2 Algonquian languages in shorthand

[Leanne Riding]

I found a comment by C. De Volpi in 1873 on the shorthand, which relates
the Stuart Lake Mission at Fort Saint James with Kamloops. What puzzles
me about the comment is that the examples of Morice's script that I've
seen, do not look like the Kamloops wawa-script.

-----

"1885..."
"...Father Morice, at the Stuart Lake mission, invented a system of
writing, based on the French method of stenography, and taught it to the
Indians. In the south of the province Father Le Jeune applied the same
system to the Chinook jargon. Some Indians were known to have learned to
read in two evenings."

De Volpi, Charles Patrick. British Columbia : a pictorial record,
historical prints and illustrations of the province of British Columbia,
Canada, 1778-1891. Don Mills, Ontario: Longman Canada Ltd., 1973. 17.

-----

Hey, I was just poking around just now and I found something else. I
will type, sorry bout typos

---

"The first press in Alberta was brought to Lac La Biche by the Rev. J.
B. M. Grouard of the Oblate Order. While on a visit to France for the
sake of his health this missionary learned the art of printing. He had
syllabic type specially designed for him in Brussels, and returned to
Western Canada with press and type in 1877. Father Grouard was stationed
at Lac La Biche from 1878 to 1888, with the exception of the year in
France and three years at Dunvegan. According to Father Duchaussois is
his "Mid Ice and Snow", Grouard at Lac La Biche printed books in five
languages, namely, Montagnais, Hare-skin, Loucheux (Squint-eyes), Castor
and Cree."

"The first volume off the Lac La Biche press was a new edition of Bishop
Faraud's selections from the Bible in the Chipewyan language entitled
histoire saint in montagnais. As one of his apprentice printers the
clerical director of the press had no less a person that the bishop
translater; Grouard was also assisted by Father Blanchet. This volume
appeared in 1878, Alberta's first imprint."

"Although Bishop Grouard in his autobiography speaks of several books
coming off the press, I have bibliographical descriptions of only three
others besides the Histoire Sainte. The first was a 232-page prayer book
in Cree printed in 1883. Three years later the priest ran off Prieres,
cantiques et catechisme en langue montagnaise ou chipewayan. In 1888
Prieres, catechisme et cantiques dans la langue des Indiens castors was
printed as a 120-page book Father Grouard translated the latter
collection while stationed at Dunvegan. He was aided by a young Indian
who conversed fluently in both Cree and Beaver. All four of the Lac La
Biche imprints were in syllabic script modified from Evan's Cree
syllabary to fit the Chipewyan and Beaver languages."

And then it says that Grouard took the press by dog team to Fort
Chipewyan in 1888, and it was still in use in 1897, and ended up in St.
Albert.

Maccagno, Mike. "Early Mission Presses in Alberta: Taken from an article
by Bruce Peel, Librarian Emeritus, University of Alberta." Rendezvous :
Notre Dame des Victoires. Lac La Biche : Lac La Biche Mission Historical
Preservation Society. Undated, no page numbers. The article can be read
at the website Our Roots / Nos Racines.


On Friday, July 9, 2004, at 12:13 , David Robertson wrote:

> Here are 2 more Native languages that got written in Kamloops Wawa
> shorthand: Cree and Montagnais.  I've found at least 4 items in Cree
> and 1
> in Montagnais.
>
> If there's someone who knows Cree or Montagnais and would like to work
> with me to decipher the materials I've found, let me know.
>
> Might make a good little paper for the Algonquian conference.
>
> --Dave R.
>
> To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond
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>

-- Leanne (http://timetemple.com)

To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!