Monthly Archive: August, 2026

1877, WA: A klootchman’s grave

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I’m making note of this frontier-era news article not only for its casual use of Chinook Jargon (which every reader understood), but also to show that “fish Indians” was very common terminology.

Is the -muləqan variant for ‘elk’ just Lower Chinookan?

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Yup, for ‘elk’ in Lower Chinookan, Franz Boas documented both the -mulak root shape that gave us Chinook Jargon’s mulak, and also this: 

The 1st & 2nd CJ compound nouns ever documented?

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There were compounds in “Nootka Jargon”; we find them at least as far back as <Tais frijoles> from José Mariano Mociño / Moziño in 1792, literally ‘chief beans’.

Spotted in the wild: 4 kinds of Skookum at Okanogan Museum

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Say what you will about the imagery, but the word Skookum is a core memory for lots of us from northeastern Washington state. These are displayed at the truly well-done Okanogan County Museum in… Continue reading →

Spotted in the wild: Chumstick Highway, WA

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Something you’ll see… As you drive through Leavenworth, Washington on your way to further Chinook Jargon adventures… is “Chumstick“! 𛰅𛱁‌𛰃𛱂 𛰙𛱁𛱆‌𛰅𛱁 𛰃𛱄𛰙‌𛰃𛱄𛰙? qʰáta mayka tə́mtəm? kata maika tumtum? Qu’en penses-tu? What do you… Continue reading →