Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes / First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1879-1880, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1881, pages 263-552

by Garrick Mallery

—— Heart is.

Strike with right hand on the heart and make the sign for Good from the heart outward. (Cheyenne II.)

Touch the left breast over the heart two or three times with the ends of the fingers of the right hand; then make the sign for Good. (Dakota IV.)

Place the fingers of the flat right hand over the breast, then make the sign for Good. (Dakota VII.)

Move hand to position in front of breast, fingers extended, palm downward (W), then with quick movement throw hand forward and to the side to a point 12 or 15 inches from body, hand same as in first position. (Sahaptin I.)

For further remarks on the signs for good, see page [286].

HABITATION, including HOUSE, LODGE, TIPI, WIGWAM.

—— HOUSE.

The hand half open and the forefinger extended and separated; then raise the hand upward and give it a half turn, as if screwing something. (Dunbar.)