pointing, and Rhodes comment

[Michael Sullivan Sr]

Wa!  I appreciate reading all of your valuable insights and debated whether
or not to respond with the smidgen of information that I have to share.  I
work rather closely with the southwestern area of Ojibwe country (Chippewa
if absolutely must) and I have heard various renditions of this teaching in
my own upbringing as well as my brief experience as an aspiring linguist
(still extremely wet behind the ears!).

Growing up on the reservation we were told never to point at people or
animals (especially eagles) without ever really being informed as to why.
 The lips are definitely the standard around here and I'm sure you've all
heard the joke "not that far!"  One elder from the Border Lakes region of
Ontario told me that pointing with the finger "pierces the spirit" of
whomever is being pointed to.

I spent the day today with one of my elders from the easternmost district
of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and we had a conversation about this
discussion over lunch.  He stressed that it was merely a politeness
convention for his community and indicated that he also was never told the
reasoning behind it.  Having spent a great deal of time with him over the
past couple of years I have noticed his common habit of pointing to the sun
or moon using a "thumbs up" sort of gesture when describing their position
in the sky, never looking up while doing so.

I figured I'd share that much, whatever it may mean.  Sounds like a
fascinating paper!  Thanks to you all for the intriguing discussion and the
valuable work that you do!

-- 
Michael Sullivan
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
PhD Student- Linguistics
University of Minnesota


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