The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-03-27
INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE.
How They Talk with Their Hnnds--Ths
Meaning OF Isianket Signals.

- --t---'--'N ttA e+t-e's
All Indians are able TO understand
each other and 10 converse freely by
means OF their sign-language. The
signs differ materially among different
tribes. but are all SO significant as to
permit of no doubt as TO their meaning
The sigu-language Is the easiest Of all
languages to learn. MS almost ever
symbol Is founded upon reason.
Suppose an Indian aud white man.
riding together on the prairie. meet
another Indian. The latter Is sus-
picious. He raises his hand, palm
outwar,ls. This means stop He
then points TO the white man. The
other Indian understands him to mean
that he is suspicious of his eompanion
Pointing with the right foreiinger
several times indicates. WHO are you?i
II Il Grow. the Indians raises both his
hands TO bis ears and flaps them like
wings. II n Blackfoos. he raises his
foot aud strokes the sole. If Sioux,
he draws his hand across his throat
Pointing toward the white man the
Indian Is understood 10 ask: .'Who Is
hep" The first Indian by esooking his
two fore fingers together. informs the
stranger that he Is a friend Suppose
lie pats each breast with his fore
nnger and points to the white man aud
then 10 himself. lie means that the
white-man is a very dear friend or a
brother. This sign signifies that they
both nursed the same mother
Now. suppose the Indian wishes to
indicate 10 the one who is the compan-
ion OF the white man that he knows
differently and considers the latter TO
be bad man, he raises his right hand
to a level with his right ear, extends
the first two fingers and passes his
hand in n straight line across his chest
toward his left shoulder. This means.
Your last statement is not true II
he then throws his right hand outward.
scattering his fingers, he means. He
IS a bad man"
A brave man would be indicated
among the Sioux by elinching the fist
and humping the breast once.
The signs for death are graphic. To
say ''he Is dead aH Indian would raise
his foreiiuger and drop it back DOWN
ward TO n horizontal position. Dying
is indicated by moving the foreiinger
slowly downward toward the earth
For nearly dead. but recovered, an
Indian will use the last sign. but will
slowly raise the finger again. For
killed sort of stabbing motion with
the right hand is used.
The elements are indicated in Just
the manner Que would expect A cir
Gle formed by the forelinger aud thumb
of one hand in some tribes. and of both
in others means ''the SUM- A semi
circle formed by the forefinger and
thumb of one hand means the moon-
The hands raised with the fingers
hanging downward aud then dropped
several times as il shaking water of
means rain
A tree IS indicated by holding the
hand palm upward aud the fingers
raised. then moving mt once upward
Growing or to grow is raised several
times with jerky motion. The same
sign is used TO signify smoke. only the
hand is slowly raised without the jerky
motion.
For nothing none. | have none. etc..
the Sioux pass the palm of the right
hand over the palm of the left from the
wrist To the tips of the fingers. Silence
is indicated hy holding the finger upon
the lips Holding blanket out with
the hands far apart means. We have
discovered buffalo. or used TO when
there were any. RaisiHg blanket on
pole means. We are going into
camp" Waving a blanket toward the
legs means You may approach. :"
Riding around in circle means
There is game IL several Indians
do this in opposite directions, passing
aud repassing one another. they mean
"Fhere are enemies"
Signalling at distance with pillars
of smoke or dust aud shooting a blaz-
ing arrow far into the sky Mt night. are
other methods of conversing with, or
giving warning to friends at a dis
tance.