Sign Language in the West
One of the many paintings by AJ Miller is titled: "Conversing by Signs". On the back of his field sketch, Miller wrote:
In one of our hunting excursions, we encountered a small pa rty of Indians, our interpreter was not present, and it was desireable to have some information that we stood in need of. The sketch represents the Indians communicating this by signs, which he does by graceful actions and significant gesture, so that in the main, it is readily comprehended by persons, of course having some practice and experience. Some of the signs are easily interpreted, for instance, joining the palms of the hands and throwing them upwards and outward, to signify daytime, action reversed, palms down, night...

George Ruxton, in his Ruxton of the Rockies, wrote of Indian Sign language:
The language of signs is so perfectly understood in the Western country, and the Indians themselves are such admirable pantomimists, that, after a little use, no difficulty whatever exists in carrying on a conversation by such a channel; and there are few mountain men who are at a loss in thoroughly understanding and making themselves intelligible by signs alone, although they neither speak nor understand a word of the Indian tongue.

Alfred Jacob Miller's "Conversing by Signs"

Thanks again K Snow this is great stuff been waiting all week to see what you would come up with next

Good stuff!

If I remember correctly, the sign for "beaver" is holding the palm of one hand over the top of the other and then slapping the top of the lower hand to the palm of the upper one as in a beaver tail slap.

West of the rockies in the Pacific Northwest sign language wasn't much in vogue, Chinook "wawa" or jargon reigned which was a trade language composed of a mix of various coastal languages plus some French and a little English for good measure.

When the tribes were rounded up and put on reservations in the 1850's Chinook was the common language understood by all. Early fur traders and later even settlers learned quite a bit of it. My father who was born on the Columbia river in 1910 knew quite a smattering of Chinook words. You may as well. Ever hear the word "Siwash"? A bastardization of the French "Sauvauge" for Indian. Chinook wawa right there.

Yep Peeler, according to Tomkin, who recorded the sign language while working with Dakota, beaver was signed by holding the left hand flat in front, palm down. Right hand below, palm down also. Then slap left hand with upward movement of right hand.

In the East, native languages blended with French.

Yep. But you described it better than I. LOL

thanks for the info.

I think it's a shame that Plains Indian Sign language has died out for the most part. I doubt if there is anyone who is still proficient at it.

Yeah Bernie, that is a shame. The American Mountain Men have a requirement for one of their higher levels to know 200 signs (if memory serves me correctly). I doubt that would make you proficient, but at least it would be something.

Tomkins' book is about the best there is out there for how to make the signs.

Another example is the sign for otter. Hold your hands at the side of your head, index finger pointing down. Move your hands down while spinning your finger in a little circle.
This illustrates the very common practice among Plains Indians of wrapping their hair braids in otter fur.

Running Deer-Kiowa, braids wrapped in strips of otter fur.

In your "Running Deer-Kiowa" photo, are those porcy quills in the chest covering? If so here in pa we do not have anything like that sized quills.......jk

They are bone "hair pipes", fashioned into a breastplate. In the late 18th century, they were manufactured by the thousands from bone. Originally they were craved from shell.

The "roach" on his head is made from porcupine guard hair.