"Campaign puts respect for Indians on the map", 2/13/00 (fwd)

[David Robertson]

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 07:55:24 -0800 (PST)
From: David Robertson <drobert at tincan.org>
To: editor at spokesman.com
Subject: "Campaign puts respect for Indians on the map", 2/13/00

To the editor:

Thanks for a thought-provoking front-page story.  Your ongoing coverage of
the issue of whether to change placenames that are potentially offensive
to Native Americans has been commendable.  I would add a small remark as a
nuance to the discussion:

"Squaw" is certainly a word that has had negative connotations for
the better part of two centuries in American English, as have "buck",
"chief", and "princess" -- See innumerable articles in the
_Spokesman-Review_ well into the 20th century.

However,two placenames mentioned in Sunday's article have more complicated
histories than what are implied.

"Papoose" is, in the Northwest context, a word from the Chinook Jargon, a
language used for communication between Native Americans and Whites since
about 1800.  There is extensive record of the use of this term in that
relatively neutral context to mean "baby".

"Dago" is another Chinook Jargon term, meaning "gnats".  Many places on
public lands in northern Idaho were given names from that language by a
Forest Service ranger (whose name escapes me at the moment) in the 1920's
and 30's.  There seems a real possibility that "Dago Peak" may have been a
victim recently of misinterpretation when it was renamed "Italian Peak" by
Idaho authorities.

Those who wish more information on the Chinook Jargon may refer to the
CHINOOK list on the Internet (archived at http://listserv.linguistlist.
org/archives/chinook.html).

Cordially,
David Robertson


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