y to express the desired idea. Once, a Tonkaway Indian in trying to tell me that all white men were untruthful, put the first two fingers of his right hand, slightly separated, near his mouth and t

nguages to come into contact. While all American Indians use some gestures, the Plains Indians, who were constantly meeting other tribes, necessarily made much use of them.

riters have [pg 061] claimed that it was made by the Kiowas. Rather, it grew up

that deaf-mutes and Indians quite readily understand each other's signs. Parties of Indians in Washington for business are sometimes taken to the Deaf-Mute College to see if the two-Indians and deaf-mutes-can understand each other. While they cannot understand every sign, the

n the Plains. (

description, and see whether you think they are natural or not. The signs f

ond fingers are slightly separated (the rest of the hand being closed) and drawn from the nose upward over the top of the head. This shows the striped face. The two hands are then held in front of the body, wit

ht hand under it so that the back of the right hand is against the left palm. Then leaving the right wrist all the time against the left palm, briskly move the r

hands then against the sides of the head, near the top and fairly forward. Thes

left. The hand is then drawn several inches to the right, horizontally. I am sure you never would guess how this came to mean dog. You remember how the tent poles are

several inches by gentle jerks. This represents the curious way in which the broad, bushy tail is carried and the movement of the animal in walking. (c) Raise right hand toward the face, with the two first fingers somewhat separated, to about the chin. Then move it upward until the nose passes between the separated finger

ribes, and some of these are interesting because they usual

e arms the motion

the breast in different parts to indica

by imitating the shelling of corn, by holding the lef

ter edge of the right foot from the heel

with the hand or forefinger t

s raised and placed

ore example. The sign f

ing it; bring it up to and close in front of the forehead; t

r head. This Indian sign certainly seems to show that th

a long paper about them. A third gentleman has tried to make type which shall print the sign language. He made more than eight hundred characters. With these he plans to teach the old Indians

which not only is a convenient dictionary of signs, bu

shment until his death. His most extended papers are: Sign Language among North American I

entor of Indian S