Klahowya kapa kanaway mesika,
Nika delate sick tomtom spose ikt ikt tillicum kapa okoke Chinook List yaka sick tomtom spose nika
wawa "squaw".
Earlier I posted a note on my feelings about the use of the word "squaw". I hope there were not any
hurt feelings regarding that note. I am truely sorry if there were. And I would like to to my
earlier note: I feel that "Squaw" is still used by a modern people who's modern language is worthy
of respect and honour. I like the publicly discussed idea of giving Cree official status as one of
the major founding languages of Canada (of course not to the exclusion of other first nations
languages which deserve as much support as possible). I like the idea of reading Cree on my cereal
box every morning along with English and French. And I would like to some day hear a Canadian
Polititician use the address the parliment using "Squaw" as a term of respect along with "Ladies"
and "Mes Dames". Because I think it deserves that respect.
Since this is a CJ list and we should really be talking about CJ I've included an attempt at a
Jargon translation of a poem about language politics by a Québecoise Poete, Michèle Lalonde. She
has used the upsetting and deplorable phrase "Speak White" to mean not only "Canadian English", the
same language that I speak at home, but also any other language of oppression which may force a
population to change the way they use their own words.
I have also seen the word "squaw" in some chinook dictionaries. I wonder how common it was in the
pacific northwest and whether any current CJ dialects use it?
"Speak White" by Michèle Lalonde, poorly translated into Chinook Jargon. I think it's a powerful
expression about the missuse of language.
Please feel free to comment, correct my bad Chinook or offer an alternate style as I would love hear
your thoughts.
I have inlcuded the poem in Chinook Jargon, French and then English. . . below
Speak White
kloooshe kumtuks mesika
wawa kapa Paradise Lost
pe kapa chum toketie pi halo nim yaka shughshugh
kapa Shakespeare yaka sonnet
nesika cultus tillicum pe kokshut wawa
keschie wake kopet nesika kwolan kapa okoke kamtaks kapa lalang
mesika wawa kakwa Milton pe Byron pe
Shelly pe Keats
speak white
pe mosh stoh nesika spose halo nesika wawa kilapi
keshie yootlyootl shantie kapa nesika ancuttie tillicums
pe Nelligan yaka sick tumtum
speak white
mesika wawa kapa huloima ikta
mesika wawa kapa Okoke Hayas Pepa
pe okoke stone kapa Lincoln
pe spooh toketie kapa Thames
pil chuck kapa Potomac
mesika wawa kapa kahta kwanesum mesika mamook ikta
tanas nesika kumtaks
keschie skookum nesika tikegh
kanaway klosh kapa crumpets
pe kapa Boston Tea Party
keschie kanji mesika delate speak white
kanji mesika get down to brass tacks
wawa kapa gracious living
pe wawa kapa kahta kloshe mitlite
pe kapa Hay Mukmuk
alta tanas weght skookum mesika speak white
mesika mamook skookum mesika wawa kakwa tyee
nesika tenas kopet kwolan
nesika mitlite hyiu hyiu wake saya moola
pe halo nesika kumtuks keschie nesika win saghalie lamashine
speak white pe skookum
spose nesika kumtuks
kapa Saint-Henrie à Saint-Domingue
nawitka klaksta kloshe lalang
spose iskum
spose mosh tumtum
mamook kloshe okoke tintin kanjie chako mimaloost kapa mamook
pe tanas kopet okoke mamook kol
pe potlatch tala
speak white
tell us that God is a great big shot
and that we're paid to trust him
speak white
mesika wawa nesika kapa production profits pe sitkam takamonak
speak white
lalang yaka hyiu mitlite
spose iskum makook
keschie spose mosh makook selp
keschie spose mosh makook skookum tumtum
keschie spose mosh makook selp
kwish!
speak white
big deal
keschie spose wawa mesika
okeoke kwanesum kapa ikt kwatl sun
spose yiem
kanaway sun spose tillicum klaska hyiu nanits
keschie kilapi kah nesika mitilte kapa polaklie
kapa okoke tintin elip sun yaka getup kla saghalie
klaska wayhut
keschie wawa mesika, nawitka, sun klatawa bed
kwanesum sun nesika mithwit kah san klatawa kapa mesika empires
halo makook lalang kanamoxt pahtl illahie wawa
nesika wawa wake hyiu halo illahie
chako chum kapa pahtl illahie glees pe lagles
speak white
mesika mitlite kloshe kapa mesika wawa
nesika saliks
keschie wake kloshe nesika wawa peshak kapa klaksta
yaka mitlite monopoly
yaka mamook kloshe lalang
kapa okoke klimin wawa kakwa Shakespeare
kakwa Longfellow yaka wawa
mesika wawa Pasayoks wawa halo illahie pe masachie takope
kakwa kapa Viet-Nam kapa Congo
mesika wawa hayas kloshe Duchman wawa
kakawah chilchil kapa letah
mesika wawa Russia wawa, wawa chako kloshe, kwutl kikwillie
speak white
ikt lalang kapa kanaway okoke illahie
nesika chako mosh tanas spose kumtuks
kanamoxt yaka wawa cly
kanamoxt yaka wawa kokshut
speak white
yiem kilpay about Freedom and Democracy
nesika kumtuks "stoh" yaka klale wawa
kakwa sick tumtum yaka niggin
pe kakwa pilpil chako kapa illahie kapa wayhut kapa Algiers
pe kapa Little Rock
speak white
kapa Westminster kapa Washington mesika klatawa wawa
speak white kakwa kapa Wall street
white kakwa kapa Watts
be civilized
pe kumtuks nesika wawa kata yaka chako
kanjie mesika wawa nesika kakwa kloshe
how do you do
pe mesika kumtuks nesika wawa
we're doing all right
we're doing fine
we
are not alone
nesika kumtuks
halo nesika kopet ikt.
Michèle Lalonde
***************************************************************************************************************
This is Michèle Lalondes original version in French The English version follows directly after
this. . .
Speak white
il est si beau de vous entendre
parler de Paradise Lost
ou du profil gracieux et anonyme qui tremble
dans les sonnets de Shakespeare
nous sommes un peuple inculte et bègue
mais ne sommes pas sourds au génie d'une langue
parlez avec l'accent de Milton et Byron et
Shelley et Keats
speak white
et pardonnez-nous de n'avoir pour réponse
que les chants rauques de nos ancêtres
et le chagrin de Nelligan
speak white
parlez de choses et d'autres
parlez-nous de la Grande Charte
ou du monument à Lincoln
du charme gris de la Tamise
de l'eau rose du Potomac
parlez-nous de vos traditions
nous sommes un peuple peu brillant
mais fort capable d'apprécier
toute l'importance des crumpets
ou du Boston Tea Party
mais quand vous really speak white
quand vous get down to brass tacks
pour parler du gracious living
et parler du standard de vie
et de la Grande Société
un peu plus fort alors speak white
haussez vos voix de contremaîtres
nous sommes un peu durs d'oreille
nous vivons trop près des machines
et n'entendons que notre souffle au-dessus des outils
speak white and loud
qu'on vous entende
de Saint-Henri à Saint-Domingue
oui quelle admirable langue
pour embaucher
donner des ordres
fixer l'heure de la mort à l'ouvrage
et de la pause qui rafraîchit
et ravigote le dollar
speak white
tell us that God is a great big shot
and that we're paid to trust him
speak white
parlez-nous production profits et pourcentages
speak white
c'est une langue riche
pour acheter
mais pour se vendre
mais pour se vendre à perte d'âme
mais pour se vendre
ah!
speak white
big deal
mais pour vous dire
l'éternité d'un jour de grève
pour raconter
une vie de peuple-concierge
mais pour rentrer chez nous le soir
à l'heure où le soleil s'en vient crever au-dessus des
ruelles
mais pour vous dire oui que le soleil se couche oui
chaque jour de nos vies à l'est de vos empires
rien ne vaut une langue à jurons
notre parlure pas très propre
tachée de cambouis et d'huile
speak white
soyez à l'aise dans vos mots
nous sommes un peuple rancunier
mais ne reprochons à personne
d'avoir le monopole
de la correction de langage
dans la langue douce de Shakespeare
avec l'accent de Longfellow
parlez un français pur et atrocement blanc
comme au Viet-Nam au Congo
parlez un allemand impeccable
une étoile jaune entre les dents
parlez russe parlez rappel à l'ordre parlez répression
speak white
c'est une langue universelle
nous sommes nés pour la comprendre
avec ses mots lacrymogènes
avec ses mots matraques
speak white
tell us again about Freedom and Democracy
nous savons que liberté est un mot noir
comme la misère est nègre
et comme le sang se mêle à la poussière des rues d'Alger
ou de Little Rock
speak white
de Westminster à Washington relayez-vous
speak white comme à Wall Street
white comme à Watts
be civilized
et comprenez notre parler de circonstance
quand vous nous demandez poliment
how do you do
et nous entendez vous répondre
we're doing all right
we're doing fine
we
are not alone
nous savons
que nous ne sommes pas seuls.
Michèle Lalonde
***************************************************************************************************************
English Version, Please excuse my poor translation. . .
Speak white
it is so wonderful to hear you
to speak about Paradise Lost
or of the gracious outline and anonymity which
trembles
in the sonnets of Shakespeare
we are an unsophisticated people, stammerers
but we are not deaf to the genius of a language
spoken with the accent of Milton and Byron and
Shelley and Keats
speak white
and pardon us for not having an better response
than the raucous songs of our ancestors
and the sorrow of Nelligan
speak white
speak about this and that
speak to us about the Great Charter
or of the Lincoln Memorial
of the gray charm of the Thames
of the rose water of Potomac
speak to us about your traditions
we are a dim people
but well able to appreciate
the all importance of the crumpets
or of the Boston Tea Party
but when you really speak white
when you get down to brass tacks
to speak about the gracious living
and speech of the standard of living
and of High Society
then a little more loudly speak white
raise your voices like the foremen
we are a little hard of hearing
we live too close to the machines
and we can just hear our breath above the tools
speak white and loud
that you are heard
on the subject of Saint-Henri in Saint-Domingue
yes such an admirable language
to engage
to give orders
to fix the hour quitting time
and of the pause which refreshes
and doling out of the dollar
speak white
tell us that God is has great big shot
and that we're paid to trust him
speak white
speak to us production profits and percentages
speak white
it is a rich language
to buy
but to be sold
but to be sold without a soul
but to be sold
ah!
speak white
big deal
just to tell you
in the eternity of one day of strike
to tell
of a life of a caretaker people
just to go back to our homes in the evening
until hour when the sun come forth to burst above lanes
just to tell you yes the sun lies down yes
each day of our lives in the east of your empires
nothing is worth a language of curses
our dirty little way of speaking
stained with grease and oil
speak white
be comfortable in your words
we are a rancorous people
but we do not speak ill of anybody
who has a monopoly
on the correction of language
in the soft language of Shakespeare
with the accent of Longfellow
speak pure French and atrociously white
as in Viet-Nam or Congo
speak impeccable German
a yellow star between your teeth
speak Russian to make a call to order to speak
repression
speak white
it is a universal language
we were born to include/understand it
with its tearful words
with its bludgeoning words
speak white
tell us again about Freedom and Democracy
we know that liberation is a dark word
as misery is black
and as blood mixes with dust of the streets of
Algieria
or of Little Rock
speak white
from Westminster to Washington relay it
speak white like in Wall Street
white like in Watts
be civilized
and understand our terms of convenience
when you ask us politely
how do you do
and hear us answer
we're doing all right
we're doing fine
we
are not alone
we know
that we are not alone.
Michèle Lalonde