Media miscellanea

[Dave Robertson]

Klahowya,

An Associated Press news story about sea otter population genetics, which
ran in the Spokane newspaper a few days ago, mentioned that the Indians
(generic ones, I guess) called (in the past, I guess) these animals
(specifically, a population of otters which has died out by now) "elakha".
I'm assuming this information came to the reporter from a Chinook Jargon
source.

The local paper has just recently also run a story originally printed in the
_Columbian_ under the byline of Dean Baker, about various plans the Chinook
tribe is considering for implementation after official federal recognition
on April 3rd.

And the _Atlantic Monthly_, March 2001, contains a thoughtful 11-page
article by Jonathan Raban that discusses how "in the Pacific Northwest, more
than any other region of America, landscape painting embodies all our
conflicting views -- our hopes and delusions, our regrets and ambitions --
about the natural world and the place of human beings in it."  It's
profusely and beautifully illustrated, fairly rich in historical continuity,
and shows an interesting new way to look at the contact of cultures that has
shaped this region.

Kloshe nanitch!
Dave