1858, BC: “Ho! For the new mines” with American assumptions about Chinook
Back when Steilacoom (in Washington Territory) was still a major metropolis, it was a conduit for information on — and relating to — the new Fraser River gold rush in BC.
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The traces of Chinook Jargon in Tuwáduqucad (Twana, Coast Salish)
Publicly posted on the web is a wonderful research tool that’s new to me…
1884, WA: Chinook dictionary, racism, misogyny, bad grammar, the usual
A well-known Chinuk Wawa dictionary in the frontier era gets a reception that typifies Settlers’ privileged attitudes.
More humor: translating into Sechelt, or just playing cards?
I got a chuckle from the Chinook Jargon newspaper…
1885, WA: German-Chinook oaths!
Of course you know “Dutch” always meant “German” in America back then.
Chinook Jargon’s /yaka/ indicates pidginization from Chinookan /yax̣ka/
Now an ultra-short note.
1892, WA: Kikisoblu (daughter of Chief Seattle) speaks
Early settler Henry L. Yesler’s death is reported in the Seattle (WA) Post-Intelligencer of December 18, 1892, page 8, columns 1-2, in an article headlined “House of Mourning”, with Chinook Jargon prominent.
Chinook Jargon in the news: BC teachers get a CJ workshop
Pages 24-25 of BC Teacher magazine’s January-February 2025 issue report on a recent conference of social studies teachers from around that province.
Lempfrit’s legendary, long-lost linguistic legacy (Part 11) (published out of sequence as Part 22A!)
Among the very early sources to point out that ‘1’ also means ‘(an)other’ in Chinuk Wawa —
1865, BC (west coast of Vancouver Island): Shipwreck and loss of life, and no Chinook!
Here we learn of the wreck of the American bark Iwanowna of San Francisco, on a trip out of Port Townsend (Washington Territory), at Nootka Island, British Columbia.