(fwd) Re: desiring to learn more

[Jeffrey Kopp]

Klahowya, and (below my reply) here is an inquiry I received via the
TW web page seeking Chinook tribal/historical or family information.
(The writer shares some intriguing details, particularly that the
ancestor remembered as Chinook lived in Colorado, though this is late
in the 19th century and she was apparently adopted before then, so an
eastward migration is possible.)   I subsequently received Ms.
Marco's permission to pass this along to the list.  Perhaps someone
here can lend her a hand or direct us to a suitable resource.

Mahsie,

Jeff

On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 13:40:44 -0800, Jeffrey Kopp
<jeffkopp at uswest.net> wrote:

>Hi, Ms. Marco.  I am moved by your memories and quest for your
>heritage.  However, I regret I cannot be of much assistance myself,
>as I am neither Native American nor a student of the subject.  I have
>learned some general historical facts by my acquaintance with others
>more knowledgable than myself while working with the Chinook Jargon.
>
>To my knowledge the Chinooks do not have an on-line presence nor am I
>aware of a contact point for those like yourself who desire further
>historical and cultural information.  I hope to learn of one as I do
>receive inquiries from Chinook descendants and others who are eager
>to learn more.  I am acquainted with a few Chinook descendants who
>participate in the Chinook Jargon discussion on our email list.  If
>you wouldn't mind, I could forward your inquiry to the list and you
>might perhaps receive a helpful response directly.  I always ask
>before forwarding emails to the Jargon list, as the archive of the
>messages appears publicly on the Web.
>
>In regards to learning the Jargon, you might find sufficient material
>on-line among the historical dictionaries and Duane's contemporary
>Jargon articles at the Tenas Wawa Web site to help you get started.
>I understand that newly researched, more comprehensive Jargon
>materials are currently in development.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jeffrey Kopp
>
>On Sat, 19 Feb 2000 08:33:07 EST, Born2bwyld at aol.com wrote:
>
>>Jeff,
>>Your work sounds very interesting.  My great grandmother was a full blooded 
>>Chinook Indian.  She died before I was born and told very little about 
>>herself and her growing up years.  My great grandfather, John Ashton Marco, 
>>met her in Colorado and they were married and settled to Nebraska.  Her name 
>>was Lottie, we have not been able to find any information about where she was 
>>born or where she grew up.  This was during the early 1900's and she was 
>>humiliated and shamed by the locals.  She was a tall, very attractive woman.  
>>She always wore a hat and long sleeves and long dresses to cover her skin and 
>>hair.  My grandfather, Lake Marco, remembered some of the happenings during 
>>his childhood.  He told of hard times when many of the wells in the area went 
>>dry during a drought and the other ranchers would not share their water with 
>>them because they were "injuns"...  Granddad said at night she would take he 
>>and his brother and crawl to a nearby stock tank for water...  this was water 
>>that was for the cattle and probably wasn't very clean.  Of course, over 
>>time, she was more accepted, but never truely allowed to be a part of the 
>>community.  My grandfather is gone now too, and my heritage is lost.  She 
>>never spoke much of her past.  It is a shame that we lost such a wonderful 
>>part of my family.  From their marriage records, we found she had been taken 
>>in by a family named Bandt when she was a young girl.  But there are no birth 
>>records that we know of and the Bandt family has also pretty much died off.  
>>>From guessing, we concluded she was probably born in the early to mid 1800's. 
>> She died of natural causes.  Noone even knew for certain how old she was.  
>>My father was a young man at the time of her death and said they pretty  much 
>>guessed at her age.  
>>I would love to receive any information about my great grandmother's people, 
>>and their culture.  I wish I could have heard HER stories...but just to know 
>>more about her people will help.  The only thing I inherited from her is my 
>>skin tone and a sense of adventure.  She must have been very couragous to set 
>>out to pioneer with a white man at a time when Indians weren't looked upon 
>>too kindly on the plains of Nebraska.  I wish I could have known her.  
>>Thank you for any information you can give me...
>>I am also very interested in the language.  I would love to learn it in her 
>>memory...
>>Best regards,
>>Sherry Marco