Comment on dimes and dozens in CJ literature research

[David Robertson]

LaXayEm, Klahowya, pi Tlahayam,

The first thing I'm learning to ignore as I research Northwest literature
for the history of Chinook Jargon usage is the ignorant use of "Siwash".

I speak not of the term as a casual synonym for 'Indian' in the speech of
British Columbia English speakers -- such usage would indicate a good
knowledge of CJ.

Instead I'm finding a frequent and derogatory use of "Siwash" in BC
English, for about as long as there's been a white BC identity.  Here's a
sample of the dismissive sense of the word (from Well, Daniel.  "Camp
fires gleaming."  New York:  Outing, 1911.):

*page 57:  'The Siwash Indians that grow in this country are, of course,
different from the Indians of the plains.  They are a fish-eating race,
short, fat, and dumpy of stature.'

*page 81:  '[Our guide, Clarke,] has a Siwash wife and speaks Siwash
fluently.'

*page 95:  'The word "Chang" is as near as the Siwash can come to "Chink"
by which name all Chinamen go out here, and "Chang" he has become to us
all.'  [This is news to linguists!  I've often heard of the difficulty
Native peoples had with the "ng" sound of English.  "Ch", "i", "n" and
"k", however, could be easily approximated by speakers of any Vancouver
Island language.]

*page 115:  'Arriving at Alberni again, I looked up my Siwash friend,
Jimmy George.'

*page 118:  'Of Siwash I understand practically none....' [I have no
further questions, your honor.]

It's been made clear to me previously that BC English contains the
derogatory use of the CJ loanword 'Siwash', particularly in the
pronunciation {sa*ywash}.

But for goodness' sakes, it's disappointing to find a book documenting the
usage of material from CJ, only to see that the author apparently knew
nothing at all of Chinook Jargon.  He simply harps on this single word,
showing no curiosity or understanding for the nonwhites surrounding him.

The words of Lord Dufferin, quoted in Henry Solomon Wellcome's "The story
of Metlakahtla" (London:  Saxon, 1887) -- "I have now seen them in all
phases of their existence ... [even] to the shrewd horse-riding Siwash of
the Thompson Valley" are the first example of this usage that I can think
of right now.

There are countless more, though.

Aurel Krause's "Results of a trip to the Northwest coast of America and
the Bering Straits" (Seattle:  University of Washington, 1956; translated
from German by Erna Gunther) notes (circa 1883) that "The Americans who
have wandered in call the Tlingit categorically, like all indigenous
peoples, "natives" or "Indians" or also Siwashes with the addition of
their place of origin as Sitka Indians or Sitka Siwashes."

Also Norman Lee's "Klondike cattle drive" (Vancouver, BC:  Mitchell, 1960)
shows just one CJ word, again "Siwashes", though at the location in
question, 'halfway between Frazer Lake and Hazleton', perhaps there was
less need to know the Jargon.

At any rate, I will be sparing you folks the gory details of those sources
I find to be lacking in CJ knowledge, particularly those who use the
"Siwash" words only for insults.

Have a good day.
Dave



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