Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-03-15
INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.

| Mr.. J. G. Kohl in his book of American
travel-"K1tch Cam" or Wanderings
Round Lake Superior, gives description Of
the sign language now in common use
among the American Indians -
"When speaking, for instance, of the
Great Spirit, they usually direct q reveren-
tial or timid glance upwards, or point the
forefnger perpendicularly, but gently, to the
| sky.
| when abiding to the sun or the time which
is much the same thing, as the sun is their
clock. and indicating the spot at which the
sun stood when the event to which they are
alluding occurred, they point fxedly to that
point, and hold their arms in that position
for several moments.
"When speaking of day, they pass the
finger slowly along the entire vault of heav-
en-, commencing at the east and terminating
in the west. This is the sign for one day.
"In q shot has TO be mentioned in the
story, they usually strike the palm of the
left hand with the back OF the right, so as
to produce slight sound.
''If describing a journey on horseback.
the two first fingers of the right are placed
astride the fore finger OF the left hand. and
both represent the gallopins movements of
horse. If it is foot journey, they wave
the two fingers several times through the
air.
"In counting, the ten fingers are naturally
used, and the number is not only held up,
but mentioned.
"In this manner, and by many hundred
similar gestures, they supplement and sup
port their oral remarks And it will be seen,
from the gestures | have described, that the
tongue can be frequently allowed a rest, and
the meaning perfectly conveyed by signs.
Suppose an Indian wished to tell another
that he had ridden three days over the prai-
rie, he first points to his own worthy person,
that indicates H.. Then he sets his fingers
gallOping as have described. This periects
the idea 4 Travelled on horseback. Next
he plsses his hand athwart the sky, which
furnishes the notion of a day; and finally
holds up three fingers before his friends's
eyes to show how he spent three days.
at is curious fact that though Indian
dialects differ so greatly, this language Of
signs is the same tor enormous distances. All
travellers who have crossed the prairles told
me that there was only one sign language,
which all the Inoians comprehend, and any
one, who had learned it, could travel with 1t
from one end OF America to the other.
"F0r such signs as those of which / have
given specimens, such as the sun, a day, a
number, a horseman, etc, when nothing
better or more natural could be chosen, this
is easily to be understood. But the sign
language developed itself to q fuller extent.
and undertook visible representation of
abstract ideas. II nee much must naturally
become conventional. Thus, for instance, il
desirous to express the idea of beauty this
could not be initiated like the explosion of
gun. Still some sign to express this idea
could be agreed on. Most cuIiously, the
Indian races were unanimous in accepting
the same sign. When they wish to explain
that they saw "a beautiful woman, they
pass the fat hand gently and slowly through
the ar, as if i'm tating the wave line. Even
the sex is described unanimously. When
speaking of q woman the Indians pass the
palm down the face and the whole body, as
if wishing to indicate the long waving dress
es or the graceful contour of the female body.
This smoothing Of the face universally means
"a member OF the fair sex
"A copious grammar of this language Of
signs could be written. How rich it would
be may be drawn from the fact that Indians
of two different tribes, who do not under
stand word of each other spoken language,
will sit for half day on one spot, talking
and chattering. and telling each other all
sorts of stories with their fingers, heads and
feet.
"a hollow hand, with the motion Of draw
ing water, signifies water. When the finger
trlces serpentine lines on the ground, it is n
river. a hand moyed up and down in the
air signifies a mountain.
''The several beasts have naturally their
special signs. Usually only some character
istic portion of the animal is imitated-for
instance, the horns. The horns of the buffalo
differ from those Of the elk, and thus the
entire animal is indicated.
The idea of a large number or many
is indicated by clutching at the air several
times with the hands. The motion greatly
resembles that of danseuses playing the cas-
tanettes. Little or nothing, is signiied
by passing one hand over the other.
Very curious, but quite universal IS tho
sign for admiration among the American
Indians. Thew hold the hollow hand for
some time before the mouth. This is, how
ever, ] suspect, species of quad pro quo. and
the real sign-namely, the mouth WIDE open
in amazement-is concealed behind 1t. They
carry the hand to the mouth and conceal the
face behind it, because it is improper to dis
play emotion or admiration"