1893 Sto:lo temperance pledge in Jargon

[Dave Robertson]

I should post my own idea of what the temperance pledge says, before I get 
too busy...see below...a few comments are footnoted...Dave R.  


On Tue, 3 Apr 2007 12:59:58 -0400, Dave Robertson <ddr11 at UVIC.CA> wrote:

>>From Kamloops Wawa #65 12 February 1893:
>
>Indian Temperance Society [many Sto:lo people have taken the pledge by
>signing their names to teach these regulations to everyone; they’re very
>enthused about the society; the pledge is reproduced:]
>
>1. Ilip lo.  =  Ilo  makmak lam.  =  Ilo klatwa
>kah lam mitlait. =  Ilo klatwa  kanamokst  tilikom klaksta
>makmak lam.

"1.  First regulation.  =  No drinking* alcohol.**  =  No going where 
alcohol is.  =  No keeping company with people who drink alcohol."

* Most commands in shorthand Chinook use the formations "maika makmak" 
(like "you drink") or "tlus maika makmak" (like "you should drink").  So 
I'm translating this different formation "mamuk" as something else than a 
command.

** The usual word for "alcohol" in shorthand Chinook seems to be 
<hwiski>.  This <lam> is more of a pan-Jargon word.  

>2. Mokst lo.  =  Kanawi son tanas son pi pulakli***
>klatwa styuil kanamokst kanawi tilikom.

"2.  Second regulation.  =  Every morning and evening, to go pray with 
everyone [else]."

*** The usual word for "evening" in connection with Catholic prayers in 
shorthand Chinook is <mimlus son>.  

>3. Tlun lo.  =  Pus iht tilikom kopa ukuk kompani
>makmak lam, iaka piii kakwa:

"3.  Third regulation.  =  If some person in this society drinks alcohol,  
he pays as follows:"

>Pus ilo wash   Iht tala $1.00
>Pus wash   Mokst tala 2.00
>Pus 0+* tilikom   Tlun tala 3.00
>Pus washman kopa  ShK Lakit tala 4.00
>Pus taii wachman   Kwinam tala 5.00

"If not baptized...one dollar...$1.00
If baptized...two dollars...2.00
If a person who's taken communion...three dollars...3.00
If a watchman of Jesus...four dollars...4.00
If a head watchman...five dollars...5.00"

>4. Lakit lo.  =  Tilikom kopa ukuk kompani klaska
>alki klatwa ashnu kopa taii pus klaska tlap laplitas
>pus klaska tsipi kopa mamuk kopa Sondi, tamanwas
>mamuk, shim mamuk, Sawash tans, patlach pasisi[,]
>slaal, ankati mimlus mamuk, pi kopa kanawi ikta lisivik
>wawa pus ilo tilikom klatwa.

"4.  Fourth regulation.  =  The members of this society will go kneel 
before the chief to receive punishment if they commit the errors of 
working on Sunday; medicine-man activities; shameful [immoral] deeds; 
Indian dancing; blanket giveaways; playing slahal [stickgame]; dealings 
with the dead [supposed ancestor worship?]; or anything the bishop tells 
the people not to participate in."  

>5. Kwinam lo.  =  Alki tilikom kopa ukuk kompani
>klaska kikuli tomtom kopa klaska taii, kopa klaska
>wachman, alki iht tilikom kopa ukuk kompani shako
>kopa ukuk kompani klaska kikuli tomtom kopa ukuk taii
>pi kopa wachman pi kopa klaska liplit.****

"5.  Fifth regulation.  =  The members of this society will be humble 
toward their chief and to their watchmen; [when] a person joins [sic?] 
this society, they will be humble toward the chief and the watchmen and 
their priests."  

****Some of the syntax in this pledge is odd compared to what I normally 
see in shorthand Jargon.  

>Kakwa ukuk kwinam lo.

"That's what these five regulations are like."

>* 0+ is a symbol for 'eucharist, holy communion'; here it's an
>adjective 'those who have had communion'.

FINAL NOTE:  Several features of the temperance pledge's language make me 
suspect it was composed by a non-First Nations writer.  I point this out 
because otherwise "the members" might be interpreted as a First 
Nations "we" when it may actually be more like "they".  --Dave R

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