462 SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 
and down and from side to side as though covering a corpulent body. 
This sign is also used to indicate the Gros Ventres of the Prairie or At- 
sina. (Dakota I.) 
Make the sign of cutting the throat. (Kutine I.) As the Assinaboins 
belong to the Dakotan stock, the sign generally given for the Sioux may 
be used for them also. 
With the right hand flattened, form a curve by passing it from the top 
of the chest to the pubis, the fingers pointing to the left, and the back 
forward. (Shoshoni and Banak I.) “ Big bellies.” 
ATSINA, LOWER GROS VENTRE. 
Both hands closed, the tips of the fingers pointing toward the wrist 
and resting upon the base of the joint, the thumbs lying upon and 
extending over the middle joint of the forefingers; hold the left before 
the chest, pointing forward, palm up, placing the right, with palm down, 
just back of the left, and move as if picking small objects from the 
left with the tip of the right thumb. (Absaroka 1; Shoshoni and Banak 
I.) ‘Corn-shellers.” 
Bring the extended and separated fingers and thumb loosely to a point, 
flexed at the metacarpal joints; point them toward the left clavicle, and 
imitate a dotting motion as if tattooing the skin. (Kaiowa 1; Comanche 
III; Apache 11; Wichita II.). “They used to tattoo themselves, and 
live in the country south of the Dakotas.” 
See also the sign of (Dakota I) under ASSINABOIN. 
BANAK. 
Make a whistling sound “phew” (beginning at a high note and ending 
about an octave lower); then draw the extended index across the throat 
from the left to the right and out to nearly at arm’s length. They used 
to cut the throats of their prisoners. (Pai-Ute I.) 
Major Haworth states that the Banaks make the following sign for 
themselves: Brush the flat right hand backward over the forehead as 
if forcing back the hair. This represents the manner of wearing the 
tuft of hair backward from the forehead. According to this informant, 
the Shoshoni use the same sign for BANAK as for themselves. 
BLACKFEET. (This title refers to the Algonkian Blackfeet, properly 
called SArsikaA. For the Dakota Blackfeet, or Sihasapa, see under 
head of DAKOTA.) 
The finger and thumb encircle the ankle. (Long.) 
Pass the right hand, bent spoon-fashion, from the heel to the little toe 
of the right foot. (Burton.) 
