Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples Part 34

With the thumb over the ends of the fingers, hold the right hand upright, its back forward, about six inches in front of the face, or on one side of the nose near the face, and suddenly extend and spread all the fingers, thumb included. (_Dakota_ IV.) "The word _Ogalala_ means scattering or throwing at, and the name was given them, it is said, after a row in which they threw ashes into one another's faces."

FLATHEAD, OR SELISH.

One hand placed on the top of the head, and the other on the back of the head. (_Long_.)

Place the right hand to the top of the head. (_Kutine_ I.)

Pat the right side of the head above and back of the ear with the flat right hand. (_Shoshoni and Banak_ I.) From the elongation of the occiput. Fig. 291.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 291.]

FOX, OR OUTAGAMI.

Same sign as for SAC. (_Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo_ I.)

GROS VENTRE. SEE HIDATSA.

HIDATSA, GROS VENTRE, OR MINITARI.

Both hands flat and extended, palms toward the body, with the tips of the fingers pointing toward one another; pa.s.s from the top of the chest downward, outward, and inward toward the groin. (_Absaroka_ I; _Dakota_ V, VI, VII, VIII; _Shoshoni and Banak_ I.) "Big belly."

Left and right hands in front of breast, left placed in position first, separated about four or five inches, left hand outside of the right, horizontal, backs outward, fingers extended and pointing left and right; strike the back of the right against the palm of the left several times, and then make the sign for GO, GOING, as follows: Both hands (A 1) brought to the median line of body on a level with the breast, some distance apart, then describe a series of half circles or forward arch-like movements with both hands. (_Dakota_ I.) "The Gros Ventre Indians, Minitaris (the Hidatsa Indians of _Matthews_), are known to the Sioux as the Indians who went to the mountains to kill their enemies; hence the sign."

Express with the hand the sign of a big belly. (_Dakota_ III.)

Pa.s.s the flat right hand, back forward, from the top of the breast, downward, outward, and inward to the pubis. (_Dakota_ VI; _Hidatsa_ I; _Arikara_ I.) "Big belly."

INDIAN (GENERICALLY).

Hand in type-position K, inverted, back forward, is raised above the head with forefinger directed perpendicularly to the crown. Describe with it a short gentle curve upward and backward in such a manner that the finger will point upward and backward, back outward, at the termination of the motion. (_Ojibwa_ V.) "Indicates a feather planted upon the head--the characteristic adornment of the Indian."

Make the sign for WHITE MAN, viz: Draw the open right hand horizontally from left to right across the forehead a little above the eyebrows, the back of the hand to be upward and the fingers pointing toward the left, or close all the fingers except the index, and draw it across the forehead in the same manner; then make the sign for NO; then move the upright index about a foot from side to side, in front of right shoulder, at the same time rotating the hand a little.

(_Dakota_ IV.)

Rub the back of the extended left hand with the palmar surfaces of the extended fingers of the right. (_Comanche_ II.) "People of the same kind; dark-skinned."

Rub the back of the left hand with the index of the right. (_Pai-Ute_ I; _Wichita_ I.)

KAIOWA.

Make the signs of the PRAIRIE and of DRINKING WATER. (_Burton_; _Blackmore_ in Dodge's _Plains of the Great West_. _New York_, 1877, p. xxiv.)

Cheyennes make the same sign as (_Comanche_ II), and think it was intended to convey the idea of cropping the hair. The men wear one side of the hair of the head full length and done up as among the Cheyennes, the other side being kept cropped off about even with the neck and hanging loose. (_Cheyenne_ II.)

Right-hand fingers and thumb, extended and joined (as in W), placed in front of right shoulder, and revolving loosely at the wrist. (_Dakota_ III.)

Place the flat hand with extended and separated fingers before the face, pointing forward and upward, the wrist near the chin; pa.s.s it upward and forward several times. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 292.]

Place the right hand a short distance above the right side of the head, fingers and thumb separated and extended; shake it rapidly from side to side, giving it a slight rotary motion in doing so.

(_Comanche_ II.) "Rattle-brained." Fig. 292. See p. 345 for remarks upon this sign.

Same sign as (_Comanche_ II), with the exception that both hands are generally used instead of the right one only. (_Ute_ I.)

Make a rotary motion of the right hand, palm extended upward and outward by the side of the head. (_Wichita_ I.) "Crazy heads."

KICKAPOO.

With the thumb and finger go through the motion of clipping the hair over the ear; then with the hand make a sign that the borders of the leggings are wide. (_Sac, Fox, and, Kickapoo_ I.)

KNISTENO OR KRISTENEAUX. SEE CREE.

KUTINE.

Place the index or second finger of the right hand on each side of the left index finger to imitate riding a horse. (_Kutine_ I.)

Hold the left fist, palm upward, at arm's length before the body, the right as if grasping the bowstring and drawn back. (_Shoshoni and Banak_ I.) "From their peculiar manner of holding the long bow horizontally in shooting." Fig. 293.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 293.]

LIPAN.

With the index and second fingers only extended and separated, hold the hand at arm's length to the front of the left side; draw it back in distinct jerks; each time the hand rests draw the fingers back against the inside of the thumb, and when the hand is again started on the next movement backward snap the fingers to full length. This is repeated five or six times during the one movement of the hand. The country which the Lipans at one time occupied contained large ponds or lakes, and along the sh.o.r.es of these the reptile was found which gave them this characteristic appellation. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ III; _Wichita_ II.) "Frogs." Fig. 294.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 294.]

MANDAN.

The first and second fingers of the right hand extended, separated, backs outward, other fingers and thumb closed, are drawn from the left shoulder obliquely downward in front of the body to the right hip.

(_Dakota_ I.) "The Mandan Indians are known to the Sioux as 'The people who wear a scarlet sash, with a train,' in the manner above described."

MINITARI. SEE HIDATSA.

NEZ PERCeS. SEE SAHAPTIN.

OJIBWA, OR CHIPPEWA.

Right hand horizontal, back outward, fingers separated, arched, tips pointing inward, is moved from right to left breast and generally over the front of the body with a trembling motion and at the same time a slight outward or forward movement of the hand as though drawing something out of the body, and then make the sign for MAN, viz: The right-hand is held in front of the right breast with the forefinger extended, straight upright (J), with the back of the hand outward; move the hand upward and downward with finger extended. (_Dakota_ I.) "Perhaps the first Chippewa Indian seen by a Sioux had an eruption on his body, and from that his people were given the name of the 'People with a breaking out,' by which name the Chippewas have ever been known by the Sioux."

OSAGE, OR WASAJI.

Pull at the eyebrows over the left eye with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. This sign is also used by the Osages themselves.

(_Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo_ I.)

Hold the flat right hand, back forward, with the edge pointing backward, against the side of the head, then make repeated cuts, and the hand is moved backward toward the occiput. (_Kaiowa_ I; _Comanche_ III; _Apache_ II; _Wichita_ II.) "Former custom of shaving the hair from the sides of the head, leaving but an occipito-frontal ridge."

Pa.s.s the flat and extended right hand backward over the right side of the head, moving the index against the second finger in imitation of cutting with a pair of scissors. (_Comanche_ II.) "Represents the manner of removing the hair from the sides of the head, leaving a ridge only from the forehead to the occiput."