August 26th, 2023. Snass Session: Johnny Peter Clinton Letter

Snass Sessions: Johnny Peter’s letter from Clinton, BC, 19121 David Douglas Robertson, PhD Consulting linguist, Spokane, WA, USA Some background information: Shoni Pitir of Clinton can be identified with the writer mentioned in Kamloops Wawa #123 (De94) p200: Shoni Shoni Pitirs kopa Klinton iaka mamuk-hilp kanawi iaka tilikom kopa Chinuk pipa. Taii Shosif, pi Kaptin…

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August 12th, 2023 Snass Session: Dog Creek Sam Letter

Snass Sessions: Sam Sergeant’s Dog Creek Hill letter, 1895 David Douglas Robertson, PhD Consulting linguist, Spokane, WA, USA Dog Creek B.C. / November 29th 1895 > Maika nim Pir Lshyun kopa Kamlups. ‘Your name is Père Le Jeune at Kamloops.’ O tilikom, tlus maika mamuk-nyus-pipa ukuk naika mamuk-pipa kopa maika. ‘Oh friend, you should publish…

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July 29th, 2023 Snass Session: Sugarcane Melmorice

Sugarcane 1901: Charlie Melmorice’s letter, for the Snass Sessions1 Presented by David Douglas Robertson, PhD Consulting linguist, Spokane, WA, USA 1 This letter was certainly written by a newly literate Native person, as we can tell from many traits of its handwriting, grammar, and word choices. It shares a sheet of paper with a note…

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July 22nd, 2023 Snass Session: Port Hope Letter

Hope 1893: anonymous Stó:lō letter, for the Snass Sessions1 Presented by David Douglas Robertson, PhD Consulting linguist, Spokane, WA, USA 1 This letter was certainly written by a newly literate Native person, as we can tell from many traits of its handwriting, grammar, and word choices. For background on the main subject of this letter,…

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July 15th, 2023 Snass Session: Pipa Letter Chief Le Jeune Narcisse

Snass Sessions: Young Chief Narcisse’s political activist letter, May 19, 18941 David Douglas Robertson, PhD Consulting linguist, Spokane, WA, USA Page 1 1 This is one of several letters by Chief Narcisse that are preserved. He is also mentioned in other Indigenous people’s letters, as well as in the Kamloops Wawa newspaper. His descendants are…

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Kakwa Til Kyootan – Shan

Shan made this song in Chinook Jargon. Stubs made the album cover. Zandman published the song on his Youtube channel. The words in Chinook are written down on the description for Shan’s song, and Zandman has written his own translation in the comments below.

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The Snass Sessions

The Snass Sessions are online Chinook Wawa study sessions. The Snass Sessions were named after dedicated participant Rein Stamm. Rein’s commitment to these online learning sessions made them an established fact. Eventually the group were able to bring in consulting linguist David Douglas “Chinook Man” Robertson PhD as an expert to help direct their studies.…

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