Xwa! Quote from JG Swan, 1857 re kids 'n' ChInuk Wawa -Reply (fwd)

[David Robertson]

 *VISIT the archives of the CHINOOK jargon and the SALISHAN & neighboring*
		    <=== languages lists, on the Web! ===>
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/salishan.html
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2000 15:15:35 -0800
From: Tony Johnson <tony.johnson at grandronde.org>
To: drobert at TINCAN.TINCAN.ORG
Subject: Xwa!  Quote from JG Swan, 1857 re kids 'n' ChInuk Wawa -Reply

LaXayEm kanawi-Laksta,

Nayka chaku-tilixam pi chaku-hayash khapa ukuk "Shoalwater Bay."  Kakwa
Henry, qhanchi nayka nanich ukuk nayka tEmtEm "make fun of," bEt
weyk-qhanchi nEsayka kEmtEks ikta dret.  Kakwa ukuk tEnEs tilixam,
kanawi sawash Laska  kEmtEks ukuk Chinuk-wawa yawa anqati.

Pus aLqi tilixam chaku kanamakwst nayka khapa ukuk salt-cEqw ili?i nayka
munk mEsayka kEmtEks qha ukuk James Swan miLayt anqati.  Dret nayka tiki
Latuwa khapa kanim khapa'.   BEt, ukuk uyXet "101" miLayt saXali qha
yaka ul haws miLayt.

LaXayEm--Tony A. Johnson
Sawash-ili?i (Grand Ronde, OR)



>>> David Robertson <drobert at TINCAN.TINCAN.ORG> 03/23/99 06:05pm >>>
WEXt lhaXayEm.

YEkwa ukuk c'Em nayka tIlay tl'ap.  Ya chaku khapa James G. Swan ya bUk
"The Northwest Coast; or, Three Years' Residence in Washington
Territory"
(New York tawn:  Harper pi khaphu, tawsEn stuxtkIn-t'EkEmunEk
qwInEm-talhEm pi sInmakwst khul), tIpsu 199:

"One of these girls, a sister of Peter and a niece of old Suis, had a
small trunk full of these rag dolls dressed in all sorts of style, which
she used to parade out whenever her little friends came to see her.  One
day [circa 1853], when a number of these children were there on a visit,
I
noticed that they were very busy on the beach, where they seemed engaged
in some very quiet games.  I went where they were seated, and found they
were playing church, and were imitating the Catholic service that they
had
seen at Chenook.  One smart little  fellow, about fifteen years old,
named
Quel-la'h-ho, was officiating as priest, and had proceeded so far as the
baptism, which at that time he was engaged in, bestowing names on all
the
dolls belonging to the party.  He would rattle over the Latin, or what
to
him seemed as such, giving the priest's intonations in a most
astonishing
manner, and so nearly right that a person at a short distance might
readily suppose he was actually performing the Catholic service.  As the
girls objected to his putting water on their babies, he was using dry
sand
instead, and when it came the time to chant, they all joined in in as
near
an imitation as they could.

"When I came up they did not observe me till I had watched them some
time,
when they all got into the greatest glee, thinking the whole subject a
capital joke.  'Ensika mamook heehee La Plate,' or, 'We are playing
priest,' said they, in answer to my inquiry about what they were
doing...

"I later found that this was one of the favorite plays with the
children,
and showed how much value the ritual of the Church had either in their
eyes or in their parents', who used to encourage them to mimic the
ceremonies that they had seen at Chenook."

Henry was wondering whether these kids had said something more like
"We're
making fun of the priest."  I include Swan's background comments because
they seem to say otherwise.

Along with a quote which Jim Holton unearthed (are you going to post it
to
the list, Jim?), we have reliable evidence of children being taught
ChInuk
Wawa as early as a century and a half ago, outside of the Grand Ronde
Resevation -- which did not exist yet, right?  The above anecdote
transpires at Shoalwater Bay.  As to what this indicates about
creolization, I'm not the most qualified to say.  It would be really
interesting to hear a more expert opinion!

Lhush chxi pulakli.
Dave




 *VISIT the archives of the CHINOOK jargon and the SALISHAN &
neighboring*
		    <=== languages lists, on the Web! ===>
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/salishan.html
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html