Stick Indians & Athabaskans in SE Alaska

[Erik]

Duane Pasco says that he learned CJ in Alaska as a young boy.

One of the stories that he tells is about a "Stick Indian", who is someone 
(for children) to be afraid of.

My Chinook ancestor was living in Dutch Harbor, Unalaska.  So the Chinook 
tribe really got around to a great many places, both north and south (as far 
south as Mexico according to one elder with whom I have spoken - and this 
was before the whitemen came).

And then of course there were all of the gold seekers, many of them probably 
learned CJ and spread it.  But the Chinooks were in Alaska long before the 
Gold Rush.

-- Erik

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Robertson" <ddr11 at COLUMBIA.EDU>
To: <CHINOOK at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2006 10:23 AM
Subject: Stick Indians & Athabaskans in SE Alaska


> I'm fortunate enough to have gotten a copy of the late Reginald
> Dangeli's "Tsetsaut History: The Forgotten Tribe of Southern Southeast
> Alaska".
>
> There's very little information available about the Tsetsaut Athabaskans,
> so it's good to find this item written by a direct descendant of the last
> people to identify themselves as Tsetsaut.
>
> Dangeli tells how researchers in the early 20th century (Franz Boas and
> associates?) asked Tlingit "guides and interpreters" for information on
> place names in East Behm Canal.
>
> These Native experts "were unable to define the meanings of some of these
> place names...They heard stories that an Athapaskan group who became beach
> dwellers came down and utilized some areas of the canal.  The Tlingits
> called these people stick Indians as they were nomadic and kept their
> hunting in the Interior coming down occasionally to harvest their fish and
> to trade with their sea-going neighbors.  One of their main hunting trails
> was along Chickamin River not far from Unuk River..."  (Page 52)
>
> This information tells us at least two things of interest for our
> listserv.
>
> (1) "Stick Indian", a Chinook Jargon term (or at least a CJ calque in
> English), was used by Tlingits for several neighboring Athabaskan groups.
> I've posted previously here about the Ahtnas et al. being called this.
>
> (2) Chinook Jargon was in use to some noticeable extent in extreme
> Southeast Alaska, given this term and the name of Chickamin ('metal /
> gold') River.
>
> Dangeli tells elsewhere in the book of CJ being used by Boas with
> Tsetsauts; I've posted that information (published elsewhere) on this list
> previously.
>
> --Dave
>
> To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately 
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> 

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