work to protect the things we love, grow a positive regional identity, increase the independence and autonomy of our bioregion, reverse harmful colonial mindsets and policies, and connect into a network of ethical and sustainable movements from around the world.
And their greeting video:
I also appreciate “Your Chinook Wawa Word of the Day“.
For a very new organization, these folks are doing a fair bit to raise the profile of the Jargon. Hayu masi for that!
The association of “Cascadia” with Chinuk Wawa has been taking shape in recent years; another group who’ve promoted it are Cascadia Now! (A small caveat — these guys’ take on Jargon is more funloving and less grammatical.) 🙂
FreeCascadia.org has also promoted the Jargon.
It’s nice to see people taking pride in our region and our shared culture…