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
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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?”