Talk strange language
The Jargon was being reminisced about already in 1904! The Morning Oregonian (Portland, Or.), Thursday, June 21, 1904, page 12, columns 3-4 has this report of a typical pioneers’ get-together of the time, at… Continue reading
Category Archive: Chinuk Wawa
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Mystery photo
(See the answer in the update line below! — Dave) Here’s a test of your Chinook Jargon-related geographic knowledge: Can you identify this place? Thanks to the kind reader who submitted this via… Continue reading
Dictionary of American Regional English and “Chinook”
The legendary Dictionary of American Regional English, which you ought to go look at in a library if you can’t afford it, also has online pages that are mighty interesting. I found one… Continue reading
“Potlatch” #99 with a bullet!
Probably one of the most visible pop-culture uses of the Chinook Jargon word “Potlatch” was this #99 hit by the Native American band Redbone: (Their drummer was from Neah Bay.) It wasn’t as… Continue reading
“Kanaka(s)” in old newspapers
It’s often been noted with interest that Chinook Jargon, and 19th-century English in the greater Northwest, both had a word specifically for Pacific Islanders: kanaka. There were plenty of Islanders out here at the… Continue reading
Who talks with whom? Or, there really is a Northwest speech community
This is a typically fascinating question by Robert Krulwich at his blog: Who talks with whom? Go read it. It’s fascinating the data that support the observation that folks in a given region… Continue reading
Potlatch Club ball invitation
The Daily Morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) Tuesday, March 27, 1888, column 3. I invite your interpretations of this text! Most of it’s quite clear. Some is new to me. — Dave Potlatch Club Ball.… Continue reading
Chaku-Kəmdəks Chinuk Wawa
Another website that’s great for us Chinook Jargon learners and preservers is Eric Michael Bernando’s blog “Chaku-Kəmdəks Chinuk Wawa“. As the URL for Eric’s site tells, it’s a place to “learn Chinook Jargon”.… Continue reading
VOVA!
Among the few (but increasing number of) websites where you can practice your Chinook Jargon, is VOVA. That’s the Vocal & Verbal Arts Archives. They’re a nonprofit working for language documentation and revitalization;… Continue reading
Northwest nerdery: Soccer + Chinook Jargon
Northwest nerdery: soccer + Chinook Jargon… Portland Timbers fans holding up banners during the national anthem before a match: “TIMBERS HIAS SKOOKUM” (it’s a chant, too) “WHITECAPS HIAS CULTUS” “SOUNDERS HIAS MESACHIE” “TIMBERS… Continue reading