pointing, not with finger

[Ann Spinney]

Now that you mention it, in 20 years of visiting and studying I have never seen a Passamaquoddy person point a finger at anything; I recall some roll eyes in the direction, some tilt the head but not aggressively. But I never noticed or asked about it because I was taught it was rude to point as a child, although my mother's family are all otherwise enthusiastic gesticulators. When I was learning in the windowless room of the old Waponahki Museum, my teacher would occasionally raise his arm and wave with the back of his hand in the direction of a place he was talking about if I was confused. My German music professors in graduate school pointed so often that my memory of my advisor is of him extending an arthritic index finger! 

Dr. Ann Morrison Spinney, PhD
Ethnomusicologist
http://www.annmorrisonspinney.com




On Mar 6, 2013, at 1:01 PM, David Lessard <david.lessard2 at MAIL.MCGILL.CA> wrote:

Indeed, it is interesting.

Another thing that I just thought of is that there is an extremely derogatory and aggressive of pointing with the chin in one little quick movement of the head backward and a face of anger or disgust. I do not know if there is an equivalent among any Indigenous populations, though.

Envoyé à partir de mon Windows Phone
De : Anne Lindsay
Envoyé : 2013-03-06 12:54
À : ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Objet : Re: pointing, not with finger

We were told not to point at all. And at the same time, what is about the first thing a child does to communicate?

This is such an interesting topic!

On 06/03/2013 10:43 AM, Jennifer Brown wrote:
> Google Crazy Horse monument; Wikipedia has some discussion of that sculpture being designed with Crazy Horse pointing. When I first saw that design I thought this might surely be an issue, and it is in some quarters.
>  
> I think, from what I’ve read and heard, that Cree and Ojibwe people have seen the gesture as invasive and possibly as connoting a play for power.
> But I also recall, as a child of parents of British/ Canadian background, being told that it was rude to point at people.
>  
> Jennifer Brown
>  
> From: ALGONQUIANA [mailto:ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] On Behalf Of David Lessard
> Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 8:44 AM
> To: ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
> Subject: Re: pointing, not with finger
>  
> I have seen this among the James Bay Cree. I asked why and they told me it was more efficient when they had their hands full. I did not investigate further though.
> 
> I have been told that it is an habit in Ecuador too.
> 
> David
> 
> Envoyé à partir de mon Windows Phone
> De : Conor Quinn
> Envoyé : 2013-03-06 10:29
> À : ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
> Objet : Re: pointing, not with finger
> 
> Dia dhaoibh, a chairde!
> 
> Definitely had this pointed out to me by Penobscots; not sure how it may be among the Passamaquoddies, but it rings a bell there, too.  No clue as to why, though pointing with the lips (= the acceptable and common strategy) is also common in Australia, I'm told.  I might imagine that, other society/culture/belief-system factors aside, being well trained not to point with your hands helps in hunting, since the game-spooking motion is far less salient.  But that's just pure speculation on my part.
> 
> Till later, keep safe and sane.
> 
> Slán,
> bhur gcara
> 
> On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 8:54 AM, Amy Dahlstrom <a-dahlstrom at uchicago.edu> wrote:
> Hello Algonquianists,
> 
> I'm a discussant at an upcoming conference on gesture, and one thing I thought I would mention to the (extremely diverse) audience is the practice among at least some of the Algonquian peoples of pointing with the lips or with the chin, rather than pointing with the finger.
> 
> I would like to ask you all how widespread this practice is.  And for native speakers (native pointers? :-) ), do you have any intuitions about why pointing with the finger is avoided?  Would it seem rude to point with the finger?  Or inappropriate in some other way?
> 
> thanks in advance for any thoughts you can share!
> 
> Amy
> 
> P.S.  if you hit "reply" remember that you are replying to the whole list! :-)
>  
> 


-- 
If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience. George Bernard Shaw








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