Meacham's CJ in Oregon 1870

[Mike Cleven]

Aron Faegre wrote:
>
> Cla-hoy-em-six,
>
> In reading this book I kept a list of all the Chinook Jargon words he
> listed -- often he gave his own translation.  Sorry that this message is
> so long, but hoping it might be of use or interest to others on the list
> as a representative list of common words in Oregon in 1870.
>
> Aron
>
> List of Chinook jargon words used in:
>
> Wigwam & War Path or The Royal Chief in Chains by A. B. Meacham, Press
> of Rockwell & Churchill, 1875.
>
> Meacham was Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon, 1869-1872.  He
> was criticized as being an "Indian sympathizer" by many whites.  The
> book discusses his travels all around Oregon as that Superintendent.  He
> was head of the "Peace Commission" during the "Modoc Wars", and was
> partially scalped when the Peace Commission members were shot by Captain
> Jack and his men.  He was saved by the native woman "Tobey", who was his
> translator.
>
> I've read the book in part because an important mentor to me is
> Meacham's great-grandson.  He had told me some of Meacham’s story and it
> seemed unbelievable.  The book tells quite a story – in Meacham’s own
> words – and it is believable!

I've heard it from Capt. Jack's great-grandson; interesting to compare
the two versions, although I don't know where Willy is now or how to
reach him.
>
> Below is listed the book page number, the Chinook Jargon word (as he
> spelled it), with his translation under it.  Also listed are occasional
> items that were of general interest.
>
> Aron Faegre    March 17, 2000
>
> p. 7 pappoose
> "basket with its young soul"
> p. 8 wick-e-ups
> Indian tents

interesting = isn't this an algonquin or plains word?

> p. 15 squaws
> [discusses how they are treated poorly]

protofeminism?

> p. 16 arrival at camp Kish-ke-kosh

Modoc word?  Klamath?

> p. 25 Kin-ni-ki-nick
> tobacco

What _is_ the etymology of kinnikinick, anyway?  It's used in old Jargon
and still in BC slang English in the Interior; but what language is it
from and what does it really mean?

> p. 32 Meacham at Lee's Encampment, 50 miles south of Walla-Walla on top
> of Blue Mountain, one of the out-boundaries of the Umatilla Indian
> Reservation, occupied by the Walla-Walla, Cayuse, and Umatilla Indians,
> 1863
> p. 33 Grand Round valley
> p. 34 Cayuse ponies
> mules

Interesting variation, unless Meachem's got it wrong.

> p. 36 Now-wit-ka, mika pot-lutch.  Chic-a-mon-niker is-cum, cu-i-tun!
> Yes, you show the money, and I will furnish the horse.

"Show me the money!"  Talk about horsetrading.....

> p. 37 Wake-ic-ta-cum-tux.
> I don't understand you.

"Something not understood"; interesting dropping of the subject pronoun,
wake nah?

> p. 37 ...the next move was to adjust the packs on the Cayuse.  This was
> not done easily.  First, because pony did not understand Pat's jargon...

Musta been a monolingual horse.
>
> [interesting use of word jargon]

> p. 42 Ten-as-moose-moose
> small steer
> p. 42 Hi-as-moose-moose
> big steer
> p. 46 Indian muck-a-muck
> a sweet, nutritious root called camas
> p. 47 wild Cayuses
> Indian horses
> p. 49 Chief Homli, Umatilla Indians
> p. 52 Umatilla
> horse-heaven

Hmmmmm.  Is that an Umatilla meaning of Umatilla or what's he meaning?


> p. 53 ki-o-te
> cayote
> p. 53 council wigwams

American affectation/transplantation of a word from distant cultures?

> p. 54 Chief How-lish-wam-po of Cayuse, and Chief Wenupswott of the
> Umatillas
> p. 57 In fall of 1866 the "Oregon Delegation" proposes Meacham as
> Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon.  President Johnson vetoes
> since wrong political party.  With the ascension of President Grant,
> Meacham assumed the duties of office May 1, 1869.  "The new
> administration had the Indian question in transit, between three
> policies:  The Old Way, "Civil Service", "The War Department Policy",
> and General Grant's "Quaker Policy".  With good intention, doubtless,
> the several policies were put on trial.  Oregon superintendency and all
> its agencies were assigned to the tender care of the War Department
> policy and I was ordered to turn over my office to an officer of the
> Army, even before I had performed an important official duty.
> Remonstrance was made by the people of Oregon against the change.  A
> compromise was effected.  I was retained as superintendent..."
> p. 58 "The Coast Reservation" covering 300 miles of the Pacific
> coast...  It had never been ceded to the Government...
> p. 58 Clutchmen
> squaws
> p. 59 hollow-tree canoe...white "tyeee" of the "great canoe"

context?

> p. 59 story of Oneatta at Ya Quina Bay
> p. 61 e-li-he
> home

illahee?  must be.

> p. 61 ic-tas
> goods
> p. 61 Hal-lu-me, til-li-cum
> strangers

When I first saw this in another spelling farther below, I thought it
was a pidgin adaption of "Halloo!", the out-country yell-call for
"hello"; of course it's a variant of huloima.

> p. 61 Cla-hoy-em-six, tyee?
> How do you do, Chief?

Hail, friend, chief!

> p. 62 pot-lach dance
> giving dance

as indeed dance should be

> p. 62 chick-a-mon
> money
> p. 64 The sailors, with the women and maidens, had organized a school,
> on a small scale.  Merry laughter often broke at the clumsy efforts of
> white man's tongue to imitate Indian wa-wa (talk).
> p. 65 pil-pil dance
> a dance in honor of Indian maiden when she "comes out"

Interesting.  Is such an occasion also called a "blood dance" in
Umatilla or Modoc or any other local tongue?

> p. 68 He spent much time at the e-li-he of the tyee chief...

Hmm. elihe as "home" seems the entrenched meaning, vs. "land" or
"country of"

> p. 68 Mansinetta trees

Never seen manzanita/mansinetta as a Jargon word before; of course down
that way it _would_ be; they're common in Victoria and the Straits of
Georgia/Puget Sound region, but I don't know what they'd be called there
in the Jargon; they're "arbutus" in BC, "madrone" or "madrona" in Puget
Sound AFAIK (in English).

> p. 69 The conference was transferred to the e-li-he of Tyee John...
> [father of Oneatta]
> p. 73 Me-si-ka, is-cum, ni-ka-hi-ak-close, ten-as-cluchman, Oneatta?
> Have you brought back my beautiful daughter, Oneatta?
> p. 73 Ni-ka-cum-tux Oneatta
> I remember Oneatta

"to have knowledge of"; a better ideom than "klap tumtum", which is to
remember something forgotten, wake nah?

> p. 74 Meacham goes to the Siletz Reservation with U. S. Senator
> Odeneal...Remain overnight at Elk Horn Hotel...took passage in small
> row-boats...To-toot-na-Jack wins rowing contest...

Wonder how he got that name.

> p. 84 "Sku-Kum" House
> Guard House
> p. 84 ic-tas
> goods
> p. 87 chick-chick
> wagons
> p. 88 There were several languages represented in the council; the major
> portion of the Indians understood the jargon, or "Chi-nook," a language
> composed of less than 100 words; partly Indian, Spanish, French, and
> "Boston".  The latter word is in common use among the tribes of Oregon
> and Washington territory to represent white men or American.
> p. 89 Si-wash-the
> usual word for Indian

any suggestions on that "-the" suffix?

> p. 89 discussion about Christian religions
> p. 95 Meacham discusses Alsea Agency, located on the Coast reservation
> south of Yaquina Bay...the people are "salt chuck," or salt-water
> Indians
> p. 101 Meacham visits Grand Round Indian Agency near old Ft. Yamhill in
> September, 1869
> p. 110 description of Grand Round Agency
> p. 113 Salem Tyee
> superintendent

Superintendant of Indian affairs, or of the territory as a whole?  Was
Salem the capital from early on?

> p. 114 Jo Hutchins, chief of Santiams
> p. 114 Indian speeches are remarkable for pertinency and for forceable
> expression...much of the original beauty is lost in the translation, as
> few of them speak in the English language...during my residence...I have
> taken notes and in many instances kept verbatim reports...I have
> selected from several hundred pages, a few speeches made by these
> people, for use in making up my book...
> p. 115 speeches by Wapto Dave, Jo Hutchins, Black Tom, Solomon Riggs,
> speeches...[all given in English translation]

Any hint on whether these were made in Chinook or in other Indian
languages?  How do they read?  i.e. is what's in them possible to have
been _said_ in the Jargon, or are they maybe as much "remembered
embellishments" as the various versions of Chief Sealth's speech?

> p. 119 So-chala-tyee
> God sees you

Hmmm.  Must be contextual within the local usage; i.e. said to someone
doing something, a reminder that God is watching, even though "watching"
itself is never mentioned.

> p. 119 Alta-kup-et
> I am done
> p. 124 Indian Neeseka-nan-itch-mi-ka, Is-cum, twenty acres: Nika
> cluchman is-cum, twenty acres; Ni-ka ten-us-cluchman is-cum, ten acres;
> Nika ten-us-man is-cum, ten acres; Ma-mook, sixty acres; Al-ka.
> You see I get twenty acres, my squaw get twenty acres, my daughter get
> ten acres, my son get ten acres, making sixty acres in all.
> p. 124 Spose Misika Capit mamook icta el-i-he, Kau-yua nika is cum,
> seventy acres.
> Suppose you stop surveying, and wait a while, I can get seventy acres,
> maybe eighty acres.

Kau-yua; is that from a local language or can we figure out its Jargon
derivation?

Surveying =- mamook ikta illahee - "making an object of the land".  "do
thing land".  I'll dig out an old writing of mine from when I was a
surveyor; there's something abstract in the way surveying technology
renders the natural landscape into a purely geometric "legal object" in
defiance of the actual fractal reality of nature; but more on that
another time.

> p. 124 Cum-tux
> understand?
> p. 124 Nika-is-cum, ten-as-man
> I have another boy
> p. 124 Klat-a-wa-ma-mook-elihe
> go on with the survey

"go build the spread" - lay out our home.

> p. 124 Nika is-cum, seventy acres
> I get seventy acres
> p. 129 ictas
> presents

Potlatch naika elip hiyu!!!  (gimme more!)

> p. 130 Leander, Clat-a-wa-o-koke-Sun-Siletz.  E-li-he, hi-ka-tum-tum,
> hi-ak-clut-a-ma.
> Leander goes to Siletz, my heart will go with him, to-day.

"illahee, hika tumtum, hyak clutama".  Any stabs at this one to get the
meaning given?

> p. 130 Ni-ka-wake-clut-or-wa-niker, min-a-lous.
> If I don't go, I will die.
> p. 132 Con-chu-me-si-ka-ka-tum-tum?
> How is your heart now?
> p. 132 How-urt-ku-kov-kum-tum-tum-ni-ka.
> My heart is happy now.

Howurt kukov?

> p. 138 Meacham on a river steamer of the Steam Naviation Company
> traveling up Columbia River to Warm Springs and Ya-ha-ma agencies.
> p. 140 Soch-a-la tyee
> God
> p. 142 sachems...in their wooden graves [captain discussing graves on
> island they are passing]
> p. 148 discussion of salmon fishing at The Dalles
> p. 151 Meacham visits Warm Springs Agency in February, 1870.  Indians
> insist on Tyghe Valley as a home; Government refuses; under threats and
> intimidation, the Indians finally agree to accept home on "Warm Springs
> Reservation".

Isn't that a typo for "Tule Valley"; i.e. if this is the Modoc dispute
that's under discussion here?

> p. 151 John Mission and Billy Chinook
> p. 151 The Tenino band were in possession of, and had made improvements
> of value near, "The Dalles".
> p. 157 discussion of Indian fishing rights at The Dalles

What the heck does "the Dalles" mean, anyway?  Is it from "dal"/"dale" =
valley/glen?

> p. 160 Warm Springs has been assigned to the Methodist Church...
> p. 181 Meacham visits Umatilla Agency in 1871.  It is under the
> management of the Catholic Church.
> p. 183 dressed "à la Boston"
> painted cheeks, high chignons, immense tilting hoops, and high-heeled
> bootees
> p. 183 The dance, or hop, was also Boston, with music on a violin by a
> native performer.  The first was an old-fashioned "French four"...

Appris des voyageurs, klonas (learned from the voyageurs, perhaps).
Interesting addition to the Jargon lexicon, though - "mamook hop" as
well as "mamook dance", etc.

> p. 185 Meacham tells lots of native stories about horses for the next 20
> pages.

Mmmmmm.  Horseflesh.  Recipes or saddlery?

> p. 198 Me-si-ka wake cum-tux ic-ta mamook ni-ka tru-i-tan-klat-a-wa
> you did not know how to make my horse run

Typo or prononciation variant? - truitan/kiutan?

> p. 198 Cla-hoy-um, Crabb
> good-bye, Crabb
> p. 202 pic-i-ni-ne
> child

pickaninny?  What context is this in; i.e. does it look like natives
regularly used this term?  If so, have to wonder how they got it and
from who and why.

> p. 207 Meacham discusses southwestern Oregon Snake River Indians.
> p. 213 a-cul-tus-sel-le-cum
> a common man

sellecum = tillikum?

> p. 214 mum-ook-sul-lux-ic-ta-hi-as-tyee-si-wash
> makes war like a big Indian chief

no 'kahkwa' - "makes angry-thing [war] big chief Indian"

> p. 224 Meacham meets with Snake chiefs We-ah-we-we, E-ne-gan, and
> O-che-o.

What language is "Snake"?  Shoshone?

> p. 224 ...Donald McKay, who was in government employ, we were supplied
> with an interpreter.  Donald is not only a scout, but he is a linguist
> in Indian tongues, -- speaking seven of them fluently, -- the "Shoshone
> Snake," included.
> p. 226 We-ah-we-wa...had learned the Chinook jargon and could speak
> "Boston" sufficiently well to make himself understood...
> p. 227 [interesting description of native camp in sagebrush area]
> p. 230 [Meacham describes medicine-man practice on a patient]
> p. 233 To illustrate how these talks were conducted:  a white man speaks
> in his own language, a Warm Spring Indian repeats it to his own people,
> who in turn, tell it to a Klamath, he to a Modoc, and then it goes
> through the Wal-pah-pa's mouth to the Snakes'.  Often three or four
> sentences, of different sense, are being translated at the same time...
> p. 245 Meacham journeying to Klamath Agency accompanied by O-che-o,
> Tah-home and Ka-ko-na.  Resume journey from Yai-nax to Klamath Agency.
> p. 247 [description of Klamath Agency native population]
> p. 260 [discussion of President Grant's "Quaker policy"]
> p. 263 ...could speak "Boston" quite well...
> p. 265 Now-wit-ka, Ni-ra-nan-itch.
> Yes, I see.  Law not all the time same.  Made crooked.  Made for white
> man.  Ah ha, me see 'em now.
> p. 265 Now-witka, Now-witka, Muck-u-lux, Klamath, Mam-ook, Bos-ti-na
> Law, O-ko-ke, Sun.
> Oh, yes!  Oh, yes!  The Klamath Court is now open.

Oyea, oyea, people of Klamath make/use/invoke Boston Law today?

> p. 268 Now-wit-ka ni-hi
> yes, I do

nihi - simple affirmation?

> p. 279 ko-ho
> Indian game of ball [discussed at length here]

I had sudden visions of booting a coho around the field.

> p. 281 wo-cus
> seed of lily from Klamath marsh used for food
> p. 282 tule
> grass

Source language?  Modoc?

> p. 284 [Meacham fishes with American equipment of lines and flies to no
> success; but is very successful after capturing a pocketful of large
> black army-crickets...also discussion of different kinds of trout]
> p. 285 ...when the railroad shall have been built, connecting the lake
> country with the outside world, it will afford large supplies of fish,
> game, wild fowls, eggs, feathers, ice and lumber of the choicest kinds.
> Already has the keen eye of the white man discovered its many
> inducements and tempting offers of business...
> p. 286 [Lost River country, home of the Modocs]
> p. 287 Tule Lake...Clear Lake
> p. 289 La-la-cas tribe
> p. 291 ...every nation is divided into tribes, and tribes are divided
> into bands, and bands into smaller divisions, even down to families;
> each nation has, or is supposed to have, a head chief; each tribe a
> chief; each band a sub-chief; and so on, down until you reach family
> relations.  Each tribe, band, and even family, has in times of peace an
> alloted home, or district of country that they call their own.  They
> claim the privileges that it affords, and are very jealous of any
> infringement on their rights...
> p. 295 Chief Schonchin; Ki-en-te-poos (Captain Jack).
> p. 298 [Ben Wright poisons Indians opposite the "lava bed" on the shore
> of Tu-le Lake in September, 1852.]
> p. 309 Kaw-tuk!
> Stop!

Not Jargon, unless a local variant/specialty.  Modoc?  Klamath?

> p. 309 [discussion of "Natural Bridge" 20' in width spanning the river,
> which is gradually sinking]
> p. 311 [detailed description of Modoc house construction]
> p. 313 Scarfaced Charlie (says)...you not him
> ty-ee!...Hal-lu-i-me-til-li-cum (you stranger)!...
> p. 320 Frank Riddle and Toby
> p. 321 Me-ki-gam-bla-ke-tu
> we won't go there
> p. 321 Ot-we-kau-tux-e
> I am done talking; or, already! or, the time has come! or quit talking.
> p. 322 Tobey Riddle...said in Modoc tongue to her people:  "Mo-lok-a
> ditch-e ham-kouk-lok-e sti-nas mo-na gam-bla ot-we."
> The white chief talks right.  His heart is good or strong.  Go with him
> now!
> p. 330 [discussion of gambling]
> p. 331 muck-a-lux
> people

If from Jargon, maybe a contraction of muckamuck plus something, i.e.
"eat together"?

> p. 331 Soch-e-la Ty-ee
> the white man sees us

???

> p. 332 man-si-ne-ta
> groves
> p. 337 cultus wa-wa
> a big free talk around camp fire

interesting the range of meanings, good and bad, that "cultus wawa" can
have.

> p. 338 old man Chi-lo-quin
> p. 339 [celebration of the New Year, 1870]
> p. 343 Link-river Indians taunting Modocs by calling them hallo-e-me,
> tilli-cum (strangers)...
> p. 351 [Meacham's brother John is commissary at the Klamath Agency]
> p. 357 [Meacham recommends Modocs be granted small home at the mouth of
> Lost River]
> p. 361- Meacham's description of the "Modoc wars"
> p. 409 muck-a-lux
> my people

see above

> p. 409 Soch-a-la Tyee
> Great Spirit
> p. 419 Grand Ronde
> p. 461 Co-pi, ni-ka
> myself
> p. 485 "Riddle is interpreting the Modoc's speeches into `Bostonian
> talk' and Tobey is translating the white men's speeches into the
> `Mo-a-doc-us-ham-konk' -- (Modoc language)."
> p. 486 Sno-ker jam-bla sit-ka caitch-con-a bos-ti-na chock-i-la.
> I will, by-and-by.  Don't hurry, old man.

Is that Modoc?

> [Meacham, Canby, and Thomas about to be attacked by the Modocs]
> p. 492 Ot-we-kau-tux
> Already!
> [Captain Jack signaling to assassinate Meacham, Canby, and Thomas]
> p. 499 Bos-tee-na soldiers.  Kot-pumbla!
> The soldiers are coming!
> p. 514 Tuts-ka-low-a?
> How do you do, old man?
>  Te-me-na, Shix-te-wa-tillicums.
> My heart is all right.
> p. 588 They [Warm Springs Indian scouts] talked some with him [Captain
> Jack]; but he was not much of a talker either in English or Chinook...

Don't think he really had much to say in Modoc, either; what he wanted
was what he wanted, period.

MC