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Nátci's
Narrative
(1) Close the right
hand, leaving the index extended,
pointed westward at arm's length a
little above the horizon, head
thrown back with the eyes partly
closed and following the direction—Away
to the west, (2) indicate a
large circle on the ground with the
forefinger of the right hand
pointing downward—place
(locative), (3) the tips of the
spread fingers of both hands placed
against one another, pointing upward
before the body, leaving a space of
four or five inches between the
wrists—house (brush tent or
wik'-i-up), see Fig. 257, p. 431,
(4) with the right hand closed,
index extended or slightly bent, tap
the breast several times—mine.
(5) Draw an imaginary line, with the
right index toward the ground, from
some distance in front of the body
to a position nearer to it—from
there I came, (6) indicate a
spot on the ground by quickly
raising and depressing the right
hand with the index pointing
downward—to a stopping place,
(7) grasp the forelock with the
right hand, palm to the forehead,
and raise it about six inches, still
holding the hair upward—the chief
of the tribe (Winnimukka), see
Fig. 245, p. 418, (8) touch the
breast with the index—me, (9)
the right hand held forward from the
hip at the level of the elbow,
closed, palm downward, with the
middle finger extended and quickly
moved up and down a short distance—telegraphed,
(10) head inclined toward the right,
at the same time making movement
toward and from the ear with the
extended index pointing toward it—I
heard, i.e., understood.
(11) An imaginary line indicated
with the extended and inverted index
from a short distance before the
body to a place on the right—I
went, (12) repeat gesture No. 6—a
stopping place, (13) inclining
the head, with eyes closed, toward
the right, bring the extended right
hand, palm up, to within six inches
of the right ear—where I slept.
(14) Place the spread and extended
index and thumb of the right hand,
palm downward, across the right side
of the forehead—white man
(American), (15) elevating both
hands before the breast, palms
forward, thumbs touching, the little
finger of the right hand closed—nine,
(16) touch the breast with the right
forefinger suddenly—and myself,
(17) lowering the hand, and pointing
downward and forward with the index
still extended (the remaining
fingers and thumb being loosely
closed) indicate an imaginary line
along the ground toward the extreme
right—went, (18) extend the
forefinger of the closed left hand,
and place the separated fore and
second fingers of the right
astraddle the forefinger of the
left, and make a series of arched or
curved movements toward the right—rode
horseback, (19) keeping the
hands in their relative position,
place them a short distance below
the right ear, the head being
inclined toward that side—sleep,
(20) repeat the signs for riding
(No. 18) and sleeping (No.
19) three times—four days and
nights, (21) make sign No. 18,
and stopping suddenly point toward
the east with the extended
index-finger of the right (others
being closed) and follow the course
of the sun until it reaches the
zenith—arrived at noon of the
fifth day.
(22) Indicate a circle as in No. 2—a
camp, (23) the hands then placed
together as in No. 3, and in this
position, both moved in short
irregular upward and downward jerks
from side to side—many wik'-i-ups,
(24) then indicate the chief of the
tribe as in No. 7—meaning that it
was one of the camps of the chief of
the tribe. (25) Make a peculiar
whistling sound of "phew" and draw
the extended index of the right hand
across the throat from left to
right—Banak, (26) draw an
imaginary line with the same
extended index, pointing toward the
ground, from the right to the body—came
from the north, (27) again make
gesture No. 2—camp, (28) and
follow it twice by sign given as No.
18 (forward from the body, but a
short distance)—two rode.
(29) Rub the back of the right hand
with the extended index of the left—Indian,
i.e., the narrator's own tribe,
Pai-Ute, (30) elevate both hands
side by side before the breast,
palms forward, thumbs touching,
then, after a short pause, close all
the fingers and thumbs except the
two outer fingers of the right hand—twelve,
(31) again place the hands side by
side with fingers all spread or
separated, and move them in a
horizontal curve toward the right—went
out of camp, (32) and make the
sign given as No. 25—Banak,
(33) that of No. 2—camp, (34)
then join the hands as in No. 31,
from the right toward the front—Pai-Utes
returned, (35) close the right
hand, leaving the index only
extended, move it forward and
downward from the mouth three or
four times, pointing forward, each
time ending the movement at a
different point—I talked to them,
(36) both hands pointing upward,
fingers and thumbs separated, palms
facing and about four inches apart,
held in front of the body as far as
possible in that position—the men
in council, (37) point toward
the east with the index apparently
curving downward over the horizon,
then gradually elevate it to an
altitude of 45°—talked all night
and until nine o'clock next morning,
(38) bring the closed hands, |
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with forefingers extended,
upward and forward from their
respective sides, and place them
side by side, palms forward, in
front—my brother, Fig. 317,
(39) (see also pp. 385, 386)
followed by the gesture, No. 18,
directed toward the left and front—rode,
(40) by No. 7—the head chief,
(41) and No. 2—camp.
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(42) Continue by
placing the hands, slightly curved,
palm to palm, holding them about six
inches below the right ear, the head
being inclined considerably in that
direction—one sleep (night),
(43) make sign No. 14—white man,
(44) raise the left hand to the
level of the elbow forward from the
left hip, fingers pointing upward,
thumb and forefinger closed—three,
(45) and in this position draw them
toward the body and slightly to the
right—came, (46) then make
gesture So. 42—sleep; (47)
point with the right index to the
eastern horizon—in the morning,
(48) make sign No. 14—white man,
(49) hold the left hand nearly at
arm's length before the body, back
up, thumb and forefinger closed, the
remaining fingers pointing downward—three,
(50) with the right index finger
make gesture No. 35, the movement
being directed towards the left
hand—talked to them, (51)
motion along the ground with the
left hand, from the body toward the
left and front, retaining the
position of the fingers just stated
(in No. 49)—they went, (52)
tap toward the ground, as in gesture
No. 6, with the left hand nearly at
arm's length—to their camp.
(53) Make gesture No. 18 toward the
front—I rode, (54) extend the
right hand to the left and front,
and tap towards the earth several
times as in sign No. 6, having the
fingers and thumb collected to a
point—camp of the white men.
(55) Close both hands, with the
forefingers of each partly extended
and crooked, and place one on either
side of the forehead, palms forward—cattle
(a steer), (56) hold the left hand
loosely extended, back forward,
about twenty inches before the
breast, and strike the back of the
partly extended right hand into the
left—shot, (57) make a short
upward curved movement with both
hands, their position unchanged,
over and downward toward the right—fell
over, killed, (58) then hold the
left hand a short distance before
the body at the height of the elbow,
palm downward, fingers closed, with
the thumb lying over the second
joint of the forefinger, extend the
flattened right hand, edge down,
before the body, just by the
knuckles of the left, and draw the
hand towards the body, repeating the
movement—skinned, (59) make
the sign given in No. 25—Banak,
(60) place both hands with spread
fingers upward and palms forward,
thumb to thumb, before the right
shoulder, moving them with a
tremulous motion toward the left and
front—came in, (61) make
three short movements toward the
ground in front, with the left hand,
fingers loosely curved, and pointing
downward—camp of the three white
men, (62) then with the right
hand open and flattened, edge down,
cut towards the body as well as to
the right and left—cut up the
meat, (63) and make the
pantomimic gesture of handing it
around to the visitors.(64)
Make sign No. 35, the movement being
directed to the left hand, as held
in No. 49—told the white men,
(65) grasping the hair on the right
side of the head with the left hand,
and drawing the extended right hand
with the edge towards and across the
side of the head from behind
forward—to scalp; (66) close
the right hand, leaving the
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| index partly
extended, and wave it several times
quickly from side to side a short
distance before the face, slightly
shaking the head at the same time—no,
Fig. 318, (67) make gesture No. 4—me,
(68) repeat No. 65—scalp,
(69) and raising the forelock high
with the left hand, straighten the
whole frame with a triumphant air—make
me a great chief. (70) Close the
right hand with the index fully
extended, place the tip to the mouth
and direct it firmly forward and
downward toward the ground—stop,
(71) then placing the hands,
pointing upward, side by side,
thumbs touching, and all the fingers
separated, move them from near the
breast outward toward the right,
palms facing that direction at
termination |
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| of movement—the Banaks went
to one side, (72) with the right
hand closed, index curved, palm
downward, point toward the western
horizon, and at arm's length dip the
finger downward—after sunset,
(73) make the gesture given as No.
14—white men, (74) pointing
to the heart as in No. 4—and I,
(75) conclude by making gesture No.
18 from near body toward the left,
four times, at the end of each
movement the hands remaining in the
same position, thrown slightly
upward—we four escaped on
horseback. The above was
paraphrased orally by the narrator
as follows: "Hearing of the trouble
in the north, I started eastward
from my camp in Western Nevada,
when, upon arriving at Winnemucca
Station, I received telegraphic
orders from the head chief to go
north to induce our bands in that
region to escape the approaching
difficulties with the Banaks. I
started for Camp McDermit, where I
remained one night. Leaving next
morning in company with nine others,
we rode on for four days and a half.
Soon after our arrival at the Pai-Ute
camp, two Banaks came in, when I
sent twelve Pai-Utes to their camp
to ask them all to come in to hold
council. These messengers soon
returned, when I collected all the
Pai-Utes ands talked to them all
night regarding the dangers of an
alliance with the Banaks and of
their continuance in that locality.
Next morning I sent my brother to
the chief, Winnimukka, with a report
of proceedings.
"On the following day three white
men rode into camp, who had come up
to aid in persuading the Pai-Utes to
move away from the border. Next
morning I consulted with them
respecting future operations, after
which they went away a short
distance to their camp. I then
followed them, where I shot and
killed a steer, and while skinning
it the Banaks came in, when the meat
was distributed. The Banaks being
disposed to become violent at any
moment, the white men became
alarmed, when I told them that
rather than allow them to be scalped
I would be scalped myself in
defending them, for which action I
would be considered as great a chief
as Winnemukka by my people. When I
told the Banaks to cease threatening
the white men they all moved to one
side a short distance to hold a war
council, and after the sun went down
the white men and I mounted our
horses and fled toward the south,
whence we came."
Some of the above signs seem to
require explanation. Natci was
facing the west during the whole of
this narration, and by the right he
signified the north; this will
explain the significance of his
gesture to the right in Nos. 11 and
17, and to the left in No. 75.
No. 2 (repeated in Nos. 22,27,33,
and 41) designates an Indian brush
lodge, and although Natci has not
occupied one for some years, the
gesture illustrates the original
conception in the round form of the
foundation of poles, branches, and
brush, the interlacing of which in
the construction of the wik'-i-up
has survived in gestures Nos. 3 and
23 (the latter referring to more
than one, i.e., an
encampment).
The sign for Banak, No. 25 (also 32
and 59), has its origin from the
tradition among the Pai-Utes that
the Banaks were in the habit of
cutting the throats of their
victims. This sign is made with the
index instead of the similar gesture
with the flat hand, which among
several tribes denotes the Sioux,
but the Pai-Utes examined had no
specific sign for that body of
Indians, not having been in
sufficient contact with them.
"A stopping place," referred to in
Nos. 6, 12, 52, and 54, represents
the temporary station, or camp of
white men, and is
contradistinguished from a village,
or perhaps from any permanent
encampment of a number of persons,
by merely dotting toward the ground
instead of indicating a circle.
It will also be seen that in several
instances, after indicating the
nationality, the fingers previously
used in representing the number were
repeated without its previously
accompanying specific gesture, as in
No. 61, where the three fingers of
the left hand represented the men
(white), and the three movements
toward the ground signified the camp
or tents of the three (white) men.
This also occurs in the gesture
(Nos. 59, 60, and 71) employed for
the Banaks, which, having been once
specified, is used subsequently
without its specific preceding sign
for the tribe represented.
The rapid connection of the signs
Nos. 57 and 58 and of Nos. 74 and 75
indicates the conjunction, so that
they are severally readily
understood as "shot and
killed," and "the white men and
I." The same remark applies to Nos.
15 and 16, "the nine and I." |
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Sign Language
Among North American Indians Compared with
that Among Other Peoples and Deaf-Mutes,
1881
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