The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-27
INDIAN | TALK.
pfforr to Be Made By the Government to
Compile a History.

fix, whirl downward, stride on the
ground This would be very nearly the
sequence Of the steps of the actual oc-
cUrrence and the order of tn sign pic
lures used to describe Ct.
"A good sign talker can make him.
self perfectly understood. ] once saw
a warrior telling a mixed crowd of IN
dians-in which l counted represe
ttves of six different t~Tibes-about ms
capture by GsnerIl Miles. and they
followed him with perfect cOmprehen-
sion. The ws5 to see it to the best
advantage is Wien the Indians are
upon their migrations and hunting ex-
petitions, or seated around their camp
hres at night. No written account can
give an idea of the graceful and flow
ing sentence with which the signs are
made by q master Of the art.
IF YOU could have witnessed the
scenes enacted in many of their lodges
during the loEg nights of the winter. in
some isolated village upon the buffalo
range, or sheltered from the wind in a
Gountain park, when some of their
older and more skiIlful men. fred with
enthusiasm by the memories of their
youth. were relating their stories of the
warpath and adventure, CT the cere-
monies of their religion, to a silent
band of dusky warriors. then only
could you recognize the great force.
the intense meaning and the exceeding
sracetulneSs and beauty of the sign
language IF the plains Indian.
Those who understand the sign Ian
guaGe get many stories from the old
men and women of the tribes. one OF
these absurd tales is an account Of
how the mother Of all the Kiowas
nade her advent on earth by sliding
down from heaven on a rope twisted
from the slEpws of the back of the buff
falo How the buffalo came to be in
heaven is a part Of the story the dusky
relator does not attempt to explain.
Another tradition tells why antelope do
Tot eat meat. In the long ago there
was a primeVal hero, Sindy by name,
who was the wisest and craftiest per-
sonage Of his time. In those days an
tetope had dog teeth and considered
Indian flesh a delicaCy.
Complaint was made to Sindy that
many people were being devoured by
the antelope The bravest warriors Of
the tribe were pOWerless to stop the
ravages OF the man-eater. and the in
genlous procedure of the willy Sindy
constitutes the burden Of the tails.
Aiming himself with a great rock NAL
let he proceeded to the plain where the
dreaded beasts were browsing. As
soon as he appeared i'm sight the herd
with one accord started i'm pursuit Of
him.
He ran swiftly to a nearby quag-
Inire, and, by artful lodging, contrived
TO allure them 20 the morass. When
the animals became poweTlesS BY be-
ing stuck I'M the mud. Sindy broke off
their dog teeth with his mallet. and
from that day to this antelope have not
had dog teeth and have not tasted
meat.
The folklore of the Indian is repIete
with fanCiful and srotesque tales
many Of which, having never been
written, must be forgotten. The com
pi.ing Of what remains OF them into
lmDeTishabie prin: is a worthy under
taxing. for by this means alone can
future generations know the lordly red
man. The dav of his wild bivOuac is
past He no longer freqUents the trail.
He is all but gone.