1895: Real-world Chinook Jargon at Sugarcane
A big gathering at Sugarcane, BC is reported on in “Kamloops Wawa” #132 (September 1895), page 133:
Image credit: National Geographic. This film is nominated for an Oscar.
Ayu tilikom alta komtaks pus lisivik wawa, wik
‘Lots of people now understand when the bishop talks, he’s not’kaltash iaka wawa. Ayu tilikom drit tlus nanich
‘just saying words. Lots of people really paid attention’lisivik iaka wawa, klaska mamuk klatwa ukuk wawa kopa
‘to the bishop’s words; they brought those words into’klaska tomtom.
‘their hearts.’Pi kansih* tilikom mitlait, pi hloima klaska mamuk.
‘But several people were there who acted differently.’Pus lisivik mitlait kaltash klaska sit dawn. Wik
‘When the bishop stood they sat around. They didn’t’klaska kolan iaka wawa. Iht iht klaska slip*
‘hear his words. Some slept’pi iht iht kaltash wawa, kaltash ihi kanamokst
‘and some chatted and joked together’pus lisivik iaka wawa: saia klaska mitlait, wik
‘while the bishop was talking; they were far away; their minds weren’t’klaska tomtom pus klaska kolan ikta lisivik iaka wawa.
‘on hearing what the bishop said.’Hloima tilikom chako kopa saia klaska nanich ukuk
‘Other people who came from far away saw this’pi chako sik klaska tomtom Klaska wawa: Nsaika
‘and got upset. They said, “We’chako kopa saia, nsaika patlach skukum lapilitas kopa
‘came from a long ways away; we gave our bodies a tough penance’nsaika itluil pus chako iakwa nanich lisivik pi kolan
‘to come here and see the bishop and hear’iaka wawa, pi ukuk tilikom kakwa pus kaltash klaska
‘his words, and these people seem like they came’chako, ilo ikta klaska tolo.
‘here for no reason; they’re achieving nothing.’Lisivik wawa kopa kanawi tilikom: Tlus wik msaika
‘The bishop told everyone, “Don’t’kuli: tlus kanawi chako kopa katikism; tlus kanawi
‘wander around; everyone, come to catechism; all of the’wach man tlus nanich, pus tilikom ilo mitlait mamuk
‘watchmen should keep an eye out; if people are absent,’cim klaska nim, patlach klaska nim kopa naika. Alki naika
‘write their names and give their names to me. I’m going to’komtaks klaska. Iht iht wach man mamuk kakwa: pi
‘know (who) they (are).” Some watchmen did so; but’iht iht wach man chako kwash kopa kaltash tilikom.
‘some watchmen got scared of the no- good people.’Kaltash tilikom wawa: Wik mamuk cim naika nim. Iht
‘The no-good folks said, “Don’t write my name down.” One’wach man drit skukum tomtom pi iaka patlach klaska nim
‘watchman was really brave and gave their names,’pi klaska ayu makmak iaka. Klaska wawa: Ikta mamuk
‘and they gave him a terribly hard time. They said, “Why’wik maika mamuk ipsut nsaika, ikta mamuk maika mamuk
‘don’t you hide us, why are you’cim nsaika nim?
‘writing our names down?” ’Pus lisivik iaka nanich klaska nim, iaka wawa:
‘When the bishop read their names, he said:’Ukuk tilikom ilo chako iakwa pus styuil, ilo chako
‘ “These people didn’t come here to pray and didn’t come’iakwa pus haha milalam, klaska chako iakwa pus nanich*
‘here to make confession; they came here to visit’ayu tilikom pus pli, pus mamuk kaltash. Kakwa,
‘lots of people, to play, to goof off. So’tlus klaska ilo haha milalam.
‘let them not make confession.” ’Alta klaska chako komtaks ukuk lisivik iaka wawa,
‘Now they understood this bishop’s words,’pus wik klaska haha milalam, alta chako sik klaska
‘that they couldn’t make confession; now they got sad;’tomtom, alta klaska tiki makmak* lisivik klaska wawa:
‘now they wanted to resent* the bishop’s words:’Pi ikta mamuk? Nsaika chako iakwa kopa saia pus nsaika
‘ “But why? We came here from far away to make’haha milalam, pi alta wik klaska patlach haha milalam kopa
‘confession, but now they won’t give us confession.” ’nsaika. Iawa kanawi taii mamuk tomtom kanamokst.
‘Then all of the chiefs had a conference.’Klaska mamuk chako kanawi tilikom kopa iht haws.
‘They gathered everyone in one house.’Iawa kanawi ukuk tilikom chako ashnu, klaska mash
‘Then all of those people came and kneeled; they rejected’klaska cipi*, klaska tlap lapilitas, pi pus lisivik
‘their mistakes; they received penances; and when the bishop’iaka nanich ukuk, iaka mamuk klahawiam kopa klaska
‘saw this, he took pity on them;’iaka patlach haha milalam kopa klaska.
‘he gave them confession.’
