Kitchi-Gami: Life Among the Lake Superior Ojibway

CHAPTER XI

SYMBOLIC WRITING. 137 CHAPTER XI. THE LANGUAGE OF SIGNS-SHIBOLIC WRITING-SPECIMENS OF SIGNS-THE NOMADIC AND SETTLED TRillES-UNIVERSALITY OF SIGNS-A GRAMMAR OF SIGNS-ADMIRATION-ORIGIN OF PICTURE-WRITING-THE ENGLISH ALPHA· BET-TENTS AND BLANKETS-HIEROGLYPHICS-BIRCH-BARK BOOKSWON -FOOT-A FAMILY TREE-ANTIQUITY OF THE CRANES-THE MEDICINE WDGE-THE PATH OF LIFE-A SONG OF THE SEASONS-AN INDIAN TOMBSTONE -FOOD FOR THE DEAD-A COUPLE OF PILLAGERS-TOBACCO AT A DISCOUNT-VALUE OF BIRCH-l!ARK l!OOKS-A TRIAL OF GENEROSITY. ONE of the most interesting subjects to which an ethnographer travelling among the Indians can direct his attention, is undoubtedly the language of signs and symbolic writing so extended through these tribes. I may say with Shakspeare, I cannot too much muse Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound expression (Although they want the use of tongue), a kind Of excellent dumb discourse. This matter is connected with so many other remarkable questions, that I should have to write a comprehensive work if I wished to exhaust it. I will confine myself, then, to explaining clearly and fully my own little stock of knowledge on the subject acquired among the Ojibbeways. The commencement of the symbolic writing must 138 ORIGli'i OF SIGNS. probably be sought in the language of signs. The Indians first represented their meaning with fingers and hands, adopted in conversation certain repeated signs and gestures, and then tried to imitate these and give them a permanent character by marks on the birch bark (their paper). I will, therefore, begin with the sign-language, but only make a few remarks, as it is not so much practised among the inhabitants on Lake Superior as among the wandering tribes of the prairies further to the west. The Ojibbeways living on their lake as fishermen and forest hunters do not come so often into contact with strange races and languages as the western nomadic and buffalo hunters, who traverse enormous districts. Among the former the sign-language is, therefore, less cultivated than among the latter, who can make themselves understood by means of it everywhere . Still, among the Ojibbeways, and then among the Sioux on St. Peter's River, I had opportunity for admiring the natural, thoughtful, and symbolic mimic with which these Indians accompany their conversation . Even among persons of the same tribe this language is employed, either to save tiheir lazy tongues, or to heighten by gestures the effect ,~reduced by their words. / Although the Indians do not ,ilse very animated gesticulations, these are very natural, characteristic, and easy of comprehension. When speaking, for instance, of the Great Spirit, they usually direct a reverential or timid glance upwards , or point the forefinger perpendicularly but gently to the sky. When alluding to the sun or to the time, which is SPECIMENS OF SIGNS. 139 much the same thing, as the sun is their clock, and indicating the spot at which the sun stood when the event to which they are alluding occurred, they point fixedly to that point, and hold their arm in that position for several moments. When speaking ofa day, they pass the finger slowly along the entire vault of heaven, commencing at the east, and terminating in the west. This is the sign for "one day." If a shot has to be mentioned in the story, they usually strike the palm of the left hand with the back of the right, so as to produce a slight sound. If describing a journey on horseback, the two first fingers of the right are placed astride of the forefinger of the left hand, and both represent the galloping movements of a horse. If it is a foot journey, they wave the two fingers several times through the air. In counting, the ten fingers are naturally used, and the number is not only held up, but mentioned. In this manner, and by many hundred similar gestures , they supplement and support their oral remarks. And it will be seen, from the gestures I have described, that the tongue can be frequently allowed a rest, and the meaning perfectly conveyed by the signs. Suppose an Indian wished to tell another that he had ridden for three days over the prairie, he first points to his own worthy person. That will indicate " I." Then he sets his fingers a galloping as I have described. This perfects the idea: " I travelled on...