SIGN LANGUAGE. A system of intertribal gesture emumnnieatien among the American In dians used IT all the plains tribes in default of a common language, and practically the same from Canada to the Mexican border. In many respects it forms the manual counterpart of the Indian pictograph system as displayed in their buckskin paintings or birch-bark records. The signs are so perfectly based upon natural ideas or the things of every-day Indian life or custom as to he readily interpreted by a member of any of the tribes using the sys tem. Thus, cold is indicated by a shivering motion of the hands in front of the body. By an extension of the idea, according to the context of the conversation, the same sign indicates the cold season, i.e. winter, and as the Indians count by winters it may mean also a year. A slow filming, of the hand upon the wrist indicates vacillation. doubt, maybe. A modification of this, with quicker movement, is the question sign. Fatigue is indicated by a downward sweep of the hands, with ihdex ex tended. giVing., the idea of collapse. Strong, strength. are indicated by the motion of break ing a stout stick ; bad, by a motion of con temptuously throwing, away: foolish, by a cir cling movement of the fingers in front of the forehead, i.e. 'rattle-brained;' song, singing, by the same motion next the side of the head, to indicate the shaking of the rattle which usually accompanies the song. As the song and rattle are almost invariable accompaniments of re ligions ceremonials and medical conjurations, the same sign may also mean sacred. religion, doctor, medicine. according to the context. White man is indicated by drawing the fingers across the forehead, typifying the wearing of a hat, and there is a special sign for Indian and for each tribe. as well as for particular rivers,
mountains, etc. Two fingers extended at. the side of the head indicate a icolf, as represent ing the erect ears; the same two extended fingers drawn across in front of the body indicate the dog, as the former carrier of the Indian travois; the same fingers brought down crossed over the extended index finger of the other hand indicate the horse, as the riding animal.
The signs follow the regular order of the words in the Indian sentence, and in many cases may lie made with one hand or both at the will of the user. The general system is so perfectly elaborated that there is a sign or combination for every idea in the Indian category, and so universally understood among the plains tribes that a dozen Sioux from Dakota may. and fre quently do, make a long visit to the Cheyenne or Kiowa in Oklahoma, making themselves per fectly at home with their hosts. learning all the news and telling their own. all through the medium of the language, without having so ninny as ten words in common. There is also a system of long-distance signaling by means of smoke, riding in a circle. waving a blanket, etc.. in certain ways. for particular occasions. Consult: Mallery. Collection of Ues tere-Signs and Signals of the Yorth American Indians, with Some Comparisons (Washington, I8S0) ; Clark, Indian Sign Language (Phila delphia, 1884). See GESTURE LANGUAGE.