Excerpt from Introduction to the Study of Sign Language Among the North American Indians: As Illustrating the Gesture Speech of Mankind Eleven years ago ethnographic research among North American Indians was commenced by myself and my assistants while making explorations on the Colorado River and its tributaries. From that time to the present such investigations have been in progress. During this time the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution placed in my hands a large amount of material collected by its collaborators relating to Indian languages and other matters, to be used, in conjunction with the materials collected under my direction, in the preparation of a series of publications on North American Ethnology. In pursuing this work two volumes have already been published, a third is in press, and a number of others are in course of preparation. The work originally begun as an incident to a geographical and geological survey has steadily grown in proportions until a large number of assistants and collaborators are engaged in the collection of materials and the preparation of memoirs on a variety of subjects relating to the North American Indians. The subject under investigation is of great magnitude. More than five hundred languages, belonging to about seventy distinct stocks or families, are spoken by these Indians; and in all other branches of this ethnic research a like variety of subject-matter exists. It will thus be seen that the materials for a systematic and comprehensive treatment of this subject can only be obtained by the combined labor of many men. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Over the period of two years author has devoted the intervals between official duties to collecting and collating materials for the study of sign language. As the few publications on the general subject, possessing more than historic interest, are meager in details and vague in expression, original investigation has been necessary. The high development of communication by gesture among the tribes of North America, and its continued extensive use by many of them, naturally directed the first researches to that continent, with the result that a large body of facts procured from collaborators and by personal examination has now been gathered and classified.

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Over the period of two years author has devoted the intervals between official duties to collecting and collating materials for the study of sign language. As the few publications on the general subject, possessing more than historic interest, are meager in details and vague in expression, original investigation has been necessary. The high development of communication by gesture among the tribes of North America, and its continued extensive use by many of them, naturally directed the first researches to that continent, with the result that a large body of facts procured from collaborators and by personal examination has now been gathered and classified.