Native people’s voices in “Kamloops Wawa” (part 3)
A St’át’imc Salish man from the Lillooet area writes in to the Chinook newspaper…
My understanding is that the writer is Adolphe Swarpcheen, a big figure in the Chinook Writing world at the time.
Wiht iht pipa nsaika chi alta tlap. Kopa
‘There’s yet another letter we’ve just now gotten. It’s from’
Liluit ilihi ukuk pipa kopa Pavilian: iaka wawa ukuk
‘the Lillooet area, this letter, from Pavilion: it says, this’
pipa: “Naika tlap pipa kopa maika: maika tiki komtaks
‘letter: “I got a letter from you: you wanted to know…’
klaksta man ukuk mamuk tsimpipakopa maika. Iaka nim
‘which person wrotea letterto you. His name’
Saksi, iaka mitlait kopa Pavilian. Maika komtaks
‘is Saxy, he lives at Pavilion. You know’
iaka ukuk man iaka mamuk lakrwa kopa Alkalai Lik ankati.
‘him, that man who built the cross at Alkali Lake a while ago.’
Klahawiam Pir Lshyun. Naika Adolf.”
‘Goodbye Père Le Jeune. I’m Adolphe.’
— from Kamloops Wawa #94 (September 3, 1894), pages 143-144
