Nuxalk

[Mike Cleven]

Terry Glavin wrote:
> hi folks.
> "pc correct" might be a little harsh - i wouldn't consider my own objections
> to someone calling me a paddy to be "pc." i'd object, though. of course it
> would depend on the circumstances and the intent, i suppose. . . and indeed
> "bella coola" would have been the case for most british columbians even ten
> years ago, but i'd say most british columbians use the term nuxalk nowadays
> (mike?) - and i don't think many nuxalk people would take any offense to
> hear their nation called the "bella coola people."
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Cleven" <ironmtn at BIGFOOT.COM>
> To: <CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
> Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 4:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Nuxalk
>
>
>
>>Liland Brajant Ros' wrote:
>>
>>>I think a fair case (that would be argued about both by members of the
>>>people in question and by non-member BC English speakers) could be made
>>
> for
>
>>>the statement that "'Bella Coola' is the normal English pronunciation of
>>>'Nuxalk'". But this may no longer be the case. It surely would have been
>>>true 40 years ago.
>>
>>Well, it's an "apples and oranges meet the mice from hell" question.
>>Bella Coola is actually from a Heiltsuk word which refers to the whole
>>region, and not to the town of Bella Coola nor to the nation there,
>>except incidentally.  The people who live there describe _themselves_ as
>>Nuxalk, and their territory's name is the Nuxalk Nation; it's not
>>exactly a geographic term, more of a political one.  Today, "Bella
>>Coola" is the name of the town, "Nuxalk" is the PC-correct term of the
>>people/nation.

Well, generally when I'm speaking about the people I'll use "Nuxalk"; if
I get a dumbfounded look I'll follow-up with "the native people/nation
in Bella Coola".  In the media of course they work on the PC thing, at
least as far as language goes (never mind their ambiguity on land
claims), they stick to "Nuxalk First Nation" or something of the kind.
For me, the town is Bella Coola, the people are the Nuxalk; same kind of
duality exists for the Lillooet people, who use both Lillooet Tribal
Council and St'at'imc Nation for their umbrella political organization;
just to confuse things the native police force goes by Stl'atl'imx
Police.  This kind of duality seems fairly common in BC, with
Nuu-chah-nulth and Nootka being used interchangeably, or Secwepemc and
Shuswap; the native names for the Nicola, Okanagan, Squamish, Kwakiutl
etc. are a bit nastier to spell/pronounce so people stick with the
simpler forms.  Isn't it true that the print media for the most part
sticks to Tsh'ilqotin rather than Chilcotin for the First Nation there
now; but uses "Chilcotin" when speaking of the region?




--
Mike Cleven
http://www.cayoosh.net (Bridge River Lillooet history)
http://www.hiyu.net (Chinook Jargon phrasebook/history)