“Houn’ Dawg” song originated in Oregon
Today’s post was one of my favorites to write. It started with finding a Chinook song I hadn’t known before (always a thrill!), and it only got better as I followed the historical… Continue reading
Tag Archive: nika
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Sluiskin’s warning! Kloshe nanich!
(Notice how I’m indulging in exclamations this week?!)
Wah-Kee-Nah and her people, including James Clark Strong
“Wah-Kee-Nah and Her People“ by James Clark Strong New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1893 In places, a solidly interesting piece of Northwest Americana. New Yorker J.C. Strong lived in the PNW starting in… Continue reading
I preached the first sermon at White Salmon…in English anyway
“Early Days at White Salmon and the Dalles”, by Camilla Thomson Donnell. Washington Historical Quarterly IV(1) [January 1913], pages 105-115. Page 109: Rev. Mr. Tenney gave me this incident. He said: “I preached the… Continue reading
Blazing the way, by Emily Denny
Blazing the Way: Or, true stories, songs and sketches of Puget Sound and other pioneers. By Emily Inez Denny. Seattle: Rainier Printing Company, Inc. 1909. I enjoyed noticing on page 33 of this… Continue reading
Lines by a klootchman
From the Steilacoom (Washington Territory) Puget Sound Herald, Friday, October 14, 1859, front page I reckon. This one’s what was in early 1960s pop music called an “answer song” 🙂 (If you don’t… Continue reading
The hoary anecdote of the Spotted Tails
Newspapers have a custom of printing stories from sources far away. In the 21st century, that’s because they get so much from online sources. In the 20th, it was wire services like AP… Continue reading
Sex! Or, why is the “M-word” taboo?
In Chinook Jargon dialects, the word “moosum” (“sleep”) is more or less tabooed. In some, which I associate with the Coast and which I tend to perceive as older, there’s a phrase “tenas moosum”.… Continue reading
Sharon Seal guest blogs again: Big John Kitsap & See Oh See Oh
Reader Sharon Seal has contributed more great Chinook Jargon material to share with you all. These are newspaper articles from Kittitas County, WA. (Non-Washingtonians: it’s pronounced KITT-ih-tass.) 1) “Big John Kitsap, Kittitas Indian,… Continue reading
Chinook Jargon songs, part 4
Let me know if you’ve heard this song, too. Looks like you can buy a recording of it at Amazon — Dave R. “Mary, Come Home” –from the same book as part 1, part… Continue reading