1896: A sentence a day on a single topic, Part 1
From Kamloops Wawa #142 (July 1896), page 155, one of the most vivid reading lessons I could possibly show you…
Monthly Archive: March, 2025
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WA: Julia Pilchuck’s 1916 weather prediction
I’m not convinced the quoted stuff here is accurate — but it tells us more about the belief that Indigenous people could forecast the weather.
Chinook Jargon at the movies, Part 2: The Incredibles
It’s hard to track down a movie clip to illustrate this installment…
1867, WA: Indigenous strong language about politics
Totally un-translated Chinuk Wawa in the local paper, 114 historically significant words of Indigenous anger. Can you read it?
1875 [1845], OR: The first Settlers spoke French and Chinuk Wawa, not English
Butteville, in Oregon Territory’s prairies françaises (French Prairie), got that name from an original French-speaking Settler; W.H. Rees tells us that the only other widely known language among those French-Canadians/Métis, at least as late… Continue reading
1900, BC “humour”: A salmon deal
A few years into the post-frontier era, we have a “local colour” newspaper piece in Vancouver, British Columbia, that relies on Chinook Jargon for some humour.
1871, OR: “Indian council at Salem”, for back-translation into Grand Ronde Chinuk Wawa
An early reservation-era meeting in Oregon’s capital city was a Who’s Who of important Jargon speakers.
1897, WA: Traditional “clisquis houses”
An untranslated Chinook Jargon term is used for a traditional style of dwelling on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state…
