Sign Language Among North American Indians 30

Sign Language Among North American Indians 30

A sign for _cloud_ is as follows: (1) Both hands partially closed,

palms facing and near each other, brought up to level with or slightly

above, but in front of the head; (2) suddenly separated sidewise,

describing a curve like a scallop; this scallop motion is repeated for

"many clouds." (_Cheyenne_ II.) The same conception is in the Moqui

etchings, Figs. 180, 181, and 182 (Gilbert _MS._)

 

[Illustration: Fig. 183.]

 

The Ojibwa pictograph for _cloud_ is more elaborate, Fig. 183,

reported in Schoolcraft, I, pl. 58. It is composed of the sign for

_sky_, to which that for _clouds_ is added, the latter being reversed

as compared with the Moqui etchings, and picturesquely hanging from

the sky.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 184.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 185.]

 

The gesture sign for _rain_ is described and illustrated on page

344. The pictograph, Fig. 184, reported as found in New Mexico by

Lieutenant Simpson (_Ex. Doc. No. 64, Thirty-first Congress, first

session_, 1850, pl. 9) is said to represent Montezuma's adjutants

sounding a blast to him for rain. The small character inside the curve

which represents the sky, corresponds with the gesturing hand. The

Moqui etching (Gilbert _MS._) for _rain_, i.e., a cloud from which the

drops are falling, is given in Fig. 185.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 186.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 187.]

 

The same authority gives two signs for _lightning_, Figs. 186 and 187.

In the latter the sky is shown, the changing direction of the streak,

and clouds with rain falling. The part relating specially to the

streak is portrayed in a sign as follows: Right hand elevated before

and above the head, forefinger pointing upward, brought down with

great rapidity with a sinuous, undulating motion; finger still

extended diagonally downward toward the right. (_Cheyenne_ II.)

 

[Illustration: Fig. 188.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 189.]

 

Figs. 188 and 189 also represent _lightning_, taken by Mr. W.H.

Jackson, photographer of the late U.S. Geolog. and Geog. Survey, from

the decorated walls of an estufa in the Pueblo de Jemez, New Mexico.

The former is blunt, for harmless, and the latter terminating in an

arrow or spear point, for destructive or fatal, lightning.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 190.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 191.]

 

A common sign for _speech, speak_, among the Indians is the repeated

motion of the index in a straight line forward from the mouth. This

line, indicating the voice, is shown in Fig. 190, taken from

the _Dakota Calendar_, being the __EXPRESSION__ for the fact that

"the-Elk-that-hollows-walking," a Minneconjou chief, "made medicine."

The ceremony is indicated by the head of an albino buffalo. A more

graphic portraiture of the conception of _voice_ is in Fig. 191,

representing an antelope and the whistling sound produced by the

animal on being surprised or alarmed. This is taken from MS. drawing

book of an Indian prisoner at Saint Augustine, Fla., now in the

Smithsonian Institution, No. 30664.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 192.]

 

Fig. 192 is the exhibition of wrestling for a turkey, the point of

interest in the present connection being the lines from the mouth to

the objects of conversation. It is taken from the above-mentioned MS.

drawing book.

 

The wrestlers, according to the foot prints, had evidently come

together, when, meeting the returning hunter, who is wrapped in his

blanket with only one foot protruding, they separated and threw off

their blankets, leggings, and moccasins, both endeavoring to win the

turkey, which lies between them and the donor.

 

In Fig. 193, taken from the same MS. drawing book, the conversation is

about the lassoing, shooting, and final killing of a buffalo which has

wandered to a camp. The dotted lines indicate footprints. The Indian

drawn under the buffalo having secured the animal by the fore feet, so

informs his companions, as indicated by the line drawn from his mouth

to the object mentioned; the left-hand figure, having also secured

the buffalo by the horns, gives his nearest comrade an opportunity to

strike it with an ax, which he no doubt announces that he will do, as

the line from his mouth to the head of the animal suggests. The Indian

in the upper left-hand corner is told by a squaw to take an arrow and

join his companions, when he turns his head to inform her that he has

one already, which fact he demonstrates by holding up the weapon.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 193.]

 

The Mexican pictograph, Fig. 194, taken from Kingsborough, II, pt. 1,

p. 100, is illustrative of the sign made by the Arikara and Hidatsa

for _tell_ and _conversation_. _Tell me_ is: Place the flat right

hand, palm upward, about fifteen inches in front of the right side of

the face, fingers pointing to the left and front; then draw the hand

inward toward and against the bottom of the chin. For _conversation_,

talking between two persons, both hands are held before the breast,

pointing forward, palms up, the edges being moved several times toward

one another. Perhaps, however, the picture in fact only means the

common poetical image of "flying words."

 

[Illustration: Fig. 194.]

 

Fig. 195 is one of Landa's characters, found in _Rel. des choses de

Yucatan_ p. 316, and suggests one of the gestures for _talk_ and

more especially that for _sing_, in which the extended and separated

fingers are passed forward and slightly downward from the mouth--"many

voices." Although the last opinion about the bishop is unfavorable to

the authenticity of his work, yet even if it were prepared by a Maya,

under his supervision, the latter would probably have given him some

genuine native conceptions, and among them gestures would be likely to

occur.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 195.]

 

The natural sign for _hear_, made both by Indians and deaf-mutes,

consisting in the motion of the index, or the index and thumb joined,

in a straight line to the ear, is illustrated in the Ojibwa pictograph

Fig. 196, "hearing ears," and those of the same people, Figs. 197 and

198, the latter of which is a hearing serpent, and the former means "I

hear, but your words are from a bad heart," the hands being thrown out

as in the final part of a gesture for _bad heart_, which is made by

the hand being closed and held near the breast, with the back toward

the breast, then as the arm is suddenly extended the hand is opened

and the fingers separated from each other. (_Mandan and Hidatsa_ I.)

 

[Illustration: Fig. 196.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 197.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 198.]

 

The final part of the gesture, representing the idea of _bad_, not

connected with heart, is illustrated in Fig. 236 on page 411.

 

The above Ojibwa pictographs are taken from Schoolcraft, _loc. cit._

I, plates 58, 53, 59.

 

Fig. 199, a bas-relief taken from Dupaix's Monuments of New Spain, in

Kingsborough, _loc. cit._ IV, pt. 3, p. 31, has been considered to be

a royal edict or command. The gesture _to hear_ is plainly depicted,

and the right hand is directed to the persons addressed, so the

command appears to be uttered with the preface of _Hear Ye! Oyez!_

 

[Illustration: Fig. 199.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 200.]

 

The typical sign for _kill_ or _killed_ is: Right hand clinched,

thumb lying along finger tips, elevated to near the shoulder, strike

downward and outward vaguely in the direction of the object to be

killed. The abbreviated sign is simply to clinch the right hand in

the manner described and strike it down and out from the right side.

(_Cheyenne_ II.) This gesture, also appears among the Dakotas and is

illustrated in Fig. 200.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 201.]

 

Fig. 201, taken from the _Dakota Calendar_, illustrates this gesture.

It represents the year in which a Minneconjou chief was stabbed in the

shoulder by a Gros Ventre, and afterwards named "Dead Arm" or "Killed

Arm." At first the figure was supposed to show the permanent drawing

up of the arm by anchylosis, but that would not be likely to be the

result of the wound described, and with knowledge of the gesture the

meaning is more clear.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 202.]

 

Fig. 202, taken from _Report upon the Reconnaissance of Northwestern

Wyoming, &c., Washington_, 1875, p. 207, Fig. 53, found in the Wind

River Valley, Wyoming Territory, was interpreted by members of a

Shoshoni and Banak delegation to Washington in 1880 as "an Indian

killed another." The latter is very roughly delineated in the

horizontal figure, but is also represented by the line under the hand

of the upright figure, meaning the same individual. At the right is

the scalp taken and the two feathers showing the dead warrior's rank.

The arm nearest the prostrate foe shows the gesture for _killed_.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 203.]

 

The same gesture appears in Fig. 203, from the same authority and

locality. The scalp is here held forth, and the numeral _one_ is

designated by the stroke at the bottom.

 

Fig. 204, from the same locality and authority, was also interpreted

by the Shoshoni and Banak. It appears from their description that a

Blackfoot had attacked the habitation of some of his own people. The

right-hand upper figure represents his horse with the lance suspended

from the side. The lower figure illustrates the log house built

against a stream. The dots are the prints of the horse's hoofs, while

the two lines running outward from the upper inclosure show that

two thrusts of the lance were made over the wall of the house,

thus killing the occupant and securing two bows and five arrows, as

represented in the left-hand group. The right-hand figure of that

group shows the hand raised in the attitude of making the gesture for

_kill_.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 204.]

 

As the Blackfeet, according to the interpreters, were the only Indians

in the locality mentioned who constructed log houses, the drawing

becomes additionally interesting, as an attempt appears to have

been made to illustrate the crossing of the logs at the corners, the

gesture for which (_log-house_) will be found on page 428.

 

Fig. 205 is the Egyptian character for _veneration, to glorify_

(Champollion, _Dict._, 29), the author's understanding being that the

hands are raised in surprise, astonishment.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 205.]

 

The Menomoni Indians now begin their prayers by raising their hands in

the same manner. They may have been influenced in this respect by

the attitudes of their missionaries in prayer and benediction. The

Apaches, who have received less civilized tuition, in a religious

gesture corresponding with prayer spread their hands opposite the

face, palms up and backward, apparently expressing the desire to

_receive_.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 206.]

 

Fig. 206 is a copy of an Egyptian tablet reproduced from Cooper's

_Serpent Myths_, page 28. A priest kneels before the great goddess

Ranno, while supplicating her favor. The conception of the author is

that the hands are raised by the supplicant to shield his face from

the glory of the divinity. It may be compared with signs for asking

for _mercy_ and for giving mercy to another, the former being: Extend

both forefingers, pointing upward, palms toward the breast, and

hold the hands before the chest; then draw them inward toward their

respective sides, and pass them up ward as high as the sides of

the head by either cheek. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II;

_Wichita_ II.) The latter, _to have mercy on another_, as made by the

same tribes, is: Hold both hands nearly side by side before the chest,

palms forward, forefinger only extended and pointing upward; then move

them forward and upward, as if passing them by the cheeks of another

person from the breast to the sides of the head.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 207.]

 

A similar gesture for _supplication_ appears in Fig. 207, taken from

Kingsborough, _loc. cit._, III, pt. I, p. 24.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 208.]

 

An Indian gesture sign for _smoke_, and also one for _fire_, has been

described above, page 344. With the former is connected the Aztec

design (Fig. 208) taken from Pipart, _loc. cit._, II, 352, and the

latter appears in Fig. 209, taken from Kingsborough, III, pt. I, p.

21.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 209.]

 

A sign for _medicine-man, shaman_, is thus described: "With its

index-finger extended and pointing upward, or all the fingers

extended, back of hand outward, move the right hand from just in front

of the forehead, spirally upward, nearly to arm's length, from left to

right." (_Dakota_ IV.)

 

[Illustration: Fig. 210.]

 

Fig. 210, from the _Dakota Calendar_, represents the making of

medicine or conjuration. In that case the head and horns of a white

buffalo cow were used.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 211.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 212.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 213.]

 

Fig. 211 is an Ojibwa pictograph taken from Schoolcraft, _loc. cit._,

representing _medicine-man, meda_. With these horns and spiral may be

collated Fig. 212 which portrays the ram-headed Egyptian god Knuphis,

or Chnum, the spirit, in a shrine on the boat of the sun, canopied

by the serpent-goddess Ranno, who is also seen facing him inside the

shrine. This is reproduced from Cooper's _Serpent Myths_, p. 24.

The same deity is represented in Champollion, _Gram._, p. 113, as

reproduced in Fig. 213.

 

Fig. 214 is an Ojibwa pictograph found in Schoolcraft, I, pl. 58,

and given as _power_. It corresponds with the sign for _doctor_, or

_medicine-man_, made by the Absarokas by passing the extended and

separated index and second finger of the right hand upward from

the forehead, spirally, and is considered to indicate "superior

knowledge." Among the Otos, as part of the sign with the same meaning,

both hands are raised to the side of the head, and the extended

indices pressing the temples.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 214.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 215.]

 

Fig. 215 is also an Ojibwa pictograph from Schoolcraft I, pl. 59, and

is said to signify _Meda's power_. It corresponds with another sign

made for _medicine-man_ by the Absarokas and Comanches, viz, The

hand passed upward before the forehead, with index loosely extended.

Combined with the sign for _sky_, before given, page 372, it means

knowledge of superior matters; spiritual power.

 

The common sign for _trade_ is made by extending the forefingers,

holding them obliquely upward, and crossing them at right angles to

one another, usually in front of the chest. This is often abbreviated

by merely crossing the forefingers, see Fig. 278, page 452. It is

illustrated in Fig. 216, taken from the Prince of Wied's _Travels in

the Interior of North America; London_, 1843, p. 352.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 216.]

 

To this the following explanation is given: "The cross signifies, 'I

will barter or trade.' Three animals are drawn on the right hand

of the cross; one is a buffalo; the two others, a weasel (_Mustela

Canadensis_) and an otter. The writer offers in exchange for the

skins of these animals (probably meaning that of a white buffalo) the

articles which he has drawn on the left side of the cross. He has, in

the first place, depicted a beaver very plainly, behind which there

is a gun; to the left of the beaver are thirty strokes, each ten

separated by a longer line; this means, I will give thirty beaver

skins and a gun for the skins of the three animals on the right hand

of the cross."

 

Fig. 217 is from Kingsborough, III, pt. 1, p. 25, and illustrates

the sign for to _give_ or _to present_, made by the Brulé-Dakotas by

holding both hands edgewise before the breast, pointing forward and

upward, the right above the left, then throwing them quickly downward

until the forearms reach a horizontal position.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 217.]

 

Fig. 218 is taken from the _Dakota Calendar_, representing a

successful raid of the Absarokas or Crows upon the Brulé-Sioux, in

which the village of the latter was surprised and a large number of

horses captured. That capture is exhibited by the horse-tracks moving

from the _village_, the gesture sign for which is often made by a

circle formed either by the opposed thumbs and forefingers of both

hands or by a circular motion of both hands, palms inward, toward

each other. In some cases there is a motion of the circle, from above

downward, as formed.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 218.]

 

Fig. 219, from Kingsborough I, pt. 3, p. 10, represents _Chapultepec_,

"Mountain of the Locust," by one enormous locust on top of a hill.

This shows the mode of augmentation in the same manner as is often

done by an exaggerated gesture. The curves at the base of the

mountain are intelligible only as being formed in the sign for _many_,

described on pages 359 and 488.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 219.]

 

Fig. 220, taken from Pipart, _loc. cit._, is the Mexican pictograph

for _soil cultivated_, i.e., tilled and planted. Fig. 221, from the

same authority, shows the sprouts coming from the cultivated soil, and

may be compared with the signs for _grass_ and _grow_ on page 343.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 220.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 221.]

 

The gesture sign for _road, path_, is sometimes made by indicating

two lines forward from the body, then imitating walking with the hands

upon the imaginary road. The same natural representation of road is

seen in Fig. 222, taken from Pipart, _loc. cit._, page 352. A

place where two roads meet--cross-roads--is shown in Fig. 223, from

Kingsborough. Two persons are evidently having a chat in sign language

at the cross-roads.

 

[Illustration: Fig. 222.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 223.]

 

[Illustration: Fig. 224.]

 

If no gesture is actually included in all of the foregoing

pictographs, it is seen that a gesture sign is made with the same

conception which is obvious in the ideographic pictures. They are

selected as specially transparent and clear. Many others less distinct

are now the subject of examination for elucidation. The following

examples are added to show the ideographic style of pictographs not

connected with gestures, lest it may be suspected that an attempt is

made to prove that gestures are always included in or connected with

them. Fig. 224, from the _Dakota Calendar_, refers to the small-pox

which broke out in the year (1802) which it specifies. Fig. 225 shows

in the design at the left, a warning or notice, that though a goat can

climb up the rocky trail a horse will tumble--"No Thoroughfare." This

was contributed by Mr. J.K. Hillers, photographer of the United States

Geological Survey, as observed by him in Cañon De Chelly, New Mexico,in 1880.