1869, western Washington: The effects of civilization
We keep a file of Chinook Jargon-related poetry from oldtime newspapers…
…And this one (from Thanksgiving season!) is unfortunately as racist against Native people as most of the others.
Proof of concept — the Agatha Christie novel & film “10 Little Indians” originally had another hateful title
(image credit: Abebooks)
It’s amazing from our current perspective, seeing how casually folks composed artistic hate literature.
There’s a reason I call this Settler poetry “doggerel”.
This has been a sobering and enlightening research project.
The following shows you that the US folklore “10 Little Indians” trope was already known just after the US Civil War. It had already been a children’s counting-out rhyme, and today’s poem takes off on a recently popular minstrel song on the theme.
EFFECTS OF CIVILIZATION.
Ten little Indians living near a brook
Their food was salmon, their wa-wa Chinook.
Ten little Indians standing in a line,
One toddled home, and then there were nine.
Nine little Indians swinging on a gate,
One tumbled off and then there were eight.
Eight little Indians never heard of heaven,
One kicked the bucket, and then there were
seven.
Seyen little Indians cutting up tricks,
One broke his neek, and then there were six.
Six little Indians kicking all alive,
One went to bed, and then there were five.
Five little Indians on a cellar door,
One tumbled in, and then there were four.
Four little Indians out on a spree,
One dead drunk, and then there were three.
Three little Indians out in a canoe,
One tumbled overboard, then there were two.
Two little Indians fooling with a gun,
One shot the other, and then there was one.
One little Indian, living all alone,
He got married, then there was none.
— from the Olympia (WA) Weekly Pacific Tribune of November 20, 1869, page 3, column 5
