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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1946)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN 2 Xke Chemawa American Published once a month during the school year by the Chemawa Indian School. Address all communications to the Chemawa American, Chemawa, Oregon. Published in accordance with the Interior Department appropriation Act, 1940, approved May 10,1939. Subscription 50c a year Myrthus W. Evans, Superintendent Miss Beatrice Morse, Journalism Sponsor Allan Shepard, Printing Instructor Student Editorial A student who wants a reputation and ability to get along with employees, fellow-students and others on the campus should each and every day try to im prove his personality and courtesy. Here at Chemawa we are learning the foundations of life. I think, we should make the most of it. We should cooperate and try to get our daily assignments done to the best of our knowlege. So let's try to keep a good clean record throughout this school year, and keep Che- mawa’s standards high. — Tommy Williams. Freshmen Initiation The Freshmen were the center of attention on the days they were initiated into the Freshmen class. The boys wore girls slacks and blouses, hair slicked to the sides, shoes on wrong feet, and a tie on backwards. The girls wore both slacks and skirts, a boys T shirt over a boys sport shirt, blackened eyes, lipstick, and were really a laugh. They griped and got angry with the lettermen and seniors, but will always remember their initiation. Coquelle Thompson Sr. Coquelle, Thompson Sr., father of our boys’ adviser, passed away January 4,1946, in Siletz, Ore gon, at the age of 106. He was born in Indian Vil lage on the banks of the Coquelle river. Mr. Thompson spent 37 years in the Indian Ser vice as Indian Police. Upon the death of his father he asumed the role as chief of the rapidly diminish ing Coquelles, at present numbering only nine. He moved to Siletz reservation early in his teens and re mained there for the remainder of his days. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Agnes Thompson, daughter, Sina (Thompson) Bell, son, Coquelle, Jr.; two grandchildren and six step-grandchildren. Stu dents and employees extend sympathy to the family. CHEMAWA 1 30 4« 600 Indian Cradle Mr. Fixit: I wonder if you could settle a little ar gument for me. I would like to know the name of the thing in which Indian children are carried on their mother’s back. Please answer as quickly as possible.—Mrs. N. H., Garibaldi, Oregon. Answer: This question is our hardy perennial, continually appearing in the Fixit mail. I have nev er figured out why it arouses such general and per sistent curiosity. Naturally enough, it starts argu- mets, since the name of the gadget is different in the languages of different tribes and several differing opinions might be right. In English the names back board, papoose board or basket are commonly used; but the list in Indian dialects would be a long one. Here are a few. Mrs. Marcus Whitman, wife of the pioneer missionary, used the word "tekasa:” The Warm Springs Indians call the carrier "Sim- tissa.” D. W. Hall, a newpaper man of La Grande, furnished me with a number of titles several years ago but he failed to state from what tongue they were taken. He listed the following: “suentch,” “ti- kinagan, ” “ tekash, ” “ iyokapa, ” “ calcleeps, ” “kohn mahyou.” Robert Ballou of Oregon City, an authority on the early history of Klickitat county, Washington, contributed the Chinook name “em- mek-ik-ta,” literally “back thing” and^ the Klickitat name “sheen-pah,” literally “cradle place.”—Ore gon Journal, Portland, Oregon. (NoTE: The word “em-inek-ik-ta” given above takes in two words of the Chinook tongue—the first is “E-meek” meaning the back, and, the second word is “Ik-ta” meaning: A thing; that thing, with the resultant meaning “back thing.”—C. E. L.) In March, 1938, this question was put to the students at Chemawa with the following results: T ribe I ndian N ame Goh-no Shoshone Namuck-an Colville Me-whool Spokane Ska-in Yakima Kyo-khe-ba Assiniboine Ti-kasch Nez Perce Hen-ne-ho-os-tuts Cheyenne Ba-cod-e-ja Crow The spelling was supplied by the class-room —C harles E. L arsen . teachers. • Hollywoodite: “How do you like our city?” Indian Tourist: “Fine. How do you like our country?”
