1882, BC: “Chinooke Clahowyah Queen’s Tenass” to the Viceroy
It’s not great Chinook Jargon, but it’s Chinook Jargon in public.
The Queen’s Tenass (queen’s child) here is Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria of Britain. Her husband was the Governor-General of Canada, John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll (6 August 1845 – 2 May 1914), known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne.
Lord Lorne and Princess Louise (image credit: Wikipedia)
Is he the reason “Lorne” is still a popular male given name in Canada? Hm.
Well, here’s the news from 1882, with a “Chinook welcome (to the) queen’s child.” —
THE VICE-REGAL TOUR.
VICTORIA, B.C., September 30 . — The Prin-
cess and Marquis have gone to New West-
minster. They were received beneath an arch
built of salmon boxes and barrels, filled with
tins of salmon, surmounted by cougar and
trimmed deer’s heads. From the roof of the
arch were suspended large salmon and sturgeon,
and it was festooned with fishing nets, and had
the following in large letters: “Our sea farm
natural resource.” From this point to the re-
ception platform the procession passed through
an Indian arch, tastefully decorated, which had
on it “Chinooke Clahowyah Queen’s Tenass.”
In the evening there was a torchlight proces-
sion by Indians in canoes. The Princess re-
turned to Victoria to-day. The Marquis goes
to the interior. The health of the party con-
tinues good. The Princess and Marquis are
winning all hearts by their unostentatious
kindness towards all classes.
— from the Montreal (Québec) Star of October 2, 1882, page 1, column 3
