"Michael Walsh" conversation

[Tony Johnson]

khanawi-Laksta,

I have mentioned a little of this over time to Henry, but I just spoke
to one of my elders from Bay Center, and she passed on some good stuff
about "Maykawash" and our Chinook people.

She never knew him as Nick Sivonen," but heard later that was his name
(not as a kid).  As she pronounces it, his name was "Ma'ykawash."  When
she first remembered him in Bay Center he held church services in her
grandmother's house.  She stated "he was always there at the (Indian)
gatherings."

She states that she doesn't remember much about his ministry, but "that
song sure sticks with you."

She didn't know about his wife, but had an idea that she was an invalid
or incapacitated in some way (she wasn't sure about that though).  

She had a really good memory of Maykawash bringing a big box of wrapped
Christmas presents to her house when she was little.  That was a big
deal to someone who, according to her own estimation, was "dirt poor."

Probably, the best part of my conversation with her was that she is
going to go and visit an Auntie of hers this weekend that has a picture
of Maykawash with her grandmother and grandfather.  She will make me a
copy.

Lush ikta ukuk, wikna?

Tony A. Johnson
Chinuk man nayka, bEt nayka miLayt khapa shawash-ili7i.

-----Original Message-----
From: The Chinook List [mailto:CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] On
Behalf Of hzenk at PDX.EDU
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 1:45 PM
To: CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: "Michael Walsh" conversation

>   I asked some of our Makah ministers about
> Rev. Nick Sevenon, and they remembered him, and also said people
called him
> 'mayka waS' because he sang 'Are you Washed (in the blood)?' so often.

Thanks, Maria, for that confirmation that Nick Sivonen really was called
"Maykawash."  So everybody, scratch out "Michael Walsh," please.

Sivonen (correct spelling I believe; this is how Harrington writes the
name)
being a Finnish name (pronounced SEE-vo-nen as Finnish), it seems likely
that
this was indeed the "Finnish minister" married to an Indian woman in
whose
church the Chinuk hymns Maria and I have studied were used.  Maybe
people
around Quinault would remember him.  And does anyone know anything about
Hattie
Howeattle?  Was she a Shaker?  I'm beginning to suspect that Rev.
Sivonen had
some connection to the Shakers.  Henry

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