"Kopet: a documentary narrative of Chief Joseph's last years"

[David D. Robertson]

In a similar connection to our discussion of Qualchan et al. (Yakamas)
being quoted as talking Jargon, I repeat below a post from 4 years ago.
Organizing my files yesterday, I noticed that Chester Anders Fee in his
Oregon Historical Quarterly article in the 1940s maintains that Chief
Joseph of the Nez Perce didn't speak Chinook Jargon.  That partially
conflicts with the following; it agrees with the "nica halo bottlum" quote
if the person who attributed those words to Joseph didn't realize they
were CJ.

There is other evidence of Nez Perces using CJ.  For example, a widely
available recording exists of a Jargon hymn sung by a Nez Perce around 90
years ago.

--Dave R.

On Thu, 6 May 1999 21:23:46 -0700, David Robertson
<drobert at TINCAN.TINCAN.ORG> wrote:

>(Seattle:  University of Washington Press, 1981.  By M. Gidley)
>
>I don't remember whether I have mentioned this book here before.
>
>Did you folks know that Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce knew Chinook Jargon
>and used it in dealings with Whites?  (As did many Nez Perce, I gather.)
>
>He's quoted in one document as saying "Nica Halo Bottlum" ("I never touch
>the bottle", it's glossed by an Indian agent who must have though Chinook
>a kind of pidgin English!)  That's one example for you.
>
>Interesting to me because we don't always hear about the upriver Columbia
>watershed nations speaking this language.
>
>By the way, page 53 mentions also that "[t]he speaking of aboriginal
>languages, even the Chinook Jargon, was forbidden on pain of punishment at
>the boarding schools."  Hmm.
>
>Best wishes,
>Dave
>
>
>
> *VISIT the archives of the CHINOOK jargon and the SALISHAN & neighboring*
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