Selections from "When Seattle Was a Village" (1)

[David Robertson]

LhaXiyEm, kanawi na-siXs!

Ukuk ts'Em ya-mIlhEt kikwEli yaka chaku khapa ixt buk khapa nsayka buk
haws khapa Kuri-Ceqw (Spokane).  Hayash hihi.

	"We children had many warm tillicums (friends) among the Indians
-- Mandy, Angeline, Madeline, and Chodups (flea) John, to mention a few.
Mandy was a dressy klootchman (woman)...
	"...Mother always had a potlatch of muck-a-muck (gift of food) for
[Mandy] and she would trudge off with many a Mashie!  Mashie! (Thank you!
Thank you!)."

	"...One day Mrs. Dexter Horton, who was a chee chacko (newcomer)
and did not realize the deference due the princess [Angeline, daughter of
Chief Seattle / Si7alh], said to her when she found her sitting on the
porch evidently bent on a friendly call--and no doubt hoping for a cultus
potlatch, "What do you want?"  Angeline arose indignantly, gave her shawl
a jerk, picked up her cane and basket, and went down the steps saying,
"Whatcher want?  Whatcher want?"  She never went to Mrs. Horton's again.
	"This princess was a great admirer of Uncle David Denny, who was
kind to her and aided her in many ways.  He always talked to her in
Indian [must mean Chinook Jargon], for he spoke the language fluently."

	"[Chodups] John was a Lake Indian.  His illahee (land) which was
given to him by his cloish tillicum (good friend), "Dave Denny", was on
Portage Bay, Lake Union, at the foot of what is known now as Shelby
Street.  There he had his cabin and a small potato patch.  He buried his
chickamin (money) at the base of stumps.  Back among the stumps he built
his "sit down" house, of which he was very proud and which he would not
allow any one else to use."
	"The name of "chodups" was given to John by some campers who were
on their way to Squawk Lake (Sammamish Lake)...The campers who helped him
paddle his hyas canim (big canoe) wre tired and turned in early.  It was
not long before the first one got up and then another, shook his blankets,
and sat around the camp fire until morning.  After that, John was dubbed
"chodups" (flea).  He was not at all happy about it, but the name stuck."

	"The Indians were always looking for cultus potlatch of iktas
(gift of clothes).  When Mother gave them clothes they carefully looked
them over to see if they were kokshut (torn); then gravely asked her if
she would take care of them until they were wanted."

	
	"We sometimes watched the Indians pull out each other's whiskers
which were coarse, stiff, and sparse.  We also, at a safe distance,
watched them pick inapoos (cooties) out of each other's hair."

	"[Natives who loved to gamble] would pledge their cayuses, their
canims, and even stake their shirts...When one appeared shirtless about
the camp, the small white boys would taunt him with Spose mica halo shirt
(You have no shirt) and then run."

	"If a cuitan (pony) lost a race, his tail would be  cut off close
to his body by his solecks (angry) owner."

	"A poultice of wild  currant and snowberries, or "wax apples", as
they were sometimes called, was for le cou sick (sore throat).  Skunk
cabbage, beaten, was good for bruises and insect bites, for it quickly
drew out the fever.
	"I well remember having a hot skunk cabbage leaf bound on one of
my knees which was badly bruised.  I kicked and squalled...
	"Big Jim, the canoe maker, whose klootchman, Sallie, was waum sick
(fever), had a medicine man come and mamook ta-man-a-wis (drive away the
evil spirit) over her and the waum sick klatawad (went away)."

The preceding are as printed, with just the necessary explanatory remarks
added.  FWIW!

Klahowya!  Nika kloshe tumtum, mesika yutl pe kwan spose Klismas.

Dave

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