In offering this book to the public after having had the manuscript actually on my desk for more than nine years, let me say frankly that no one realizes better than myself, now, the magnitude of the subject and the many faults of my attempt to handle it. My attention was first directed to the Sign Language in 1882 when I went to live in Western Manitoba. There I found it used among the various Indian tribes as a common language, whenever they were unable to understand each other's speech. In later years I found it a daily necessity when traveling among the natives of New Mexico and Montana, and in 1897, while living among the Crow Indians at their agency near Fort Custer, I met White Swan, who had served under General George A. Custer as a Scout. He had been sent across country with a message to Major Reno, so escaped the fatal battle; but fell in with a party of Sioux, by whom he was severely wounded, clubbed on the head, and left for dead. He recovered and escaped, but ever after was deaf and practically dumb. However, sign-talk was familiar to his people and he was at little disadvantage in daytime. Always skilled in the gesture code, he now became very expert; I was glad indeed to be his pupil, and thus in 1897 began seriously to study the Sign Language. In 1900 I included a chapter on Sign Language in my projected Woodcraft Dictionary, and began by collecting all the literature. There was much more than I expected, for almost all early travellers in our Western Country have had something to say about this lingua franca of the Plains. As the material continued to accumulate, the chapter grew into a Dictionary, and the work, of course, turned out manifold greater than was expected. The Deaf, our School children, and various European nations, as well as the Indians, had large sign vocabularies needing consideration.

Sign Talk is a book by Ernest Thompson Seaton. It covers the sociocultural origins of sign talk, stemming from prairie Indians in the US and analyzes the global ramifications of the spreading of sign usage in languages.

Describes a unique case of sign language that served as an international language among numerous Native American nations not sharing a common spoken language. The book contains the most current descriptions of all levels of the language from phonology to discourse, as well as comparisons with other sign languages.

Plains Indian Sign Talk (PST), a complex system of hand signs, once served as the lingua franca among many Native American tribes of the Great Plains, who spoke very different languages. Here, Farnell reveals how PST is still an integral component of the stroytelling tradition in contemporary Assiniboine (Nakota) culture.

"Featuring ASL signs plus fun songs and activities"--Cover.

This book defines the notion of applied sign linguistics by drawing on data from projects that have explored sign language in action in various domains. The book gives professionals working with sign languages, signed language teachers and students, research students and their supervisors, authoritative access to current ideas and practice.

Get your message across using your hands and your body language Want to communicate with the Deaf community but are mystified how to start? With American Sign Language Demystified you'll learn this unique visual language, and a whole new world of communication will be opened to you. At your own pace, you will learn basic grammar structures, discover the nuances of body positioning, master how to convey time, and build a useful vocabulary of signs and phrases. To help you on your way, the accompanying 100-minute DVD features in-depth demonstrations of how to make signs and create phrases and sentences as executed in American Sign Language. This fast and easy guide offers: A DVD that contains all the signs and phrases in the book as well as hundreds of additional vocabulary signs Quizzes at the end of each chapter to monitor your progress Etiquette you need to know when using ASL A helpful history of ASL Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for a more advanced student, American Sign Language Demystified will help you communicate in ASL confidently and comfortably.