Chinuk-wawa's topics - tribe.net

Vancouver BC

2009-02-06T03:46:43Z

Anyone local want to hang out and talk about - or in - the Wawa? Would love to meet others...

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

Grande Ronde Chinuk Wawa Classes

2009-01-15T06:33:22Z

Is anyone else here a regular or semi-regular at the drop-in Chinuk Wawa classes offered at the Grande Ronde tribal offices in Portland?

(5:30 to 9:00 pm, each Wednesday, 3312 S.W. Kelly Ave.)

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 2 replies

The Cascadian Guidebook Project

2008-12-03T03:30:42Z

Please check out the new blog which serves as our preliminary promotion for a bioregional guidebook project now one year in the works. The is based around a bioregional model of the cascadian region, and will serve as a tool for re-envisioning the Pacific Northwest. Get involved! Write to cascadianculture@gmail.com and see the blog at cascadianculture.blogspot.com

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Spiritual Art and Drum Sale

2008-09-17T13:20:43Z

From Bill Cote:

Sept 20--21

I am moving to Montana & Must reduce my collection of over 400 paintings. My art has been described as 'Outsider', or 'Primitive' Art. The work reflects my interest in mythology, spirituality, family, and geometric design. The work includes pieces ranging from 4 by 8 feet, to many small pieces. I paint on canvas, glass, plastic, but mostly recycled wood.

Northwest style hand drums and a Pow Wow drum also available. I have been creating drums with permission of my elders for 21 years.

ALL ITEMS PRICED TO MOVE.

Please come join us for fun, music, and a slide show of my computer art Sat evening. We invite you to bring an instrument, song, story, poem, or listening ears for fun with art, music, and sharing.

contact info: bill (360) 528-9455

Address of Sale: 5116 se Ankeny, Portland ( 1 block off Burnside), Portland, OR

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Drum Making and Red Cedar Circle this week

2008-06-16T01:09:18Z

Dear Friends and Family,

Chal.Si.Nam.Menill (Bill Cote) will be offering a drum making workshop tomorrow evening, Monday, June 16, at Soul-Eye's House, George and Suzi's home. I believe he also has Native American hoop-style drums for sale. If you are interested, please message me, and I will get in touch with Bill for you.

We will also have an Open Red Cedar Circle, in the SiSiWiss tradition of the native people of the Pacific Northwest, on Tuesday, June 17, at George and Suzi's home. We will gather from 6-7 p.m. to share food and community, and begin our Circle at 7 p.m. All are welcomed. George and Suzi's home is 0206 SW Nebraska St., Portland, OR 97230. For directions, you can call George and Suzi @ 503-245-5660. For more information, you can message me.

Wynne

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

MAY 2ND, 2008-- FOUNDERS DAY KICK OFF FOR CASCADIA COMMONS!

2008-04-16T04:34:29Z

Klahowya Cascadians,

On May 2nd, 1843, a provisional government was
established in Champoeg. This was the beginning of an
interesting sequence of events, many of which remain
untold in history texts. Nevertheless, the
provisional government was established by 52 men
stepping over a line drawn in the dirt to 48 standing
still, thus authorizing the creation of the Organic
Acts, the first government in Oregon, today known as
Cascadia. Amendments to this document led towards the
movement to break up the Oregon Country/Territory into
the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the Province
of British Columbia, with parts of Northern
California, Western Wyoming, Western Montana,
Southwest Alaska, and Southwest Alberta joining their
respective states and provinces. Cascadia Commons has
chosen to honor this great day in history by hosting
its "kick-off" event at Champoeg State Park and mimic
the historic line crossing event. At 9 PM we will
draw a line in the ground, read the Cascadia Commons
declaration, and ask those in attendance to step over
the line if they choose to ratify the Cascadia Commons
constitution.

Cascadia Commons is in the process of forming a 501
(c) 3 corporation that will work with communities and
other nonprofits to restore the Cascadian Bioregion,
establish a local economy, and protect local
resources. We will encourage businesses and
communities to live more sustainably and wisely so
that Cascadia remains a place that the future can
enjoy. Please view our website at
www.cascadiacommons.org for more information.

Today we made a reservation for Cascadia Commons at
Champoeg State Park for May 2nd, 2008 at lot A12. Lot
A12 will host 8 people, please email me at
savepac17@yahoo.com if you would like to join us at
lot A12. If, however, you would like to reserve your
own lot, please call 1-800-452-5687 and request that
you want to be as close to A12 as possible. Several
lots are still available in section A, however all
lots in section B have been reserved. The
receptionist said that A13 is still available. At
this time, I have not made a decision whether to stay
two nights. Please let me know if you would like to
do that and I will extend the reservation at A12.
Each lot will only hold one car. Alternative forms of
transportation are encouraged (which includes
carpooling), however, additional parking is available
for $5 per night. Please view the Champoeg State Park
website for more information:
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_113.php. Again,
please send me an email (savepac17@yahoo.com) if you
would like to join us at lot A12 or call
1-800-452-5687 to reserve your lot today.

Kwanesum Chinook Illahee kopa Kloshe Nanitch,

Collin S. Ferguson

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

The March 15th March!

2008-03-11T05:59:00Z

Klahowya Cascadians,

As I am sure all of you know, on March 15th at 2 PM there will be a march against the 2003 Iraq Invasion. Momentum for the march is heating up as exemplified by the efforts of the iraqbodycountexhibit.org display at Portland State University of over 100,000 miniature white and red flags. The red flags represent the 3,972 American soldiers who were killed in the war and the white flags represent the over 650,000 Iraqi civilians who have perished since the beginning of the invasion. The display covers four city blocks.

It is time we Cascadians made our presence known by taking an open stance against this haineous war. I am asking all of you to march with me and The Doug flag in solidarity. The Doug Flag is not just about Cascadia. It is also about peace with the Earth and peace with humanity. We will meet at SW Jefferson and Park next to the Portland Art Museum. I will be there at noon making signs displaying the Cascadian Stik over a peace symbol. I will have paint and poster board ready for anyone who would like to make a Peace Stik too. In the words of Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, "a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."

Kloshe nanitch pi mamook kloshe tumtum.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

new mod...

2008-01-11T07:38:23Z

i will volunteer...
i love this site... though it doesnt get much traffic... im glad its here as a resource at least...

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 9 replies

good bye tribe

2008-01-06T21:47:08Z

nn Coulter ads, Christian singles ... don't mind the pitch for paid membership, but something doesn't feel right here. There's no good way to deal with trolls .... and cisco isn't where I want to be.

Good bye tribe

Bambi

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Next Cascadian Survivalist Meeting

2007-10-07T23:32:16Z

Dear brother and sister Cascadians,

Come on, come all to the next Cascadia Survivalist Society (Skipping Society, Sasquatch Society, etc.), which will be Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 7pm at the Lucky Lab, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214.

At the meeting we will discuss among of things incorporation as a non-profit, forming a bioregional congress (for more information go to http://www.bioregional-congress.org/), how to elect board members, how to spread the campaign, how we can support our cause by supporting existing organizations, and developing regional and student chapters. We are in process of opening chapters in Victoria, British Columbia, Eugene, OR and Portland, Oregon. Please bring yourself and friends to the meeting, enjoy a pint, and have a great time with your fellow Cascadians.

Sincerely,

Collin S. Ferguson

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

random thoughts about promoting Chinook

2007-09-20T08:32:09Z

Hi,
I'm totally new to this forum, and to Chinook, but i love the Pacific Northwest, and I think that promoting languages indigenous to this region is a marvelous way to build a flourishing regional culture and awareness of this unique landscape, and the people and cultures born here.

It would be interesting to brainstorm about ideas that have been used elsewhere to promote threatened and "minority" languages. One example that's fascinating is the revival of Yiddish and Hebrew in Birobidzhan (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birobidzhan ).

One thing that could help to start programs and get funding (eg., for courses in local schools) might be to play up the economic angle. A friend of mine visiting town recently remarked that one of the things he found fascinating and attractive about Portland, and the Pacific Northwest generally, is the interest in local and regional culture, attested to by the numerous Farmer's Markets, and phenomena like "Made in Oregon." Building on these strengths by promoting knowledge and practice of languages indigenous to the region, particularly Chinook Wawa, would be a great way to further distinguish this place in people's minds, and to attract more likeminded people here as well.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION

2007-05-24T13:44:50Z

GUIDE TO PRONUNCIATION
____________

KEY TO THE SYMBOLS
____________

The pronunciation is indicated by the simple system of respelling which is used in Webster's International Dictionary. It employs the diacritically marked letters familiar in the schoolbooks of the country. "The defects of the English orthography are well known, but, under the circumstances, we have no choice but to follow it, making up for its deficiencies by the necessary explanations. In the phonetics of the language one point is specially interesting, both as illustrating the usual result of the fusion of two or more languages, and as showing one of the laws which must govern the formation of any international speech. As the Jargon is to be spoken by Englishmen and Frenchmen, and by Indians of at least a dozen tribes, so as to be alike easy and intelligible to all, it must admit no sound which cannot be readily pronounced by all. The numerous harsh Indian gutturals either disappear entirely, or are softened to h and k. On the other hand, the d, f, g, r. v, z, of the English and French become in the mouth of a Chinook t, p, k, l, w, and s. The English j (dzh) is changed to ch (tsh); the French nasal n is dropped, or is retained without its nasal sound."�Hale. Authority used, Eells.

http://chinookjargon.home.att.net/shawguidepron.htm for more info...

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 15 replies

Chinuk Wawa in Portland tonight May 24th

2007-05-24T13:35:07Z

the following is a Portland Indy Meida announcement

(added note I would say Chinuk wawa was spokan west of the Rockies .. not just west of the Cascades)

Morgan Millar's and Portland Indy's announcement:

May 24th 2007 forum/speaker
Time 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Title Chinuk-wawa
Portland, OR
Location 3120 N Williams Avenue
Speaker Morgan Miller
Topic / Issue Other
Sponsor The Waypost
Morgan Miller presents: "Chinuk-wawa"

Synopsis:
The language of chinuk-wawa is a local, cross racial language which was spoken by most folks on the western side of the Cascades back in the 1800s - early 1900s. It's a mixture of tribal, french and english words, with words and structure of its own. It is comprised of perhaps 700-800 words and is fairly easy to learn and get by in. As one becomes fluent, chinuk becomes more and more poetic as new words are developed as combinations of older ones.
There are many local terms one might see around the Northwest which are chinuk, and there are efforts in "cascadian" circles to revive the language as a local street language.

*Part of the ongoing series: Live Journalism and Experts.
http://www.thewaypost.com

http://www.protest.net/pdxindymedia/calendrome.cgi?span=event&ID=811706

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

Note from tribe.net: please assign a moderator

2007-01-13T05:50:34Z

Hey there, "Chinuk-wawa" members--

This Tribe doesn't have an active moderator, but as a matter of policy, Tribe.net likes all groups to have a leader. Can you collectively choose someone to moderate your Tribe?

When you've reached consensus, have the new moderator send a note to help@tribe.net, with the words "Moderator Change – Chinuk-wawa" in the subject header, letting us know that you've selected a new leader. Please be sure to include a link to this discussion thread!

Thanks--

TOU (Terms of Use) Guy

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 5 replies

a song in Chinook Wawa

2006-05-25T22:23:46Z

a song in Chinook Wawa

ok last night out of frustration and needing to occupy my mind on
some little project that I could throw myself into without deadlnes
and pressure I interepted this song into Chinook Wawa (Chinook
Jargon)... I did change some of the words (hence an interpetation
not literal translation). Two things I changed were specific
geographic names so I switch one from a specific river to the
Chinook Jargon word for "downstream" and a specific "square"
or "park" to Cheechako Lolo which can be translated as New Comer
Gathering Place. Also changed a tradtional "ethnic" mucical
instrument to "mamook pompom" drumming. And out of need had to cut
one line because the Chinook Jargon way of expressing two of the
verses was longer than the English and other Indo-European versions.
And ofcourse an interpetation does not follow the exact word order
of a literal translation.

Personally I would love to hear this sung by a female singer. And
after listening to several songs in Chinok Jargon they can at times
sound like a merger of French and other languages.

So guess the song (hint its about 15 years old or so):

Mimie naika klatawa
kopa Cheechako Lolo
Mamook kwolen wind kopa kalapee
Waum polaklie
sojers klatawa enati
Mamook kwolen wind kopa kalapee

Kopa konaway
mamook ikpooie
Nesaika mamook konaway moxt, chako kahpos
Alki wake kumtux
Naika tumtum konaway kah
Mamook poh kopa wind kopa kalapee

Lolo naika kopa tamanass kopa alta
Kopa skookum polaklie
Illahee tenass kopa tomalla moosum nanitch
kopa wind kopa kalapee

Klatawa kopa wayhut
Siah moosum nanitch
Mamook keekwullie kopa ahnkuttie kwanesum

Mimie naika klatawa
kopa Cheechako Lolo
Mamook kwolen wind kopa kalapee

Lolo naika kopa tamanass kopa alta
Illahee tenass kopa tomalla potlatch moosum nanitch
pe yaka pe naika

Lolo naika kopa tamanass kopa alta
Kopa skookum polaklie
Illahee tenass kopa tomalla moosum nanitch
kopa wind kopa kalapee

Wind kopa kalapee poh delate
kopa seahhost kopa ahnkuttie
Kahkwa tamanass wind mamook tintin
Klah tintin kopa mamook kloshe tumtum
yaka mamook pompom
naika guitar mamook shantie

Lolo naika kopa tamanass kopa alta
Kopa skookum polaklie
Illahee tenass kopa tomalla moosum nanitch
kopa wind kopa kalapee

Lolo naika kopa tamanass kopa alta
Kopa skookum polaklie
Illahee tenass kopa tomalla moosum nanitch
kopa wind kopa kalapee

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

something to think about .. a Cascadian Bioregional Event?

2006-05-22T12:08:24Z

something to think about .. a Cascadian Bioregional Event?

I just got a forward of a forward that reached me about a center focused on the Dom (Gypsies or Roma who live in the Middle East and Africa) that is using the Dom/Roma flag in a auction to generate money to help finance education for some Dom students (I think a good cause). So I just got it and thought "Hey great idea... maybe we could get some people to make hemp based Doug flags and auction them off for some funding too.. like a Cascadian Multicultural Event or a De/Reconstruction of Cascadian History Fair or even just a Cascadian Bioregional Festival". We could have booths with food, drinks, local crafts, local economy and andsustainability booth. Maybe even a potlatch or salmon bake.

Anyone interested who has been part of an event? Anyone maybe associated with Portland's City Repair or the Burning Man or any events in the past about sustainability? Maybe a Peak Oil booth could be hosted there or an EndCorporatePersonhood table? Can you imagine local microbreweries getting involved from McMinimins to Fish Tail Brewry (with their Cascadian brew). Imagine smoke salmon and local artists. I would suggest making contact with the various tribes (like the Grand Ronde) who share in the cultural diversity of of our bioregional landscape (infact they are its foundation). Imagine local gardeners and nurseries along side a both for permaculture. Or the various salmon groups like Salmon Nation and Cascadia Scoreboard. Imagine a Chinook Jargon workshop or poetry read or music in Chinook Jargon.

So any opinions or ideas?

Remember if you think you could not do anything like this, but love the idea then at least forward the idea to people and groups that might be interested.

the original forward:

Last Days of Dom Gypsy Flag Auction!
The Dom Research Center (DRC) wants to remind you that there are only a few
more days in which to bid on the beautiful hand-made Gypsy flag being
auctioned by the DRC. The proceeds from the auction of the flag will go to
the Dom Scholarship Fund. The person with the winning bid will not only
have a unique Gypsy flag, but the satisfaction of knowing they are helping a
Gypsy youth gain educational, vocational, and/or technical training that
help ensure a better quality of life for him/her. Bids can be placed by
clicking on this website address: http://www.domresearchcenter.com and
entering your bid.

If you do not wish to make a bid on the flag, but would like to make a
donation to the Dom Scholarship Fund, please click on this address:
http://www.domresearchcenter.com/projects/scholar/index.html

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

may 2nd 1843 Champoeg Founders Day

2006-05-01T18:14:14Z

May 2nd marks Founders Day which in 1843 was the first western style democracy west of the Rockies. Maybe for Cascadians this should mark a day to honor our Bioregion. Today Founders Day is honored on May 6th with events at Champoeg State Park. The original meetings for the final decision in 1843 were called the "Wolf Meetings" in which the European settlers were concerned about preditorial animals and "vermin". These meetings led to the Europeanization of the Willamette Valley and the rest of the Cascadian bioregion. Maybe a reopening of the "Wolf Meetings" could address the damages of ecocide and Europeanization of the landscape as well as the ethnocide of Native People.

For many Cascadians the first days of May should hold a value for several different reasons. For those conscious of labour movements (workers and the politally left) May Day was the international workers day marked with historical tragedies. This should be a history everyone should learn and honor those that fought and still fight for the rights and safety of all of us. For those Cascadians who honor various religious or spiritual paths associated with changing seasons and Nature then May Day marks an ancient holiday often celebrated as Beltaine. Also the day following May Day should have historical signifigance for Cascadians, Oregonians and the people of the various states and provinces that were the Old Oregon County. May 2nd marks the anniversary of "Founders' Day" the day in 1843 when European and mixed settlers in the French Prairie (within the Willamette Valley) at town of Champoeg voted to create the first independent western style democratic government. Those dedicated to preserving American national mythology about those events often simply claim it was an election decide on whether the Oregon Country should join the USA. The reality as in many cases with nation-state mythology is that the situation was far more complex that Amerikan nationalists would have people believe. Almost half voted against formation of an independent government for various reasons. For some because they were employed by the Hudson Bay Company that already managed for British citizens (including French Canadians and Metis) juridical matters in the region. For some it was fear that the US Americans were quickly spreading across North America using Anglo-American immigration to change the political landscape and therefore challenge any and all other residence of the region (Texas, California and the rest of the Mexican Cession where in the process of Amerikanization at the time). Some voted in favor of the formation of a government because of the lack of legal status for some residents that migrated from the US (the Ewing Young case was the prime legal case for that reason). Others voted for establishment of a government with the idea of a Republic of the Pacific in mind independent of the US (Osborne Russell even ran for the first Provisional Governor position in 1845 from the Independents stance). Thomas Jefferson himself sent the Corp of Discovery as a scientific exploration and deplomatic mission to the lands west of the Stony Mountains (the Rockies) not as US Amerikan national mythology suggests as exploring future conquest or annexation, but originally Jefferson envisioned the region as a future Republic of the Pacific independent and on its own path to a parallel democratic tradition. It was American expansionists like president Polk with a the campaign slogan "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" and American nationalist journalist John Louis O'Sullivan with his concept of Divine American Imperialism in the concept of "Manifest Destiny" that drove the idea that the Oregon Country was the "property" of American Empire. Of course all this ignored what Native People and other residents thought in the region.

In Chinook Jargon the land west of the Rockies was called Chinook Illahee meaning land of the Chinook Jargon Speakers.

Using historical and civil events to deconstruct our shared history maybe one method to getting the meme out about Cascadia.

Unfortunately today the park system does not celebrate Founders Day on its origianl May 2nd, but does honor that historic event on May 6th at Champoeg (near Wilsonville).

www.champoeg.org/

homepage: http://republic-of-cascadia.tripod.com/

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

hilo tilkom komtoks

2006-04-17T21:39:54Z

pusikta yakwa hilo tilkom koko ziltzil pi mamuk zum kopa cinukwawa?

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 6 replies

interlinear poem

2006-04-17T16:40:10Z

from Terry Glavin's poem "Rain Language" _A VOICE GREAT WITHIN US_, Terry Glavin & Charles Lilliard, [new star books, vancouver ca., 1998 isbn 0-921586-56-6 ]
''
Kopa okoke oakut, lelang mitlite,
that is the way the language lingers,
nawitka nesika oakut
our own way
tanse,
danse,
tikegh,
to want, to love,
mamook mesachie,
to curse,
mamook polaklie,
to darken
pe mamuk skookum light
and to make bright.
Alta yukwa mitlite ketling,
now there is a kettle here,
keekeelie powitsh stick,
under the crabapple trees,
pil ikta kopa chickamin chako halo ikta.
rusting to nothing.
Yahwa,
There,
eneti kullaghan,
on the other side of the fence,
kokshut leshaloo
a broken plough
mitlait kow kopa klale ollalie
is tangled in the blackberries.
Yaka mitlite kopa kopet tenas coulees kopa nesika illahee,
It is only in the little places of our country,
kopa snass,
in the rain,
pe ole shantie.
and in old songs.
"

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

chinuk dictionary

2006-03-31T05:07:32Z

this is pretty amazing, it doesnt really help with pronuciation of the words or chinuk grammer and how to form sentances but its all on line and very cool.

THE LORD'S PRAYER IN JARGON.
_____________

Nesika papa klasksta mitlite kopa saghalie, kloshe kopa nesika
Our father who stayeth in the above, good in our
tumtum mika nem; kloshe mika tyee kopa konaway tilikum;
hearts (be) thy name; good thou chief among all people;
kloshe mika tumtum kopa illahie, kahkwa kopa saghalie. Potlatch
good thy will upon earth as in the above. Give
konaway sun nesika muckamuck. Spose nesika mamook masachie,
every day our food. If we do ill,
wake mika hyas solleks, pe spose klaksta masahshie kopa
(be) not thou very angry, and if anyone evil towards
nesika, wake nesika solleks kopa klaska. Mahsh siah kopa
us not we angry towards them. Send away far from
nesaika konaway masahschie.
us all evil.

Kloshe kahkwa.

Good so.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 4 replies

being creative to revive Cinuk wawa

2006-03-28T12:32:10Z

There has been in the recent past reports of Chinook Jargon poetry reading and songs, but maybe we should look at what the Dakota Sioux is trying:

Dakota Sioux Language Saved by Scrabble

HANKINSON, N.D. - Those who hope they can stop the Dakota Sioux language from dying have hit on the perfect word: Scrabble.

A special Scrabble tournament in the language made its debut Friday, pitting teams from Sioux reservation schools in North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba.

The game is part of the tribe's campaign to revitalize the Dakota language, now spoken fluently by a dwindling number of elders. One survey predicted the last fluent Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota speaker would die in 2025.

"With these efforts, we'll try to prolong that," Darell DeCoteau said as he gestured to a nearby Scrabble board. "This will probably push that back a little bit."

"Start in the middle," David Seaboy told a group of middle-school students from the Enemy Swim Day School at Waubay, S.D. "Everybody help somebody make a word."

The first word to take shape was sa, pronounced "shah" — the color red.

After a few minutes of frantic consultation with the official Dakota Sioux Scrabble dictionary, a team built on the base to form the word sapa, pronounced "shah-pa," or dirty, a word worth seven points.

"This is a good stimulant for the mind," said Seaboy, 63, one of a group of Sisseton-Wahpeton elders, all fluent in the language, who wrote the 207-page Dakota dictionary.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

the Doug flag of the Bioregion of Cascadia (Chinook Illahee)

2006-03-27T18:37:09Z

Our fellow Cascadian Collin (savepac17@yahoo.com) during the winter holidays had a "Doug" or Cascadian flag made. Those are pictures of the Doug I posted in the photo section. If you are interested then contact the Texan company for a copy.

For those wanting a Cascadian local flag company there is smALL FLAGs in Oregon www.smallflags.com/BASE/About%20us.htm

For those wanted a more organic material made either contact small flags and inquire if it is possible for them or the BeeHive Collective ( www.beehivecollective.org/ ) and see if they can help with materials. I would also suggest starting several local flag making workshops (maybe Tryon Life Farm would be willing or one of the FreeSkools).

Kloshe Nanitch

Alexander

pictures of the Doug:

http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2006/03/336589.jpg

http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2006/03/336590.jpg

http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2006/03/336591.jpg

http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2006/03/336592.jpg

original design http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2005/12/330627.jpg

symbolism of the bioregion http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2005/12/330626.jpg

Sticker in Chinook Wawa ("Kwanesum Chinook Illahee): http://media.portland.indymedia.org/images/2006/01/331776.jpg

From Collin:

"Collin" <savepac17@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:19 pm
Subject: CHECK OUT THE PICS OF THE DOUG!!! savepac17

Who says we ain't movin'... we are movin'! Check it out! WE HAVE A FLAG!

Ok, cool, I had to get that off my chest. Anyway, if any of you would like a
flag too let me know. Remember all, the more of you who say, "YES I WANT A
FLAG TOO" means we can get a bulk rate, which will make future productions
of "THE DOUG" cheaper. A and I found a flag maker in Salem, OR who is
waiting for us to make an order.

Collin

various Cascadian groups and sites:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cascadian_Bioregionalism/

http://cascadians.tribe.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia

http://republic-of-cascadia.tripod.com/

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 7 replies

trade language & regional language

2006-03-16T10:37:33Z

so if chinuk-wawa is a trade language, i can really see the value of its revitalization. my idea with bioregional liguistics has been to create local community languages, which could then over time develope a trade language over time. but the emphasis would be on becomeing expressions of the living land again. we basicly have to start over from scratch if we want to become native to cascadia. developing our own way of relateing to the land, just as the original peoples of cascadia did. the down side of this is that by not adotpting other traditions and languages of other cultures and times, it just takes time, maybe a long time depending on whetherr or not our heart is in it. the up side though is that by doing this we develope a deeper intimacy with the spirit of place, it fosters a deeper sense of being native to the bioregion we live within. that i think is what is sorely needed right now. there is a risk of cultural appropriation as well dont you think? even if not, no one could say otherr wise if we developed our own regional dialects based upon a deep relationship with the land and each other.
the thing i like the most about this idea is that we stop nameing things, and instead ask the names of things by dirrectly viewing the living enviroment as people or persons. we can even ask the land itself to teach us what it calls differant actions by just as they say in deep ecology thinking like a mountian, or as a transpersonal animist would say thinking as the mountian!

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Transrational bioregional linguistics, rediscovering the language of the land...

2006-03-16T10:13:53Z

hey check out my essay on this... i am currently learning the language of my bioregion, the way it speaks.
http://bioregionalanimism.blogspot.com/2006/03/transrational-bioregional.html

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

wapattos sagittaria latifolia

2006-02-08T19:09:41Z

they still grow in some of the undiked wetlands around the fraser river. a beautiful plant. the women of the stalo nations didnt just harvest it. they weeded and cultivated productive areas, and when the potato was introduced, they immediately started cultivating potatoes. the local salish word for wapatto is skawth and this name was given to the new upland potatoes and the name "skouse" (rhymes w/ house) passed around to all the languages on the coast as the word for potato. the haida nation did a lot of potato business with the starving russians of alaska.

the sta'lo salish peoples who learned horticulture so quickly (because their harvesing technology was incipent horticulture) used lands that were later appropriated by settlers. french catholic missionaries were the only people who stood up for aboriginal land use rights. the english protestant settlers who championed democracy were racists. ironic hey?

my info mostly comes from the late dr wayne suttles and the BC historian morag mac lachlan.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 2 replies

linguistics conference Hokumelh komtoks lolang

2006-02-08T16:15:18Z

Konawey msai komtoks chinuk-wiwiwawa:
Tayi pi sihs: Klahawya!!

Nai mitlait kop Makuma Tawen,
Halkomelem Selish Tilkom s ilahi,
kop ayas Sta'lu Kulichok.

Nai konoweyson help tilkom klaksto iskomkomtoks kop Kinchochwawa kop Ayasskul.

Ankuti Woumilahi, Okostmun,
ayu komtokstilkom klaksta komtoks Selishwawa munkhokumelh
kop ICSNL 40.
Nai klatwa pi munk haw.
komtoksman pi komtoksklutsmo munk-tsom
pi wawa pepa kop lolang Selish
pi holwimo weyksaya wawa,
kakwo chinuk wiwiwawa.

Mitlait iht pepa kop puk
kakwo
sitkomwawa kop ukuk wiwiwawa tlap kato lolang--
chinukan ileptilkom s wawa,
pasaiukswawa,
kinchochwawa,
pi nuuchanulhwawa?

ukuk chi lolang s tomtomwawa mitlait chinukan nem-sitkomwawa.
Heilo munkkato-sitkomwawa chaku kikwili chinuk-wiwiwawa.
Klushpus ukuk sitkomwawa yutlkot pi kol, pi nem heilu kol.
Ankuti Ileptilkom tomtom "chichaku coltos tomtom,
heilu komtoks nsai munkkato-sitkomwawa pi mash munk ukuk
chakukikwili kop ukuk chi wiwiwawa."

tleyt tomtom, na?

All you who know Chinook Jargon, Ladies, Gentlemen and friends, greetings.

I live in Vancouver in Halkomelem Salish Territory by the mighty Fraser River.

I am a College Learning Specialist.

Last August I attended a conference of Salish and Neigbouring languages.
Professors delivered papers about Salish and Neighbouring languages including Chinook Jargon

There was a paper in the book about the origin of Jargon vocabulary from Chinookan languages, French, English and Nootka. It says the core vocabulary of the new language consists of Chinookan nouns. Verbs did not become part of the Jargon for these are long difficult words and the nouns are easy. First-contact Tribespeople decided that the newcomers were stupid and couldn't learn the verbs, so let's not put the verbs in the new trade language.

Good idea, hey?

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 9 replies

Interview

2005-11-17T05:31:04Z

Those here should check out the interview about Chinook and this region at

http://pdxsurr.blogspot.com

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

3..2..1... Portland FreeSkool website has been launched

2005-08-16T09:51:43Z

3..2..1... Portland FreeSkool website has been launched
http://www.portland.freeskool.org/

If you have a subject you would like to teach or faciiitate in a shared learing group or would like to see a subject offered then please contact the Portland FreeSkool. For example Chinook Jargon (Chink Wawa) or regional history.

Other FreeSkool in Cascadia have also been launched and others are being started.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

Free "End of Suburbia" Showing this Wednesday, Portland

2005-07-31T03:13:52Z

Free "End of Suburbia" Showing this Wednesday, Portland

This Wednesday Night (July 27) OregonOilAwareness (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oregonoilawareness/) is showing the documentary "The End of Suburbia" at 7pm at St. Francis Dining Hall, 1182 SE Pine. This is a time to come together and become informed about the coming crises that the world’s elite do not wish you to know about. Come see the movie and network with like minded people.

"Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American consciousness.

Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream.

But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.

The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia?"

THE END OF SUBURBIA: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream

http://www.endofsuburbia.com/

Previews from the "End of Suburbia" site:

http://www.endofsuburbia.com/preview1.htm

http://www.endofsuburbia.com/preview2.htm

http://www.endofsuburbia.com/preview3.htm

Map to St. Francis Dining Hall, 1182 SE Pine http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1182+SE+Pine+St,+Portland,+OR+97214&spn=0.012826,0.030088&hl=en

Sure this might not seem to be connected to Chinook Wawa, but think about it. If the petroleum age is dead and we return to localized sustainable economies (those that survive) well.. Chinook might get revived in the process as we rediscover ourselves, our histories, our landscapes, our Mother the Earth.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 5 replies

Hi Everyone

2005-07-17T04:18:19Z

I was pleasantly surprised to find this tribe. I am a member of the Chinook tribe and live in Portland. I don't find too many of us out here when I'm at pow wows etc. My daughter is very interested in learning Chinook wawa.

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Alta, Alta

2005-06-23T22:06:18Z

Several months ago during one weekend I decided to translate the old song "Right here, right now" by Jesus Jones (it was popular during the Velvet Revolutions in Eastern Europe especially as the Berlin Wall came down). This ended u being an "interpetation" not a literal translation and ofcourse I changed some stuff for ease. The word "Radio" I could not find thought I would assume it would be something like "shantee lacaset" (song box), but there is also a tradition is Chinuk wawa to use words from other languages that the speakers use. So I chose to use "radio" and not Chinookize it as "ladeeo" (I think modern Chinook speakers can not make the "r" sound since English is the dominant language in the region now). I changed the pronoun from the original first person singluar to a collective prounon in several lines so instead of "I am alive and waiting" it is in this interpetation "we are alive and waiting". Note also that the seconnd use of "waiting" (mitwhit) with the the word "skookum" means "resist" or stand ground with a sense of pride. I also added millenium for a more updated aspect of the song. So anyone out there with a grunge-like-band and want to do a cover of "right here, right now" for Cascadia (Chinook Ilahee) you have my blessings.

http://www.jesusjones.zao.net/

Interpetation with English:

Right Here, Right Now (Jesus Jones)
Alta, Alta

Woman on the radio talks about Revolution
Kloochman kopa Radio wawa kopa Kalapee
When left behind her
Kakwa mash kimta yaka
But Bob Dylan didn't sing about you
Pe Bob Dylan wake shantee kopa mayka
Feels good to be alive
Tumtum kloshe kopa wind

We are alive and wait wait
Nesika wind pe mitwhit mitwhit
We are alive and bravely wait (resist)
Nesika wind pe mitwhit skookum
Right here, right now, this is the land (place) to be
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Right here, right now, watch world wake up from history
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee

Turning new Millenium
Kalapee chee hyas tukamonuk
When (where) the whole world can change
Kah kopa konaway kalapee
No surprise
Wake al-ha
Behold omens of the days
Nanitch tamanass kopa suns

We are alive and wait wait
Nesika wind pe mitwhit mitwhit
We are alive and bravely wait (resist)
Nesika wind pe mitwhit skookum
Right here, right now
Alta, alta
We are alive and wait wait
Nesika wind pe mitwhit mitwhit
We are alive and bravely wait (resist)
Nesika wind pe mitwhit skookum

Right here, right now, this is the land (place) to be
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Right here, right now, watch world wake up from history
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee

Right here, right now, this is the land (place) to be
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Right here, right now, watch world wake up from history
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee

Right here, right now, this is the land (place) to be
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Right here, right now, watch world wake up
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up

____
____

Alta, Alta

Kloochman kopa Radio wawa kopa Kalapee
Kakwa mash kimta yaka
(Pe) Bob Dylan wake shantee kopa mayka
Tumtum kloshe kopa win
Nesika win pe mitwhit mitwhit
Nesika win pe mitwhit skookum
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee
Kalapee chee hyas tukamonuk
Kah kopa konaway kalapee
Wake al-ha
Nanitch tamanass kopa suns
Nesika win pe mitwhit mitwhit
Nesika win pe mitwhit skookum
Alta, alta
Nesika win pe mitwhit mitwhit
Nesika win pe mitwhit skookum
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up kopa ahnkuttee
Alta, alta, mitlite ilahee
Alta, alta, nanitch konaway get-up

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Cascadian English

2005-05-24T21:11:01Z

Does Cascadia have a unique linguistic legacy as well as a unique dialect? Historically I would say yes. When you look at the lingustic history of the region and at the use of the dominant language with its unique elements I would say yes there is a distinct Cascadian English.

Which is very 'Copacetic'

"Chinook, for a century the International Language of the Pacific Coast, from Northern California to Alaska, from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains." ~J.M.R. Le Jeune's "Chinook Rudiments"

Le Jeune, J.M.R. (May 3 1924)
http://chinookjargon.home.att.net/ljcr24.htm

When I lived in Eastern Europe as well as in southern Asia my accent was always a question that came up. In Eastern Europe this often came up when Europeans needed a tutor in English. They wanted British speakers for passing grammar tests, but wanted "Americans" for conversational English. American accents were en vogue. One friend of mine one evening at a restaruant asked me in a thick sounding British accent "ok what kind of accent do I have American or Brit?" I replied "You have a British accent" in which he responded "Bloody hell!" Another friend from Britain (who loved harassing Americans for their accents) was once in a conversation with me when i pointed out that in a BCC production on the history of English mentioned that the Pacific NorthWest accent was the closing "living" pronounciation to original Shakespearean English. Tim's comeback (with what to me sounded more like an Irish accent) to that was with a huge grin on his face was "that is because your people have not evolved". But meeting other Europeans back then who had English teachers from Boston and Texas could not figure out my accent. Which was ok with me since I often tried to pass myself off as a Scandinavian or German. Even years ago in Portland friends that were not originally from Cascadia would often say "you are European right? German or some Slav?" I would find it to be a compliment at frist because generally I can not stand most American accents (especially southern, Texan or the nasally urban east). Sorry if I insulted anyone about that.

But Cascadians raised in this region do have an unique accent. Actually we tend to have the accent that the corporate media use to cherish to the point that the big media syndicates would send reporters, anchor persons and pseudo-meteorologists to be groomed for future mass consumption to Portland and Seattle. This was done to get rid of their midwest Scandinavian influenced accents or especially the southern drawl that is often interpeted as a sign of "stupidity".

I do believe there is an intentional suppression of an uniqueness of Pacific NorthWest accent or dialect by outsiders who want to claim anything west has no unique culture or history. That American nationalism would "white-wash" all the Pacific NorthWest (or NorthEast Pacific or Cascadia) as white American settlers waiting for Manifest Destiny to take hold from "sea to sea" and hence editing out of the Cascadian narrative countless people, cultures and historical events.

"Those who control the past, control the future; Those who control the future, control the present; Those who control the present, control the past."~ 1984, George Orwell

I have posted articles about this in the past and how Chinook Jargon was heavily influential in creating an unique Cascadian English. I have strongly suggested that we should use Chinook Jargon as another linguistic reservoir (as we often do with French, Greek, Latin and other languages when we lack a word or a special essense of the situation).

So with all that said here is some new (and one not so new) articles with URLs:

Do You Speak Cascadian?

Take the test:

"Say 'caught' and 'cot' out loud. If you're a true Northwest speaker, the words will sound identical."

Do you say "pail" or "bucket"? If you're a true Northwest speaker, you say "bucket."

Is your voice "creaky" or "breathy"? Northwesterners sound creaky (whatever that means).

That's all according to a University of Washington linguist, who goes on to say, "Everyone thinks the Pacific Northwest is too young a region to have our own dialect. It's discrimination."

http://cascadiascorecard.typepad.com/blog/2005/05/do_you_speak_ca.html

____

Friday, May 20, 2005

Contrary to belief, local linguists say Northwest has distinctive dialect

By TOM PAULSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Listen for the creaky voice, the strong "s" and the "low-back merger."

Most language experts believe the Pacific Northwest has no distinctive voice, no particular style or dialect. But some local linguists think that's wrong -- or at least a long-standing academic prejudice that deserves a good challenge.

Jennifer Ingle, a 27-year-old Ballard native and student of language at the University of Washington, is one of them.

"Language is part of our identity," said Ingle. Just as the Scandinavian heritage of Ballard distinguishes it from the rest of Seattle, she said, the evolution of language in the Northwest has progressed to the point where it can be distinguished from the rest of the country.

The question for the experts now appears to be whether our version of the English language has evolved enough to be considered a separate dialect.

"Linguists have generally assumed that the West is one dialect region," said Alicia Beckford Wassink, a UW professor of linguistics and mentor to Ingle.

"That may have been the case in the 1800s, when the West was being settled and there was a mixing of dialects among all the immigrants," said Wassink. But there's plenty of evidence now, she said, to suggest this region could have its own distinctive dialect.

Northwest speak.

Ingle decided a year ago to study her own neighborhood for evidence of local dialect. To some extent, she said, growing up in Ballard contributed to her interest in language.

"I used to hear people in my neighborhood speaking Norwegian," said Ingle, noting that despite her family's Scottish heritage, one of her favorite foodstuffs is lefse -- a Nordic flatbread made from potatoes.

But Ingle's study of language in Ballard was not aimed at identifying any of the neighborhood's Nordic influences. Participants were not asked to say, "Yah, sure, ya betcha." Rather, Ballard was selected as representative of the region because it is one of the oldest communities in the state, with a well-established population of native speakers.

"All the participants were born in Seattle and grew up in Ballard," said Ingle. She focused just on variation in vowel sounds because that is what most determines the different pronunciations in spoken American English.

Still, it should be noted that when Ingle presented her findings this week, it happened to be on the same day Ballard was celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day, May 17. Her study of Northwest speech in Ballard was presented in Vancouver, B.C., at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America.

Among the findings: Many locals, especially women, speak in what experts call "creaky voice"; we've done away with a particular vowel used by Easterners; we really like to emphasize the "s" in words; we're not Californian and we're not Canadian.

Other determinants of dialect include differences in vocabulary and grammar, added Wassink, which are also being looked at in other linguistic studies at the UW.

"The Northwest is especially interesting because we have had almost nothing but immigration," Wassink said. "And there hasn't been as much racial or ethnic segregation as in the East. For a linguist, it's a very interesting place."

So, why do so many women talk creaky here? What's that mean anyway?

"Bill Clinton is a good example of creaky," said Ingle. Clinton's folksy speech, in which his voice sounds both scratchy and relaxed, is the opposite of "breathy" voicing, she said.

In the Northwest, Ingle's study indicates creaky voicing is popular -- especially among women. Breathy voicing, which in extreme form sounds like Marilyn Monroe's birthday song for JFK, is not big in the Northwest.

Wassink said the local popularity of creaky voicing could be how we compensate for another feature of our speech style. We've stopped using one vowel. Linguists work with 15 vowel sounds to describe spoken American English and we only use 14 of them.

Say "caught" and "cot" out loud. If you're a true Northwest speaker, the words will sound identical. Linguists call this the "low-back merger" because we've merged these two vowel sounds. On much of the East Coast, these same words will sound different. "Creaking is a way of making those distinctions that are being lost," Wassink said. Just as Bostonians tend to compensate in their speech for removing the "r" from many words, she said, we might speak creaky to compensate for refusing to use both vowels.

Another piece of evidence has to do with how Californians do something known as "fronting the vowel," Ingle said. This is considered standard to Western dialect and occurs when a speaker pronounces "rude" as "ri-ood" or "move" as "mi-oove."

"It's pretty funny sounding, actually," said Ingle, perhaps betraying a slight Northwest bias against all things Californian.

Native Northwest speakers do not do this, she said. If anything, they sound more Canadian. But she also tested this notion and looked for spoken practices here known as the "Canadian Shift" and "Canadian Raising."

In the Canadian Shift, speakers "retract" vowels -- making "bad" sound more like "bod." In Canadian Raising, speakers raise the first part of a diphthong (when one vowel merges into another) such as making the word "stout" into something more like "stah-oot."

Ingle found little evidence to support that Northwest speakers were adopting these Canadian pronunciation patterns.

She was interested to discover that Northwest speakers appear to put such strong emphasis on the "s" in words, but she drew no conclusions. Her focus for this study was on vowels, after all, not consonants.

Wassink, Ingle and Richard Wright, director of the UW Linguistics Phonetics Lab and also a co-author on the Ingle study, are working on a number of fronts to see if there is evidence of a true Pacific Northwest dialect. Wright was still in Vancouver yesterday, having just presented a report on the Alaskan native language Deg Xinag, used in the lower Yukon.

The UW linguists need to build their case with more than varying pronunciations. They are looking at differences in vocabulary -- we say "bucket" and they say "pail" -- as well as grammatical variations -- such as dropping the past tense marker, where they say "canned fish" and we sometimes say "can fish."

"It can be very technical," Wassink said.

Ingle agreed, noting that her study of speech in Ballard involved only 14 people yet took countless hours of recording and analysis. The paper summarizing her results looks a lot like a mathematics report, including charts mapping variations in vowel sounds and digital "sonograms" that allowed her to isolate specific frequencies contained in sounds.

It's a big job, demonstrating that Northwest speak exists, but somebody's gotta do it.

"It's just been this assumption that's never been tested," Wassink said. "Everyone thinks the Pacific Northwest is too young a region to have our own dialect. It's discrimination."
P-I reporter Tom Paulson can be reached at 206-448-8318 or tompaulson@seattlepi.com

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/225139_nwspeak20.html?source=rss

________________________

World Languages - Klahowya, Sikhs! 500 Words Unite the Pacific Northwest

Author: Robert Henderson
Published on: November 10, 1998

In the days when a traveller's well-being depended on the hospitality of strangers, a hearty "Klahowya!" opened doors all over the Pacific Northwest. For a century and a half, the Chinook Jargon bound together vastly different cultures in an area encompassing seven American states and two Canadian provinces. Virtually extinct today, vestiges of this hard-working pidgin persist in colourful expressions and place names.

Pacific Coast tribes invented Jargon before European contact, probably around 1730. Whites later called their trade lingo "Chinook" Jargon, because Chinook tribes were the first coastal peoples to trade with the newcomers on a contract basis. This label was often shortened to "Chinook," a source of much confusion. The native languages of Chinookan-speaking First Peoples are as complete, as complex and as evocative as any true language. By contrast, Jargon has only rudimentary grammar and a 500-word vocabulary. (Some authorities claim as many as 800 words.) Jargon must not therefore be compared to true Chinookan languages.

The entry of the great fur companies into the Northwest economy brought Eastern tribal tongues, English, Canadian French and even Hawaiian into Jargon. The mountain men promulgated Jargon far afield, to such distant points as Alberta, Alaska and California. As Jargon settled into new climes it inevitably picked up local vocabulary and pronunciation, to the point that speakers from distant edges of Jargon's empire must have had some difficulty understanding one another. Jargon's limited vocabulary presented another challenge. In practice, speakers used sign language, facial expression and vocal intonation to convey subtleties. This was precise enough for trade, but US courts have ruled that the terms of some treaties drawn up in the last century were not clear to all signatories, since they were negotiated in Jargon.

To circumvent this problem, speakers pressed poetic license. A touching example is "opitsah sikhs," or knife friend. A backwoodsman survives by his knife, therefore his "opitsah sikhs" is someone he can't live without. It might mean partner, best friend, or lover. Electricity has been expressed as "kwass saghalie piah kopa lope," or tame sky-fire [lightning] in a rope. Jargon is therefore concept-based, relying on cultural references more than true languages generally do.

In its waning years, Jargon became heavily anglicised. Uniquely Native grammar and pronunciation faded. Few trained linguists devoted attention to the subject, so much Jargon pronunciation and syntax have been lost to history. Melville Jacobs, a University of Washington anthropologist, is an important exception. Jacobs traveled the Northwest in the 1930s, transcribing into Americanist phonetics stories elderly Natives related in Jargon. Jacobs' monograph provides rare, authentic examples of living pronunciation, grammar and syntax, with regional differences intact.

http://www.i5ive.com/article.cfm/world_languages/12367

___continues:

Echoes of Jargon are still caught from time to time in Northwest speech. Longtime residents call the bay "saltchuck", or sea water. "Skookum" (strong) appears in the complaint, "My old pickup isn't skookum enough to take that hill." Kaleetan (arrow), Illahee (homeland) and tiny Hiyu (great big) are three of several Washington ferries with Jargon names. Alaskans call newcomers "cheechakos," from the Jargon for new and come. A few Jargon words have even gone continental. Hooch (bad liquor) is short for "hootchanoo," and "tolo," the girls-ask-boys high school dance, means "to take control."

Jargon is an important tool to understanding Northwest history. For example, Washington's one-word state motto, is often translated "by and by." In reality, "alki" is an untranslatable concept-term referring to the future. The map preserves other insights into the past, such as:

Tyee, Alaska. "Chief, head, most important."
Cultus Lake, BC. "Worthless."
Malakwa, BC. "Mosquito."
Tumwater, Washington. "Falls." Refers to the Deschutes River cascades. Note that "Deschutes Falls, Tumwater" translates "Falls Falls, Falls."
Tatoosh Range, Washington. "Breasts, udders."
Klipsan Beach, Washington. "Deep sun," i.e. sunset.
Lolo Pass, between Idaho and Montana. "Carry" or "load up."
Sitkum, Oregon. "Halfway."
Nesika Beach, Oregon. "Ours."

The Internet, friend of embattled languages, hasn't passed over modest old Jargon, either. When my grandfather died many years ago, I feared I might be the only Jargon speaker left on the planet. Now, three home pages are dedicated to preserving and promoting Jargon, each linked to dictionaries, fellow Jargon scholars and other resources. Web presence has even led to a Jargon convention in Mission, BC, in September. Who knows? Maybe the old girl's up for a new lease on life.

Jargon opens a window on cultures since badly disrupted. How much richer we might be if we understood the subtle wisdom in the universal Jargon salutation that, like aloha, also means goodbye. Klahowya.

This article available from Suite 101 World Languages: www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/world_languages

http://www.i5ive.com/article.cfm/world_languages/12367/2

_____

Wiki "Grunge speak":

Grunge speak was a hoax created by Megan Jasper, a sales representative for Sub Pop Records. Under pressure from a reporter for The New York Times who wanted to know if grunge fans had their own slang, Jasper, 25 at the time, told the reporter a set of made-up on-the-spot slang terms that she claimed were associated with the Seattle grunge scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The information given by Jasper would appear in the sidebar of a November 15, 1992 feature article of the Times. The sidebar, titled "Lexicon of Grunge: Breaking the Code", had also mistakenly claimed that Jasper was working for Caroline Records.

In truth, there was no particular slang language used in the Seattle grunge scene, or in any other grunge scene at the time. While some members of the grunge scene may have used other forms of slang (such as those that have become commonly used in the English language), many felt no need to create their own to go along with grunge. Many had even resented the assumption by the Times that they even had a slang language, as well as their claim that it was "coming soon to a high school or mall near you".

The article was proven to be a hoax by Thomas Frank of The Baffler, a journal of cultural criticism. In it, he revealed that Jasper had purposely misled the Times as well as the British magazine Sky as a prank. Jasper, known to be sarcastic, had been sick of the excessive amount of questions that reporters were asking people involved in the Seattle grunge scene, and thus pulled the prank to get back at them for their superfluous questioning.

The Times demanded that Frank fax over an apology for claiming the Times had printed false information, believing that it was Frank that was the hoaxer. Frank instead sent a letter standing by the story and explaining that "when The Newspaper of Record goes searching for the Next Big Thing and the Next Big Thing piddles on its leg, we think that's funny." Frank (as well as many grunge fans) had considered the article to be part of an attempt by mainstream culture to co-opt the grunge scene and felt that the Times had gotten what they deserved.

Shortly after the release of The Baffler's story, some people in Seattle began selling and wearing t-shirts with the words "lamestain" and "harsh realm" printed in the same font as the title of the Times. The words never did catch on as actual slang, but served the purpose of lampooning the Times for a short while. One of the terms, "harsh realm", was used as the title of a short-lived science-fiction television series in 1999. The events of Jasper's prank would also be documented in the 1996 film Hype!, a documentary about the grunge scene of the early 1990s.

Grunge speak words

During the interview, Jasper made up the following terms and their definitions:

* bloated, big bag of blotation - drunk
* bound-and-hagged - staying home on Friday or Saturday night
* cob nobbler - loser
* dish - desirable guy
* fuzz - heavy wool sweaters
* harsh realm - bummer
* kickers - heavy boots
* lamestain - uncool person
* plats - platform shoes
* rock on - a happy goodbye
* score - great
* swingin' on the flippety-flop - hanging out
* tom-tom club - uncool outsiders (possibly inspired by the new wave band Tom Tom Club)
* wack slacks - old ripped jeans

References

* Frank, Thomas. "Harsh Realm, Mr. Sulzberger!" (Winter/Spring 1993). The Baffler.
* Marin, Rick. "Grunge: A Success Story" (November 15, 1992). New York Times. Section 9, Page 1.
o featuring "Lexicon of Grunge: Breaking the Code"
* Pray, D., Helvey-Pray Productions. Hype!. 1996. Republic Pictures.
* "Those Cob Nobblers at the N.Y. Times" (March 5, 1993). Globe and Mail. Section C1.
* Windolf, Jim. "Off the Record" (March 1, 1993). New York Observer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grunge_speak

continuing dialogue also at Portland Indy Media at:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/05/317962.shtml

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 0 replies

Chinook Classes in Portland

2005-03-28T07:35:13Z

I ran into Henry Zenk today, he said he is teaching drop-in Chinook-wawa class at the Grand Ronde Portland offices Wednesday nights at 6PM. He says the GR are asking $10 a class for non-members.

The office is just south of the Ross Is. Bridge at:

3312 SW Kelly Ave
Portland, OR 97239
(503) 235-4230

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

Portland Chinuk Get Together?

2005-03-27T04:58:45Z

Would folks in Portland be interested in meeting about City-Chinuk, learning the language and strategies for making it a city language again?

Jordan and I were talking and think Friday days would work. Perhaps get together at a cafe?

Morgan

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 1 reply

Chinook names

2005-03-15T06:11:01Z

Please list some of the Chinook-wawa names that Cascadians would be familiar with.

Mems

posted in Chinuk-wawa - 8 replies