Poor in Sitka

[David Robertson]

Louis Napoleon St Onge has an extra note in a handwritten Chinuk Wawa 
dictionary of his at the entry for "poor".  This is normally "helo-tala" 
(without money) or "helo-ikta" (without possessions) for him.  

He says it's "tlaHowIam" in British Columbia, probably meaning the Kamloops 
area since he corresponded with & advised Father Le Jeune.  (H = h with an 
extra mark over it, usually [X] as in 'Bach'; I = i with extra mark, 
usually [y] as in 'yoyo'.  Compare with the spelling system of Demers, 
Blanchet and St Onge 1871.)  It's good to see a fairly exact spelling since 
we have to hunt around for good pronunciation data on the Kamloops 
variety.  

Anyhow, he says: "in Sitka tlah'waya".  This is really great information 
too.  Information on Alaskan use of Jargon isn't very easy to come by.  
I've spent a few years amassing all the data I can on this topic, even 
making a research trip up there, so I'm keenly aware of the lack.  I'll 
have to keep my eyes open as I read through this manuscript dictionary; 
maybe St Onge had a corresondent who had spent time in Alaska.  I know 
there was one Jesuit who kept a Chinook Jargon notebook from his own time 
in Sitka, so that's one possible informant.  

--Dave R

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