1949: “Chief Chinook” ad in Jargon
Long after the frontier days, Chinuk Wawa remained a powerful symbol of Pacific Northwest identity.
As did the appropriation of Native imagery.
“Chief Chinook advises, in Chinook jargon: ‘You make spots to say that you want to good know Puget Sound Country,’ or more freely, ‘Mark the coupon and send it to us. We will be glad to send you attractive folders with more information.’ “
It’s an advertisement for ferry boat excursions between Washington state and Victoria, BC.
The Chinuk Wawa here is no more fluent than you’d expect in an era when the language had become a dim memory for most people. If I could make one correction, I’d replace “kopa” with “pus / spose”.
— from Fortnight: The Newsmagazine of California, June 10, 1949, page 1
