1912: Eine Indianer-Zeitung
Published after the Chinook Jargon newspaper “Kamloops Wawa” had stopped regular publication, this newspaper article in German (from the USA!) is nonetheless interesting.
I’m just reproducing it here, with a clunky Google Translate rendering into English.
I think you’ll get the drift. Maybe some of you will send in a better translation!
Eine Indianer-Zeitung.
Wohl die seltsamste Zeitung der
ganzen Welt ist der „Kamloops
Wawa“. Diese Zeitung wird von
einem bretonischen Missionar in Bri-
tisch-Columbia herausgegeben. Es
gibt wenige Weiße, die diese India-
nerzeitung lesen können, denn dazu
muß man erstens der Chinooksprache
kundig sein und außerdem die fran-
zösische Duployan – Stenographie be-
herrschen. J. M. Le Jeune, ein bre-
tonischer Missionar, kam vor einigen
Jahren nach Britisch-Columbia. Die
einheimischen Indianer haben keine
Schriftsprache, in der er sich mit ihnen
hätte verständigen können; es ge-
lang ihm auch nicht, ihnen irgend
eine Art sonst bekannter Alphabete
beizubringen, aber mit der französi-
schen Stenographie, die sich der Laut-
bildung ihrer Sprache gut anpaßte,
hatte er einen vollen Erfolg. Gegen-
wärtig können in Britisch-Columbia
etwa 3,000 Indianer ihre Sprache
französisch stenographiert lesen, und
der „Kamloops Wawa“ ist nun im
Stande, ihnen eine Menge Dinge
aus dem Abendlande in gedruckten
Worten zu übermitteln. Das Wort
„Wawa“ heißt in der Chinooksprache
„Unterhaltung“. Die Zeitung ist
außerordentlich reichhaltig, berührt
alle Stoffgebiete, die es gibt, und
enthält auch Bilder. Ein Blatt da-
von, das der „Strand“ der Liebens
würdigkeit eines seiner Leser ver-
dankt, zeigt, wie man auf der ver-
kleinerten Wiedergabe deutlich sehen
kann, Bilder vom chinesischen Boxer-
Aufstande. Der Text ist für das
Auge gewöhnlicher Europäer oder
Amerikaner unlesbar, jedoch sieht
man, daß die Zahlen genau wie bei
uns mit indischen (arabischen) Zif-
fern geschrieben werden.
An Indian newspaper.
Probably the strangest newspaper in the world
the whole world is the “Kamloops
Wawa.” This newspaper is published by
a Breton missionary in Brit-
ish-Columbia published. It
There are few white people who like this India
can read the newspaper because of that
Firstly, you have to know the Chinook language
be knowledgeable and also the French
French Duployan shorthand
prevail. J. M. Le Jeune, a bre-
tonic missionary, came a few ago
years to British Columbia. The
local Indians have none
Written language in which he communicates with them
could have communicated; it
neither for him nor for them
a type of otherwise well-known alphabet
to teach, but with the French
stenography, which is similar to the phonetic
education adapted well to their language,
he had a complete success. Against-
currently can in British Columbia
About 3,000 Indians speak their language
read French in shorthand, and
the “Kamloops Wawa” is now in
Stand them a lot of things
from the West in print
to convey words. The word
“Wawa” means in the Chinook language
“Entertainment”. The newspaper is
extraordinarily rich, touching
all subject areas that exist, and
also contains images. A leaf there-
from, which is the “beach” of the loved ones
worthiness of one of his readers
thanks, shows how to get on the
can be seen clearly in the smaller display
can, pictures of the Chinese boxer
riots. The text is for that
eye of ordinary Europeans or
Americans unreadable, but looks
you see that the numbers are exactly like
us with Indian (Arabic) numerals
be written remotely.
— from the Dubuque (IA) Luxemburger Gazette of August 20, 1912, page 8, column 5
Tlahowyam, David.
In fact, I could almost have bet on the translation AI to turn the German word “Unterhaltung” into “entertainment”, but of course the intended meaning here is “conversation” or simply “talk”. I think that noun goes back to a time when polite and educated conversation was seen as a form of entertainment or pastime. It has still got that double meaning in German today.
Anyhow, I made you a quick translation of the German newspaper article. It basically says this:
Perhaps the most peculiar of all newspapers in the world is the “Kamloops Wawa.” This paper is published by a Breton missionary in British-Columbia. There are but few White people capable of reading this Indian [Native American] newspaper, because first of all you have to know the Chinook Language [Chinook Jargon] and also have mastered the French Duployan stenography. J. M. Le Jeune, a Breton missionary, arrived in British-Columbia several years ago. The indigenous Indians have no written language in which he might have been able to communicate with them; furthermore, he did not manage to teach them any kind of otherwise known alphabets, but by resorting to the French shorthand system, which adopted well to the phonology of their language, he achieved a complete success. At present, about 3.000 Indians in British-Columbia are capable of reading their language in the French shorthand style, and the “Kamloops Wawa” is now able to relate to them a vast variety of things from the Western world [literally: occident] in printed words. The word “wawa” in the Chinook language means “conversation” [also talk, chat]. The newspaper is extraordinarily comprehensive, touching upon all fields of subject matters in existence and also contains pictures. One sheet of it, which the “Strand” owes to the courtesy of one of its readers, shows pictures of the Chinese Boxer Rebellion, as can be clearly seen in the scaled-down reproduction. The text is unreadable to the eye of typical Europeans or Americans, but one can tell that the numbers are written with Indian (Arabic) numerals just like back home.
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naika wawa mirsi!!
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