[Lexicog] Using moccasin, canoe ...

[Chaz Mortensen]

Susan,

This is an interesting situation.

A way to avoid conjuring up non-Karuk imagery is to use drawings at  
key places in the dictionary. Where you define eeyxuvik, you could  
use "moccasin" in the definition but have a picture of a real Karuk  
eeyyxuvik. If there is a good Karuk artist that would be even better.  
So you can avoid unnecessary circulocution and non-Karuk imagery at  
the same time.

Assuming the dictionary you mention is bilingual with English, I  
think the Karuks' concerns about using words conceived of being from  
other tribes is common; after all, they probably want their language  
to appear pure, at least in print. Even if they use English  
terminology (soft leather heel-less shoe), they will invariably come  
up against other indigenous words that have been part of the English  
language ever since explorers and settlers began having contact with  
native North Americans. The other problem is that if you define the  
word for their boats without using "canoe" as a reference, people  
might read the definition with its circulocution and say, "Why didn't  
you just say 'canoe'?"

That speakers of the language may criticize the dictionary committee  
no matter what, if the Karuks are anything like the people I work  
with. Are they concerned that other tribes will recognize their own  
words in a Karuk book? Are there neighboring tribes? Those who have  
this concern may not understand that most people who speak English  
don't even know that "canoe", for example, is an indigenous word. And  
the language from which the word was taken has probably passed into  
history. :(

The word éeyxuvik has the definition ‘type of moccasins worn by the  
imúsaan in ceremony.’

One additional thing that is important to remember is that the  
definitions in English will not be so helpful if they contain Karuk  
words.

Good luck!

-Chaz Mortensen
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