an open letter to Dave

[Dave Robertson]

Khanawi na shiks-tilixam,

In Jeff's message, I wasn't sure which of Peter's emails he must be referring to.  Now that I can see which was meant, I will say I disagree with you on this, Jeff, and that Peter's question never struck me as having untoward or ulterior tones.

However, with reference to several points that have resurfaced in the current discussion, there's a major point I'd like to propose, which reflects a strong belief of mine:

Pus alaxti ma tiki wawa khakwa, pi wEXt pus alaxti weyk ma tiki wawa khakwa, t'lunEs tilixam lhaska tEmtEm mayka mEsachi-tEmtEm lhaska.  Whether one intends to seem this way or not, one may still be taken for a racist.

I also feel that a person can actually be just as racist without intending it, as a person who is filled with conscious hatred.

As reflected in the greeting message which is sent to new subscribers of this list, I in my capacity as moderator ask people to keep civil tongues and respectful hearts.  Following general rules of netiquette is much-appreciated behaviour as well; for example, please do not post anyone's personal email messages sent to you, unless you get that person's explicit permission.

Discussion of issues of present-day relations between "races" in the Pacific Northwest (and elsewhere) seems to me to have genuine relevance to the subject matter of any list devoted to the Chinook Jargon.  This language's origin lies, in point of fact, in the events resulting from the contact of indigenous with alien cultures in this region.

Allow me, please, to ask that you all treat one another with civility in these discussions.

Of all possible political issues, the one which is least likely to change much or to disappear is that of relations among races.  (Just think, in the 1920s the Big Issue was Prohibition of Alcohol; in the 1940s the Jap/Hun Threat; in the 1960s Equal Rights; and so on through a string of endless permutations of public concern.  But Indians remained Indians, Whites remained Whites, and so on *ad nauseam*.)  One's ethnic and genetic heritage is after all not mutable.  It is also very likely to be a source of intense personal identity, and therefore of very strong passions.  Please do your best, my friends, to keep calm heads when you feel attacked .  Your own emotions may be as telling as any putative attacker's motives.
My deep thanks to all who have shared their perceptions so far, and to those who will do so in future.

Yours sincerely,
Dave


Peter Cawley <pcawley at ISLAND.NET> wrote:
>
> At 08:10 PM 2/8/01 -0800, Jeffrey Kopp <jeffkopp at QWEST.NET> wrote:
>
> >Beyond that, I was disturbed when I first saw Peter's "any comments?"
> >message which started this thread.  It looked like a troll to me, and
> >whether or not it was, it ultimately had that effect.  Not a
> >thoughtful thing to do.
>
> How so? The quoted letter writer took exception to a CJ word. Dictionaries
> offered no elucidation. A "closed-ended" question would not have been
> appropriate.
> BTW, the "troll" comment above, seems to be an example of "asserting
> opinion as fact".
>
> >Soliciting opinions, as well as asserting opinion as fact, disrupts
> >the list and threatens to demolish it.  Please--everybody--remember
> >it was started for research, education and resource sharing.
>
> Researchers, educators and resource persons might be expected to have
> opinions in their subject area that are worth considering. Exactly what is
> wrong with asking people to share their research, education, resources, and
> pertinent experience with an interested List? If anyone asserted opinions
> as fact in the process of sharing, there is ample opportunity for correction.
>
> As it happens, I have never previously encountered the term "siwash" in any
> context outside CJ. Thanks to the people who shared painfull experiences in
> the course of this discussion, I feel that I have benefited considerably in
> understanding why the the word is hurtfull to so many people, and why the
> original letter writer reacted to having it gratuitously forced on her
> attention by a street name. I am gratefull to those who assisted the
> clarification of my perceptions.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
> Peter Cawley
> pcawley at island.net
>
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