CHINOOK Digest - 13 Aug 2001 to 17 Aug 2001 (#2001-134)

[Forrest D. Pass]

> Dave Robertson wrote:
>
> >
> > (Tl)     na^w
> > (CJ)     la^m
> > (En)     rum; alcohol, booze
> >
>
> I'm curious as to whether there were any Russian inputs into Tlinkit;
> what struck me with the example left un-snipped above is that it's the
> Jargon-English word for booze that's found up there; rather than a
> derivation of, say, "vodka".  Was the Russian America Company less
> forthcoming with unholy liquor than more southerly traders, perhaps?
>
> MC

In her article "The Alaska Panhandle: A Russian Perspective" (Northern
Review, No.6, pp.98-107), Alix O'Grady notes that, under treaties with
Great Britain and the USA, foreigners were permitted to trade in Russian
territory but "Prohibition of establishing settlements on Russian
possessions remained in force, as did the interdiction of traffic in
firearms and liquor with the Indians." (p.98).  I wonder if this was to
preserve a RAC monopoly, to simply keep the natives under control, or if
it was indicative of a prevailing Russian policy of not providing the
natives with alcohol.

Forrest Pass