Indian Sign Language
The Art of Indian Sign Language
Traditional Native American Indian Sign Language
with “Buffalo Bill”
“Buffalo Bill” presents a workshop on Indian Sign Language, which was used for 2 different reasons amongst the Indian people.
- There were so many different tribes who spoke different languages, this was a universal way in which they could all communicate.
- Also, In the winter time, a form of entertainment among the Indian people was storytelling, and many of the storytellers would talk with their hands when telling their stories.
Buffalo Bill utilizes some Indian Sign Language stories in his full length music presentations on the History of the Wild West, and Oregon Trail.
In this workshop he presents a more in depth study of the the hows and whys of Indian Sign Languge.
Students of this workshop will learn many signs for animals, such as deer, elk, moose, bear
coyote etc.
Students will learn out to speak short sentences ie: “I see deer” or “My name is running bear”, or
“Will you and I go hunting buffalo?”
Students will also learn how to begin the traditional way of storytelling in Indian Sign Language,
ie: “I want to talk the long talk”.
Students will watch “Buffalo Bill” as he tells stories in Indian Sign Language and will be encouraged
to follow along by performing the signs themselves (imitating “Buffalo Bill”).
Students will learn to tell a short story using tradition Indian Sign Language, and some will tell a story to their friends and classmates.
“Buffalo Bill” Boycott lives in Lander, WY next to the Wind River Indian Reservation and learned Indian Sign Language from a elder Shoshone tribal member. He learned this storytelling in the traditional way, person to person.
Indian Sign Language Workshop (pause music below before watching)
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