Dead: Watchman Pete Cheam (KW)

[David Robertson]

"Wachman Pitir kopa Chiam iaka mimlus.  Klunas klaksta mamuk mimlus iaka.
Iht pulakli iaka kuli tlap piltin*** tilikom, pi wik iaka kilapai.  8 son
klaska nanich kanawi kah pus tlap iaka pi kopa 8 son klaska tlap iaka kopa
chok, ayu kakshit iaka latit.  Iaka mamuk kopa [Sahali Tayi],  [Sahali
Tayi] mamuk klahawiam kopa iaka."

(Watchman* Peter from Cheam** is dead.  Someone may have murdered him.  One
evening he was headed out to catch some sinners, but he didn't come back.
For 8 days they looked everywhere to find him and on the 8th day they found
him in the water, with his head all beaten.  He worked for God and God will
have mercy on him.)

This is from Kamloops Wawa, Dec. 1894, page 200, and I hope you'll find it
useful for practice.

--Dave R.

*Watchman: a rank in the temperance society / Christianized village
structure that was set up in many BC Salish villages in the late 1800s.  A
Watchman was a sort of religious policeman, who had power to apprehend and
punish sinners.  One can imagine his unpopularity with some local people.

**Cheam: a Sto:lo / Halkomelem village on the Fraser River between
Vancouver and Hope.

***piltin: some of you have CJ dictionaries that say 'pelton'
meant 'crazy', but in KW it usually meant 'misguided, sinful'.

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