"Kopet: a documentary narrative of Chief Joseph's last years"

[David Robertson]

(Seattle:  University of Washington Press, 1981.  By M. Gidley)

I don't remember whether I have mentioned this book here before.

Did you folks know that Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce knew Chinook Jargon
and used it in dealings with Whites?  (As did many Nez Perce, I gather.)

He's quoted in one document as saying "Nica Halo Bottlum" ("I never touch
the bottle", it's glossed by an Indian agent who must have though Chinook
a kind of pidgin English!)  That's one example for you.

Interesting to me because we don't always hear about the upriver Columbia
watershed nations speaking this language.

By the way, page 53 mentions also that "[t]he speaking of aboriginal
languages, even the Chinook Jargon, was forbidden on pain of punishment at
the boarding schools."  Hmm.

Best wishes,
Dave



 *VISIT the archives of the CHINOOK jargon and the SALISHAN & neighboring*
		    <=== languages lists, on the Web! ===>
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/salishan.html
	   http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html