The Stick Samish

[Dave Robertson]

Klahowya,

In "Some Questions about Northern Straits", Wayne Suttles' paper for the upcoming Salish conference, he notes that "[t]he Samish are the southeasternmost Northern Straits group.  They are often confused with a Lushootseed-speaking group, the Nuwhaha, also known as the 'Upper Samish' or 'Stick Samish'" (page 293).

Can we assume that 'Upper' in this case refers to those who live away from the coastline, in the forested foothills of the Cascades?  'Stick' then would come directly from Chinook Jargon for 'forest' -- and not, say, from the regional English term 'the sticks' (a reference to a remote or wilderness area).

Ikta mtsayka tEmtEm?

Dave
--
"Asking a linguist how many languages she knows is like asking a doctor how many diseases he has!" -- anonymous



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