Sahale stick

[terry glavin]

the "catholic ladder" appears to have been conceived by father norbert
blanchet. His first use of it would appear to be with the Whidbey Island
Straits Salish people in 1839, and it became very commonly used among the
Sto:lo people of the Lower Fraser in subsequent years. In 1840 Modeste
Demers used it in his mission to the "Catholic Indians" of the Fraser
Valley - ". . . he preached in Chinook to about 1500 Sto:lo at their summer
camp near Fort Langley, presented them with the Catholic ladder, sang
several hymns in Chinook, baptized about 400 infants, and finally taught
them to make the sign of the Cross." (Vincent McNally, `The Lords Distant
Vineyard,' University of Alberta Press, 2000).

 from everything i've read, the ladder and the saghalie stick are
inextricably bound up in chinook.

 (see also Carlson, Keith Thor, ed., A Sto:lo Coast Salish Historical Atlas,
Douglas and McIntyre / University of Washington Press / Sto:lo Heritage
Trust, 2001.)

i get a real kick out of the protestant version of the catholic ladder. the
one i've seen was developed by the methodist thomas crosby, and he used it
in his preaching to the sto:lo (also in chinook). the protestant version (it
was two feet by six feet), actually represents two ladders, the protesant
ladder to heaven juxtaposed against the protestant version of the catholic
ladder, at the top of which you see the pope tossed off, and he is
descending, upside down, towards the fires of hell. . .


----- Original Message -----
From: David D. Robertson <ddr11 at COLUMBIA.EDU>
To: <CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2001 12:07 PM
Subject: Sahale stick


> Was the invention of the Catholic Ladder directly related to missionary
> work in the Pacific Northwest?
>
> Was religious education using the "Sahale Stick" primarily conducted in
> Chinook Jargon?
>
> Dave