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<DIV><FONT color=#800000>I will have to concur with Jonathan's observation and
remarks which coincide with my own experience. One old Arapaho, Custer
Lumpmouth, consistently and simultaneously signed while he
conversed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000>Since the passing of all these elders by 1990, this
form of expression is all but lost, except for some intermittent minimal signing
without conversation during Native American Church tipi prayer
services.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#800000>I might note that it has become popular at powwows
and exhibitions, shows, etc. to have an attractive young girl, usually in a
buckskin dress to sign the Lord's Prayer to a background pre-recorded
tape. Once in the 80's, I asked and elderly Ioway uncle if he could follow
along with the young girl as she signed the prayer. He curtly replied
"No!". Apparently, something is lost in the process, when the
signing becomes simply an entertaining act, rather than an actual form of
communication. I say this, as the young ladies would be virtually unable
to sign nor understand a more typical interactive format.
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=okibjonathan@yahoo.com href="mailto:okibjonathan@yahoo.com">Jonathan
Holmes</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=siouan@lists.colorado.edu
href="mailto:siouan@lists.colorado.edu">siouan@lists.colorado.edu</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 22, 2005 2:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Dances with Wolves.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Whenever I have had the occassion, over the last 30 years, to sit with
elders amongst the Osage, Ponca, Pawnee, Comanche, Oglala Lakota, Sicangu
Lakota, Southern Cheyenne, Picuni Blackfoot, Sauk & Fox, and Kiowa, there
is frequently a tendency for some elders to speak and sign with their hands at
the same time whether they are speaking in english or their native tongue. It
seems to be a natural extention of their expressive nature when telling a
story, but not a lot of younger generations are picking up the habit.</DIV>
<DIV>Jonathan<BR><BR><B><I>Justin McBride
<jmcbride@kawnation.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> This prompts me to ask: I had always heard
that tribes used sign language when communicating with other tribes who
spoke different languages. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> But does this Lakhota example of
using sign language in "Dances With Wolves" even among themselves mean that
they also routinely used</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>> sign language amongst themselves to
supplement their common spoken language? Just curious.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'v always heard that back in the day,
some of the older Osage men in my hometown of Pawhuska, OK, used
to sit around on parkbenches signing all day long with each
other. Supposedly it was hours of silence punctuated by occasional
laughter. I heard the same stories about the Grayhorse
elders. Whenever they came into Fairfax, they'd sign back and
forth instead of talking. I don't know how true this is, of course,
but that's just what I've heard.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>-Justin</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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