skookumchuck

[Aron Faegre]

David Lewis wrote:

> While you're there, go by the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw tribal
> headquarters and ask for Patty Whereat, tell her you know me, and ask her
> about the name Skookumchuck, she is a historical expert for the Coos area
> and has done a lot of linguistic work on Coos languages (miluk and hanis).
>
> David

Patty said that she has never heard of any place or thing in the Coos region
being called 'skookumchuck'.  She believes that the Chinook Jargon was not very
influential in her area until after the reservations were well established.
Prior to that she thinks that other language groups to the north provided
interpreting at meetings because those in the Coos area did not know the
Jargon.  Patty feels that the Jargon was most brought into use by contact with
fur traders/trappers, and that this didn't occur as much in the Coos area as it
did in other areas of Oregon.

[I am paraphrasing my understanding of what Patty said, so I may not have this
all correct.  I suggested that she might be interested in joining the Chinook
site as she might have unique insights into some of the subjects that are
discussed here.]

Aron Faegre