SASL Newsletter - Spring 2018 Issue Issue 9 - Spring 2018 | Page 6

and made Signs to the men to come and Smoke with me." (p. 48)
"While at dinner an indian fellow verry impertinently threw a poor half starved puppy nearly into my plait by way of
derision for our eating dogs and laughed very heartily at his own impertinence; I was so provoked at this insolence
that I caught the puppy and th[r]ew it with great violence at him and struk him in the breast and face, siezed my
tomahawk and shewed him by signs if he repeated his insolence I would tomahawk him, the fellow withdrew
apparently much mortifyed and I continued my repast on dog without further molestation." (p. 120)
The observant and sometimes graphic writings by Captain Lewis indicate that this person knew
American Indian Sign Language. Dr. Beckham, for his part, was successful in integrating American
Indian Sign Language in his book to remind us that hearing people could communicate with each other
via signed language. Signing proved to be an effective tool for communication in various circumstances
during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Given that American Indian Sign Language was widely used
among Native Americans, Captain Lewis obliged to become a signer for this unique socio-cultural
phenomenon. It is also important to understand that the Lewis and Clark Expedition sent by then
President Thomas Jefferson to the Pacific Northwest was peaceful and no one on the expedition team
lost his or her life due to a conflict with Native Americans. I must suggest the possibility that signing
contributed to this positive outcome of such an historic expedition.
I would like to close this President's Note with a special mention of Sacagawea, a Shoshone
woman who was invited to be on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As a Native American, Sacagawea
was described in Dr. Beckham's book as a key player to the success of the expedition. The prevalence
of signing for the Lewis and Clark Expedition is effectively captured in a historical painting (see below)
with Sacagawea communicating to an approaching group of Native Americans on a river.
Understanding that Sacagawea knew the spoken language of her own tribe, she could not use it with
the Native Americans aboard other vessels due to the linguistic differences of spoken languages as
used among tribes. In this situation, the American Indian Sign Language serves as a common
language for inter-tribal communication purposes. As a result, Sacagawea and other members of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition found the American Indian Sign Language to be a valuable asset that left a
mark on American history.
Sacagawea signing
to an approaching
group of Native
Americans on
a river
Source:
https://www.thoughtco.com/ensl
aved-member-lewis-and-clark-
expedition-1773874
Reference: Beckham, S. D. (2003-2006). Lewis and Clark: From the Rockies to the Pacific. Portland, OR: Graphics Arts Center Publishing.
The Power of ASL
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Spring 2018 – Issue 9