Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-19
THE CHINOOK INDIAN.
CURIOUS FACTS RELATING TO THE
ABoRIOISEs OF WASHINGTON.

| CURIOUS fAtlS hEllAllNG 10 iii
ABoRICISEs OF WASHINGTON.
One OF The most interesting fact.
| in connection with this country
says a Tacoma correspondent Of an
exchange, is the retention of the
early Indian names that were orr
/ ginally applied to its rivers and
valleys. The Indians Of Washington
are related by many ties of blood
and association to all the tribes Of
the Canadian northwest. Each tribe
has its own peculiar language and
customs, but they all speak Chi.
nook. Tradition says that Chinook
was invented a century ago by a
I CanGdian-Scotch half-breed, In
whose veins ran so many different
strains Of Indian blood, afford
ing him such a variety Of red
relations, that he was, forsOoth,
compelled to get up n
language Of his own that they all
might be able to uRderstand. So he
took a little BlackfOot, mixed it with
4 trifie Of Crow, seasoned il with
bad French, worked in a Dundee
accent, and called it Chinook. He
provided that the male Indian
should be known rs n Siwash and
the female Indian as a Klootch-
man, and as the Siwashes ard the
klOOtOhmeu worked themselves
westward aud over the country they
carried this invented language with
them and established IL throughout
the northwest. There are hunt
ers aud tFappers and lumbermen
who can make themselves well
understood through Chinook
everywhere they go. In the
distant backwuots they are squaw
naen-:hat is. white men who have
taken Indian wives-who have
really forgotten their mother tongue
and can now speak nothing Tut
Chinook. The Indian proper names
50 beautifully scattered over Wash
ingtOn are all Chinook lanes and
originally possessed some peculiar
significance. SnOwqualmie, for in
stance, meant Crowned with SNOW"
5kagit vas the name % the wildcat.
StillgGaElish signified ''quiet
watcr.D NoOksack meant "north
Of the mountain" Nesquaily meant
south Of the mountain" These
aud many other names, some OF
chem picturesque in their signifi-
canoe aud beautiful in their sound,
are now preserved as the names Of
particular geographical features.
Okinagane, ''soft and deep" is the
name Of a lake. Hakims, "white
pebbles;'' Wenatchie, swiftly run
ming" are names Of mountain
streams.
Almost all Of the counties Of the
States are called 10y names derived
from Indian stories. Tacoma 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 body
10 the common council and begged
them TO refrain. Their request in
vOlved a long explanation OF their
religious beliefs, from which il ap-
peIrui that they were wOrshippers
Of their ancestors and that the dead
Seattle was 10 them a great
god. They believe that every
time his name was mentioned
he turned in his grave. |
can but feel As if, under these cir
cumstances, their request should
have been granted for If they really
believe that the old man is revolving
every time the worG Seattle is said,
reflections quite too horrible for
expression must be continually arts
ing in their minds. To think Of
majestic, naughty Indian chieftain
whirling in his tomtom like a buzz
saw is certainly anything but agree
able % those whose religion consists
in expressions OF reverence for his
memory.