Monthly Archive: September, 2022

1861: When Métis languages (plural) met in the Tsilhqot’in

by

Why would a Protestant preach in French in the Chilcotin country in 1861?

Who was the “Old Employee of the HBC”?

by

This question came up in our Saturday morning Chinook Jargon group this weekend … Interested in joining us? Email me: spokane ivy @ gmail . com

1889: Another Chinook interpreter in BC court (and “Second Charlie”?)

by

Back-translation, anyone?

1936, Hoquiam: Heap Little Chap Nowitka Skookum

by

A couple of generations past the frontier era, a kid who spoke Chinuk Wawa was worth a news article.

1900: The Northwest Jargon + William Jennings Bryan

by

In the post-frontier period, a traveling salesman in western Washington managed to avoid the already popular “sitkum dollar” joke…

1863: “Inciting Indians to revolt” in Victoria

by

“Half-breeds” took a lot of blame for social frictions between Natives and Settlers…

1900: “Hiou Tenas Iktah”

by

Some really nice visuals are to be found in an obscure old book with a Chinuk Wawa title…

1920: Yakka cultus man, a myth, and another Jargon song

by

This somewhat fanciful, sometimes nonsensical, piece comes to us from more than a generation after the frontier era…

1896: Illihee Club gift and mystery “matukta”

by

Are any of my readers able to figure out what matukta is?

2022: Art involving Chinuk Wawa

by

Opening in the Vancouver, BC metro area as I write this article, and running through December 11th, is an exciting new work of art involving fluent spoken Chinuk Wawa.