Poster in Chinuk Wawa on Orcas Island

[David Robertson]

While visiting a mall in Eastsound, Orcas Island, Washington (in the San 
Juans) a few days ago, I noticed the following on a poster about the Deer 
Harbor community's plans for the future.  It was written in what looked 
like the Fontootseed font, intended to be used for writing Lushootseed 
Salish.  The postermaker seems to have intended capital letters wherever 
you see ejectives and other nonstandard characters; some old anglophone 
Chinook dictionary must have been the reference.  Here my E = schwa, S = s-
wedge, and all spellings are as found on the poster.  Maybe you'll enjoy 
trying to translate this.

k'wahnEsum

mahsiE mahsiE Samish t'illikum Samish t'amanhous
nEsika tumtum kwann lE molo kwann
illahEE hEEhEE k'onaway shantiE
mahsiE mahsiE mahsiE

Incidentally, there seem to be competing stories as to who the original 
inhabitants or owners of Orcas Island were.  About half the public signs, 
pamphlets, etc. that I saw assign Orcas to the Lummi people, and half to 
the Samish.  The modern politics of Indian tribal recognition play a role 
here.  I get the impression that certain entities on Orcas collaborate with 
the former tribe, other groups with the latter.  

--Dave R.

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