Further musings on CJ-speaking communities: 2001

[Dave Robertson]

Lhush pulakli, khanawi-lhaksta,

May I make another point on the topic of Chinook-Jargon-speaking communities which I feel is worthwhile?

Let's for a second take a look at this group of people, the CHINOOK list.  Here we've got about a hundred members at any given moment, all having decided that this subject is of great enough interest for them to make it a part of their everyday lives.  A great many of us want and try to learn Chinuk-wawa, while many of the rest of us are fascinated with how the language came to be what it is or was.  Among our ranks we're proud to count a really good number of people who have created beautiful and informative websites as well as Internet discussion groups and publications ranging from the scholarly and the educational to the popular and the entertaining.

This is not news to any of you!  Now consider further, however, that the recently mentioned Mobilian Jargon, the Eskimo Jargon, and the Delaware (or Unami) Jargon--not to mention lesser-known idioms like Kutenai Jargon or Haida Jargon--have none of these resources.  Those languages have in fact no community to speak of, in the sense that we here do form a live & kicking constituency for Chinook Jargon.

To me, it's marvelous to realize that the history of Chinook Jargon has by no means ended.  It's alive and well, in many senses, and despite greatly exaggerated and premature reports of the language's death which began to surface about a century ago.

The particular circumstances of the rise and propagation of Chinook Jargon have led to its playing a role in the lives of a great number of people who are still breathing...and talking.

Also, the fact that this language is being taught to children (while those other indigenous North American pidgins/creoles are not) is of potentially great import.

I need to go to an art lecture, so I'll cut myself short here!

Lhush nanich,
Dave
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