Smith River Rancheria

[David Lewis]

Klahowya-
         I am enjoying all of the language lessons. I am falling far behind
those of you who are rapidly gaining the CJ but I hope to have time in the
future to do some catching up. My own studies are coming along nicely and I
have been skimming through some manuscripts which are unpublished. The
manuscript I am not browsing is gathered together by Al Logan Slagle The
Tolowa Nation of Indians Parts I, III, IV. While looking over the many
references (and looking for smelt fishing info) I have encountered some
Chinook Jargon being used in the Journal of Smith River  and in the local
newspapers from Crescent City and Del Norte County. These are very early
dates so I hope this will surprise many on the list.

Part I

October 24, 1866  (112)
Grand Wa-Wa of Smith River <Gylish> ...died at 12 o'clock midnight.
(Grand Commander?)

March 4, 1882 the _Record_  (145)
The Indians in this vicinity have for some ten or  twelve days past been
indulging in their annual or, as we have heard it called, their
"muck-a-muck," dance at Crescent City.
(the Naydosh!)

Jan. 20 ,1855 Crescent City Herald  (36)
The Head Chief spoke and said that he himself was the "Great Chief" and
that he had a great deal of Aliqua-Chick.
(Shell money)

August 17, 1857 Crescent City Herald  (65)
...were willing to exchange al-a-que-cheek...
(shell money)

November 31, 1857  Crescent City Herald   (68)
On Monday the 16th, the Agent succeeded in getting them to make peace and
exchange all-a-que-cheek.
(shell money)

Part III

Sunday Sept. 23 1866  Jounal of Smith River (62)
Capt. Jim "Big Injun" still retains possession of the Skookum-House with
much composure and dignity.
(this could be the Indian Methodist church as they rested on Sunday)

Oct. 24 1866 Journal of Smith River  (69)
Grand Wa-Wa of Smith River...
(apparently copied by the newspaper above)

(this one is complicated)
Sat. Nov. 10 1866 Journal of Smith River  (72)
Two high toned diggers by the name of Tom and Bob are "Luxuriating at the
great American Restaurant ," notwithstanding, both him the sicks.
<note: I assume the latter note was a joking reference in pidgeon English
and the jargon of the day to Tom's and Bob's incarceration, while ill, in
the Reservation jail, for contemporary newspaper references to jailings for
fighting and drinking are similar...>
(further note: so_ American Restaurant _would mean "Jail?")

This is all I could find in this manuscript. I would assume that the jargon
would have come through trade routes and the travels of the
Tolowa-Tututni-Rogue River  peoples. This truly supports a pre-shaker
origin for at least some jargon. There is also the fact that the
Tolowas-Tututnis-Rogue Rivers were moved to the Coast Reservation in the
1856 (Schwartz 1997) and were probably exposed there as well.  In fact
Schwartz presents evidence of  heavy "Chenook" use on the Coast
Reservation  in 1857 (p.165).

All for now,
David
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               David Lewis
         P.O. Box 3086
Eugene, OR 97403, USA
541.684.9003  Cell 541.954.2466
talapus at kalapuya.com, coyotez at darkwing.uoregon.edu,
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~coyotez
http://www.kalapuya.com
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~coyotez

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Oregon
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