The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
THE INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Tho Nearest Approach to n Common Me-
dunn of Communication.

~ va
From tie Kansas City Times.
The Smithsonian Institution will soon Is
sue a work which will expound many new
and startling theories In regard to the sign
languages OF the Indians. An elaborate trea-
tise on gesture languages Is now in course OF
preparation. which will prove beyond q doubt
that Aztecs Of ancient times practiced the
same sign language that is now used by the
Indians. For many years the chronological
Bureau of the Smithsonian Institution has
devoted much time to preparation Of %treatises
on North American Indians. but on account OF
the difficulty in securing definite Information
the study of the sign language has heretofore
been devoid of satisfactory results.
Just before the beginning OF the war with
Spain, Major Hugh Lennox Scott OF the Sew
enth Cavalry was recommended to the Smith
sonian Institution by Gen. Miles as being the
best living authority on the Indian gesture
Fort sill. I. r.. and mH was ordered To- Washington 4.
He had scarcely undertaken his new work
when eat the M Msr sa saef on M and s he was aePoi4ted
for the front interrupted the preparation Of a
book on Indian sign: languages which prom
lished. Major Scott. has devoted the last
sign LANGUAGES as EMPLOYED by, the North
Am American Indians indians His or researches among
and among the tribes, now in existence have
t nlaSIsd IN him me in snbI position, b to , spssk m aSHthor ha:
denly, will be an exhaustive treatise on tho
sign languages which we're used by all the
Through the .untiring efforts OF the Smith:
sonian Institution, many new and wonderful
minute details of this era of which..so little is
known. Until, recently nothing authentic. was
Aztecs and prehistoric tribes Of North Amer
lea. and many OF the Ideas of scientists could
not be proved and were accented by the public
Bureau of Ethnology. has made every effort to
unrayel the mysteries that have confronted
met with remarkable success.
The researches among the picture writings
most interesting. Major seott's Unfinished
W .rk goes into details which show in a most
the same sign language which is now used
on the Western plains. They attained a much
ern tribes have, reached and conseauentIy
were more proficient. They carried the prin-
ciples much further and, Transcribed the GEES
acters, on stone ard wood. From all indica-
lions 1t Is evident that almost all of the pic
gesture language.
Some convincing examples are shown in the
from pueblos in New Mexico and from the
words are selected which appear to be hest
ntted to demonstrate the theory advocated.
FoI eXaHpIe, tne WORD rain in the modern
ing the hand above the head with the fingers
R EoalnndI Bv dG TEeSf s,m In an A Pics9graph
which. represents Montezuma's adjutants
sounding a blast for rain. is found the figure of
e shown in the word Cloud The modern
i tHHs9ni nl 1seFsSe 81 b salS EES Snndds BY to SFlnSsipG ps she
the lace and vomiting forward. then suddenly
Time describing CIrVna like n anaIlnn Tha /
same idea is Illustrated in the same way in
tne pictographs. Scallops, are found through
Lighsnlng Is represented By the indians Of
tn present day BY holding the index finger
downward with a sinuous motion. This same
idea Is DEMONSTRATED most convincingiy BY
New Mexico. Some years. age re' wv Il. ,E%ha IN
photo o e ? d the:Tall Of an estpfa in the Je.
Il represented in detail in these Photographs.
The word fire" is represented by ali the In.
faa tribes ri n, & e : BY placing. both hands
A number OF photographs of the Aztec god Of
fire have been secured by the Smithsonian In
out eNeeption that this gesture represented the
word IRE" even among the Aztecs OF Yuca-
Major Scott has also proved that the Indian
sign LANGUAGE Is the nearest approach to IA
language which has ever been tor
tnaG the tribes used a system Of signs which
ent 7 IN y t erpteit ,hat - was suSerior 20 the pres
throughout the nautical world. The system
ol the Indians was not 80 complicated as Inc
N nov IN use E and answered every purpose.
tribes Were aDle to accomnlisb
Ihat which has bnfied modern scientists and
lihgulsts. The sign language was used To
such an extent that it answered the purpose
OF an intertrlbql language. OF course il did
no include within its scope, all the minute de-
talls OF an International language. but by
means OF IL the most DISSENT tribes were aba
communicate on any subject, although
thelr languages may have differed as much as
dreek differs from ,Hottentot. The Indians of
to-day use a sign language which Is so near
" perfect that all the tribes now In existence
although their oral languages may be entIrelv
Inherent. Major Scott SAYS that he has com.
municated for hours with tribes In British
Columbia by means. OF the same signs which he
Uses Ehen eonversing with the Indians OF Old
m NiSe0 While II Is true that there are now in
sign LANGUAGE. this Is because they are SO
Isolated that they have no use for intertribai
communication or else they have .become
amiIiar with either the English OF spanish
,ne Mayor has returned to, his desk in the Buo
WORK now IN, course of preparation will soon
Do given TO the world. w" ''ou