Civics WaWa contains fact-based articles and videos dedicated to civics education in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and beyond. WaWa references the state of Washington. However, it also refers to the word wawa, which means speech in Chinook Jargon, a trade language once spoken ubiquitously throughout the region. Citizens in a healthy democracy engage in civil, civic participation and dialogue. Having a common language for understanding civic principles, therefore, is of utmost importance.
This site will serve as an encyclopedia of civics words. It will unpack the denotations, or literal definitions of words, while providing an historical context for them that is unique to the PNW.
Since language is easily politicized it behooves every citizen to reflect upon the buzz words of our time and decide how these words fit into personal beliefs and value systems. Pondering the connotations of civics words, how they strike us as either positive, negative, or neutral, and why that might be, is a useful exercise.
As you wander through this site, feel free to agree or disagree with the ruminations. Examine the references provided, as each post is faithfully researched.
Land acknowledgement: Though this website exists in the Cloud (sahale smok or “the smoke from above” in Chinook Jargon), the human minds behind it acknowledge that they live on Coast Salish tribal land.