A two-edged sword of reconciliation and
betrayal, Chinook Jargon (or Wawa) arose
at the interface of "Indian" and "White"
societies in the Pacific Northwest. With the
arrival of the fur trade, French trappers
provided additional vocabulary and a set
of viable cultural practices, a key element
of which was marital bonding with Indian
and m tisse women. These women and
their children were the first fluent speakers
of Wawa.
After several decades of contact, ensuing
epidemics brought demographic collapse
to the Chinookans. Within another
decade the region was radically transformed
by the Oregon Trail. Wawa had
acquired its present shape, but lost its
homeland. It became a diaspora language
in which many communities seek some
trace of their past. A previously unpublished
glossary of Wawa circa 1825 is
included as an appendix to this volume.