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

[phil cash cash]

my impression is that it was more common for Nez Perce speakers to
converse in CJ with Pushtins than it was for other indigenous speakers.
  one has to remember that multilingualism was a common feature among
Plateau speech communities which would seem to diminish rather than
strengthen a need for CJ.  because CJ crossed ethnic lines, however, it
seemed easier to use CJ when CJ was present as in the case with
Pushtins.  historical records for northweastern oregon is rich with CJ
interactions with the Nez Perce.

here is a short speech by Chief Joseph (from Kopet):

Nika tum tum pe mika tumtum kwak nesam cooley kahkwa; delate tilikums,
mika pe nika.

My heart and your heart always run close together so; good friends, you
and I.  (Gidley 1981:61)

i would be interested in your comments or impressions on this phrase
and its translation (which is not mine, btw).  i also have digitized
the CJ hymn that is sung by the Nez Perce from 1911 (found in a 2 CD
set through the Northwest Interpretive Association).  I have also
attempted to digitally enhance it using Soundforge with limited success.

phil cash cash (cayuse/nez perce)


On Saturday, August 23, 2003, at 09:24  AM, David D. Robertson wrote:

> 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*
>>      <=== languages lists, on the Web! ===>
>>    http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/salishan.html
>>    http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html
>