1913, WA: Chisel Chinook on monuments, woulda been a great idea
The Patriarch, who was of course a cranky old White guy with plenty of cojones privilege, put his shoulder into the work of revitalizing Chinuk Wawa more than a century ago.
I think he pledged more than he delivered.
Here’s the actual grave of Mr. Big Talk (image credit: FindAGrave)
CHISEL CHINOOK
ON MONUMENTS
Edward Clayson, Sr., Writes
Inscription for His Tomb-
stone in Indian.
URGES PIONEERS TO ACT
Another Memorial for Miss Denny
Proposed, Bearing Words in
Native Language.
Edward Clayson, sr., the Chinook en-
thusiast, has a unique idea concerning
Inscriptions on Seattle memorials and
monuments which is worthy of con-
sideration.
“The pioneer home of this state is
on the shores of Lake Washington,”
said Mr. Clayson yesterday. “It was
presented to us by Miss Sarah Denny
and a very becoming tablet of granite
is inserted into the masonry at one
side of the entrance to the home, com-
memorative of Miss Denny and her
generous donation to the pioneers,of
the state of Washington. The language
used on the tablet is English as a
matter of course. Now my suggestion
is to place a tablet on the other side
of the entrance commemorative of Miss
Sarah Denny and her munificent gift
with the wording in Chinook. This
would be very becoming.
Writes Own Inscription.
“I think it would be the first in-
scription in Chinook, and would give
recognition to a very worthy person
for a very worthy purpose. Magazines
would copy it and translate it for the
benefit of their readers. It would at-
tract more attention from students
than the most eloquent and descrip-
tive English and Latin combined.
“I think if the Post-Intelligencer
would invite the old settlers of the
Coast to write the inscription in
Chinook and sent it to the editor
for publication that an interest would
soon manifest itself in this interesting
matter. Once inaugurated we should
expect the writers, the real old settlers,
when they die to have a Chinook in-
scription instead of Latin written upon
their monuments in the burial places.
I have one already written for mine.
The states of Oregon and Washington.
British Columbia and Alaska would
surely take an interest in such a
unique and worthy historical move-
ment as this.
Pioneers Are Originators.
“This idea will not appeal to every-
body, but it is not necessary for intel-
lectual men and women to await the
indorsement of the presumptuous
‘school cult’ in matters of innovation.
for they are as a whole, merely imi-
tators of the past, not originators for
the future.
“One of the drinking fountains given
to the city of Seattle by the Women’s
Temperance Union has
mounted in front of it a bust of the
Indian chief, Seattle. These good peo-
ple who put the bust of the great chief
at that cold water fountain have no
more comprehension of its full mean-
ing than did the Athenians who, cen-
turies ago, wrote upon their altars an
inscription. ‘To the Unknown God,’ un-
til that old Christian Roman, St. Paul,
came to Athens and interpreted it for
them.
“The bust of Chief Scattle at the cold
water fountain symbolizes the faet
that cold water was the only beverage
of the Indian in his primitive condi-
tion, and old Chief Seattle was never
known to touch whisky. He was a
man of good judgment. He knew that
intoxicating drinks are not for the
savage, but for the most highly eivil-
ized people only.
Suggests Inscription.
“This is the true interpretation and
I would suggest a Chinook inscription
to be chiseled upon that granite bust
of Chief Seattle at the cold water
fountain which should make the old
Indian chief shout out at the crowd to
come and drink. He should say:
“‘Nah! Klosh Mika Charco spose
mika tickie much-a-muck delate klosh
chuck; spose mika muck-a-muck hiyu
pe ocoke mika halo iskum pottle. Cum-
tux?‘
“This being interpreted means: ‘Say!
Good you come if you want drink truly
good water; if you drink much of this
you will not get drunk! Understand.”
— from the Seattle (WA) Post-Intelligencer of March 23, 1913, page 16, column 3
Did I mention “The Patriarch” was not only a promise-breaker but a racist as well? Anyhow, he claimed to have his own Chinook grave text ready, but only shared some words he wanted to stuff into the figurehead of Chief siʔaɬ.
Here’s the upshot of his suggested Chinook Jargon cartoon balloon for Seattle, in comparison with the article’s Englishing of that text:
Nah!
“Say!”
hey!
{actual translation:} “Hey!”
Klosh Mika Charco
“Good you come”
please you come.here
“Come here!”
spose mika tickie much-a-muck delate klosh chuck;
“if you want drink truly good water;”
if you want drink really good water;
“If you want to drink some really good water;”
spose mika muck-a-muck hiyu
“if you drink much”
if you drink much
“if you drink much of it”
pe ocoke
“of this”
and be.this
“and it’s this,”
mika halo iskum pottle.
“you will not get drunk!”
you.Singular not pick.up bottle*
“you won’t pick up the bottle*.”
Cumtux?
“Understand.”
understand?
“Understand?”
We scarcely remember this character “The Patriarch” these days. He probably gets more press out of my website here than he has since 1915. And that’s kind of a shame. It would have been nice if his more positive ideas had gotten any traction…
𛰅𛱁𛰃𛱂 𛰙𛱁𛱆𛰅𛱁 𛰃𛱄𛰙𛰃𛱄𛰙? qʰáta mayka tə́mtəm? kata maika tumtum? Qu’en penses-tu? What do you think?
And can you say it in Chinuk Wawa?
