DCHP-1 Online

tillicum [< Chinook Jargon tilikum people, person < Chinook tilikum Indians] Pacific Coast and Northwest

• 1 n. (one's) people.

  • 1855  (a1956)  . . . a woman who happened to be in the canoe, bawled out to the men, "Alke, Alke, Tilla-kome, Tilla-kome" "Stop, stop, a man! a man!"
  • 1859  Four Haidah Indians, on Thursday afternoon, came to the house of Mr. Oxner, Colquitz Farm, and after agreeing to work for him, on left, when the rest said they preferred to go with tilekum.
  • 1913  "Tillicums," he said facing the crowd, "this boy has danced no tribal dance . . . " "Bring ten dollars of the white man's chicamin (money). . . ."
  • 1922  I saw her graceful, high-bowed canoe heading for the beach that is the favourite landing-place of the " tillicums " from the Mission.

• 2 n. friend; buddy; pal.

  • 1869  The Indians fully bear out Price's own story in relation to stealing the gold, and the rescue from the courthouse at Kootenay, by his tillicums, of the Indian taken there by the Prices when caught in the act of robbing their sluices.
  • 1903  Our old tillicum, Foxy Granpa was onetime mayor of a town of 3 or 4000 dollars, so grandpa said.
  • 1922  Six old "tillicums" were gathered in Jordan's cabin on Gold Run.
  • 1962  I had come to know him when he worked at Holmwood, for he and Rupert Duck were tillicums from away back.