Crowdsourcing: How would you track down these 27 Belgian Chinook writers of 1895?

These 27 young fellas were pen pals with the Chinook-writing Indigenous folks of southern British Columbia.

So, if we could track down more information on them and their files, we’d be likely to discover additional, precious letters written by those BC Natives!

Image credit: Wikipedia

How would you go searching for these 27 guys listed in “Kamloops Wawa” of #129 (June 1895), on page 87?

One thing we know is that they were students at the Oblate order Scholasticate (like a college) in Liège, Belgium. I think it may have been on the Rue Basse-Weze; I also think it’ll show up in Google Street View.

Keep in mind, one of the challenging layers of mystery here is that we only have their names as written in Chinook shorthand!

For example: These fellas may have spelled their own names with “i” or “e” or “y”, but all 3 of those wind up as Chinook Writing’s “i” letter.

It’s also odd that “Kamloops Wawa’s” editor JMR Le Jeune here spells their names neither in French shorthand nor in pure Chinook shorthand, so for instance he has “Henri” as “Anri”, not as French “Ãri” nor as Chinook “Ari / Hinri”.

So I’m guessing a bit, and you may want to do some guessing too.

Pipa chako kopa Liish Bilshom, ayu nim
‘A letter has come from Liège, Belgium; lots of names’

mitlait kopa ukuk pipa. Kanawi klaska nim ukuk klaska
‘are in that letter. They’re all the names of those who’

komtaks Chinuk pipa kopa Liish:
‘know Chinook Writing at Liège:’

<1.> Iv Lshyun
‘Yves Le Jeune’

<2.> Viktor Ror
‘Victor Rohr’

<3.> Ibsla* Hofi*
‘Absalom* Hoffé*’

<4.> Idwar Lfoktin*
‘Edouard Le Foctine*’

<5.> Filiks Obir*
‘Felix Aubert*’

<6.> Shosip Prar*
‘Joseph Perard*’

<7.> Shosif Godirnit*
‘Joseph Godernet*’

<8.> Fraswa Kinyutil*
‘François Quenutel*’

<9.> Irnist Shin*
‘Ernest Chine*’

<10.> Ogyust Valii*
‘Auguste Vallier*’

<11.> Shak Miniir*
‘Jacques Minière*’

<12.> Maikl Grin*
‘Michael Green*’

<13.> Shosif Bashis*
‘Joseph Bashes*’

<14.> Ipolit Shyush*
‘Hippolyte Juge*’

<15.> Yushin Shirar
‘Eugene Gerard’

<16.> ShB Itkin*
‘J-B Aitken*’

<17.> Shosif Iv*
‘Joseph Yves*’

<18.> Shosip Yus*
‘Joseph Hughes*’

<19.> Gsavii* Sakrapi*
‘Xavier Sacrepied*’

<20.> Fraswa Mishil Bonshol*
‘François-Michel Bonjol*’

<21.> Adolf Librit*
‘Adolphe Lebret*’

<22.> Anri La Ondis*
‘Henri La Hondisse*’

<23.> Gabriil Lio*
‘Gabriel Leo*’

<24.> Filip Lio*
‘Philip Leo’

<25.> Shon Luis Byust*
‘John-Louis Buste*’

<26.> Chak Lio*
‘Jacques Leo’

<27.> Godfrwa Id*
‘Godefroy Ide*’

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