| Show THE CHINOOK INDIAN one of th tb most interesting facts in connection with this country says a tacoma correspondent of an exchange is ia the retention of the early indian names that were originally applied to its rivers and valleys the indians indiana of washington ate aie related by many ties of blood and association to all the tribes of the canadian north northwest west each tribe has its own peculiar language and customs but they all speak chinook tradition says that chinook was invented a century ago by a canadian scotch halfbreed half baff breed in whose veins ran so many differ different eat strains of f indian blood affording him such a variety of red relations that he was forsooth compelled to get up a language of his own that they all might be able to understand so he be took a little blackfoot mixed it with a trifle of crow seasoned it with bad french worked in a dundee accent and called it chinook C hi nook he provided that the male indian should be known as a and the female indian as a and as the Si washes and the Kloot ohmen worked themselves westward and over the country they carried this invented language with them and established it throughout the northwest there are hunters and trappers and lumbermen who can make themselves ies well understood through chinook everywhere they go in the distant backwoods they are squaw men that is white men who have taken indian wives who have really forgotten their mother tongue and can now DOW speak nothing but chinook the indian proper names so plentifully scattered over washington n ii area are all I 1 chinook idoo names an and originally pow possessed some peculiar significance fo for in stance meant crowned with an snow j skagit was the name of the wild wildcat e cat t signified quiet water nooksack Nook sack meant mortn odthe of the mountain Ne squally meant south of the moun mountain talu 11 these and many other names some of them picturesque in their significance and beautiful in their sound are now preserved as the names of particular geographical features Okin agane soft and deep is the name of a lake yakima white pebbles We natchie swiftly running are names of mountain streams almost all of the counties of the states are called by names derived from indian stories taconi was the name of a tribe seattle that of a great chief and when the white people determined to call their town after him his tribe came in a body to the common council and begged them to refrain their request involved a long explanation of their religious beliefs from which it appeared that they were worshippers wor shippers of their ancestors and that the dead seattle was to them a great god they believe that every time his name was mentioned he turned in his grave I 1 can but feel as if under these circumstances cum stances their request should have been granted for if they really believe that the old man is revolving every time the word seattle is said reflections reflect iono quite too horrible for expression must be continually arising in their minds to think of a majestic haughty indian chieftain whirling in his like a buzz saw is certainly anything but agreeable to those whose religion consists in expressions of reverence for his memory |
