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Ribbon with Chinook Jargon text, "Nika Chahko Kopa Washington Hyas Ahnkuttie," ca. 1910
Chinook Jargon was the trade language used by European American settlers to the Pacific Coast (originally fur traders) and Northwest Pacific Coast tribes. Many early settlers in Seattle were able to speak and understand it. As the language fell out of use, knowledge of Chinook Jargon became a point of pride and proof of longevity in the region. This ribbon reads “I came to Washington a very long time ago.”
ID Number: 1960.1818.11
Date: Circa 1893-1911
Physical Description: 1 Ribbon, Commemorative; silk; 6 in.H x 2.5 in.W
Credit: MOHAI, 1960.1818.11