Applegate & Stutzman

[Don Boucher]

Shannon Applegate (an ancestor of an Oregon Pioneer Family) and Esther
Stutzman (Kalapuyan and Coos decent) gave a presentation at my church
this evening. Their presentation had a title of "Two-Way Seeing: Pioneers
and Native Oregonians".
Esther's ancestors welcomed the Applegate family into the Yoncalla valley
in 1849. Today that relationship continues in the Esther's and Shannon's
friendship. They told stories and sang songs. They started the evening
off by the greeting each other; Esther in Kalapuyan and Shannon in
English, they pretended not to understand each other until they agreed
upon "Klahowya" as an appropriate greeting. They went on to explain a
little about Chinook Jargon and its usage. They didn't speak much of it
but mentioned a few words. It was a wonderful evening.
Afterwords I asked them both if they anybody who knew how to "Wawa".
Esther said her son in law knew it fluently but never could grasp it
herself. As I responded by saying "Naika kumtux tenas Chinook Wawa",
Shannon was delighted to hear it. Although it seemed I knew more Wawa
than they did, it was fun to discuss it.

Don Boucher
Corvallis, OR
bouchdon at juno.com
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/dwellers/161/