The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-06-27
HOW TO TALK WITH STRANGE
INDIANS.
A Sign Language Which is Very Good Medium for
Exchanging Thought.

'What are the signs for soldier, bear,
a black tailed buck, and white tailed
buck ?"
This question was sent from one of the
government offices in Washington to gov
eminent officer in Montana. 1t was referred
to Sheriff John j. Healy, of Benton, who was
considered the best-informed white man IN
the northwest concerning the universal sign
language of the Indians. When Catholic mis-
sionaries were trying to make written Ian
guage of the Blackfoot tongue, in order to
facilitate the study of it, and give the Bible
to the tribes speaking that language, Healy
said to one of the fathers:
''Why not use the sign language instead, SO
as to have medium of communication with
the Indians of every tribe !? I"
The good man replied that the sign Ian
guage would be far better than any other for
meeting the wants of the missionaries, but
the great cost of making book in which it
could be studied made its use out of the ques-
ton.
Mr. Healy is now on his way back to Mon
tana from the first visit he has made to this
city in over twenty years. His brother, Mr..
Joe Healy and his friend, Mr.. A. B. Hamil-
ton. came on with him. A Sun reporter
talked with Mr. Hamilton and Mr.. Healy
about the sign language of the Indians. Mr..
as showing the scope of that silent, unwritten
means of communication.
1.-The government" said MIR. Heay, " is
making an effort to instruct those whom it
sends among the Indians in the use of the
sign language, and that is why request was
sent for the signs which stands for soldier,
a bear, and other objects. The vocabulary
if that word may be used here-is sufficiently
extensive to meet the wants of those using it.
A white man and an Indian meeting in the
Wilderness with no other means of commun-
ication than the sign language, would be able
to tell each other where they started from,
where they were going, how long they had
been on the road, whom they had fallen In
with, what they did, whether they found
game plenty, what they shot, when they ex-
pected to reach their destination and to hold
lust such chat as two Yankees would have
upon meeting under like circumstances. The
signs for things not material-for conditions,
emotions, attributes, and the like-are so am
pie that one seldom has to hesitate for the
want of sign. There are signs for as many
verbs and qualifying words as are needed IN
the uses to which the language is put.
Many of the signs are SO peculiarly ap
propriate that narrative in which they are
used becomes graphic Here we have the
story of fight between soldiers and Sioux
Indians. The sign for a body OF soldiers i
the clenched fists held in front of you with
the palms and doubled-up fingers facing
ahead. The number of men is indicated by
system of rapid enumeration on the fingers.
The open hand drawn edgewise across the
throat tells that the enemy is band of Sioux,
the size of which is indicated Raising and
lowering the clenched fists while they are
held in the position to represent soldiers tells
the advance has begun. The march contin
ues until the clapping of the hands says that
shots were fired, and tells how holly the bat
tie was waged The fists again come to the
position for soldiers. separate while march
ing. face toward each other, and come together
with the fingers toward the speakers face
The red men have been surrounded and made
prisoners How many of them were killed!