James Evans (linguist)
Cree Language and later adopted by Inuktitut |
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James Evans (January 18, 1801 – November 23, 1846) was an English-Canadian Wesleyan Methodist missionary and amateur linguist. He is known for creating the syllabic writing system for Ojibwe and Cree, which was later adapted to other languages such as Inuktitut.[1]
Life
Evans was born in
Kingston-upon-Hull in England, but emigrated with his parents to Lower Canada in 1822,[2] where he worked as a teacher. He later moved to Rice Lake
and continued his teaching work.
In 1833 he was ordained as a Wesleyan Methodist minister, and in 1840 he was given authority over the local district in
Pitman Shorthand. They were easy to learn and led to almost universal literacy among the Canadian Ojibwe and Cree within a few years.[citation needed
]
Evans's other missionary work was scarred by turmoil. Evans clashed several times with the
Canada West (now Ontario).[citation needed
]
James Evans's grave was in England, but his remains were cremated and sent to Norway House, Manitoba.[citation needed]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Murdoch, John (12 August 2013). "A Serious Read on Syllabics: The M.Ed Thesis of John Murdoch". Cree Literacy Network. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ "Biography – EVANS, JAMES – Volume VII (1836-1850) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography". www.biographi.ca.
- ^ Young, Egerton Ryerson (1899), The Apostle of the North, Rev. James Evans
Bibliography
- Landon, Fred (1930). "Selections From the Papers of James Evans, Missionary to the Indians". Ontario Historical Society. XXVI. Toronto: 474–491..
- Landon, Fred (1932). "Letters of Rev. James Evans, Methodist missionary, written during his journey to and residence in the Lake Superior region". Ontario Historical Society. XXVIII. Toronto: 47–70..
- McLean, John (1890), James Evans: Inventor of the Syllabic System of the Cree Language, Toronto: Methodist Mission Rooms.
- Pierce, Lorne (1926), James Evans, Ryerson Press.
- Young, Egerton R. (1899), The Apostle of the North, Rev. James Evans.
External links
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| How to use archival material |
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- The James Evans Collection at the Victoria University Library at the University of Toronto
Media related to James Evans (linguist) at Wikimedia Commons
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