Who gave you your sign name?

Berry said:
Navajos for sure. I have no Navajo blood, it is Cherokee, Choctaw, and possibly Comanche, but someone in the group married a Navajo, there were several around. I was influenced by their ideas at an early age. One thing that impressed me was they were the only ones who actually spoke their own language. The rest spoke English, many spoke Spanish, and a few spoke French. But on the whole white rules and white culture had erased the native languages of the other groups.
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:confused: Cherokees don't speak Cherokee language? I understand there is a written Cherokee language (courtesy of Sequoyah). There are websites that are devoted to teaching you to speak that language.
 
Buffalo said:
:confused: Cherokees don't speak Cherokee language? I understand there is a written Cherokee language (courtesy of Sequoyah). There are websites that are devoted to teaching you to speak that language.
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That is very true, Cherokee language such as Sequoyah can be learn if the person is interest in speaking or writing the Sequoyah language of Cherokee. Here in our First Nation reserve, the Ojibwe (Anishabwe) are struggling to learn to speak their language as it is almost ready to fade away from our culture. So they have devised a way to keep their language by taping the elders to speak (put them in film) about their life in Ojibwe language. They also have a written Ojibwe language too, so that helps the young people learn how to speak and write in their language (they learn in elementary and high school now). So it is not out of the wood yet. :cool2:
 
jillio said:
Many people assign a negative connotation to "aboriginal" as well. Equate it with "uncivilized" or "backward".
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Thing is, I never seen a Canadian use it in a crude form. I have seen people use "Indian" "Native" in bad forms, but not "aboriginal" or "First Nations." Racism against the First Nations is heavy in Edmonton... although the fact that [the most visible ones] usually get drunk or use needles near the LRT isn't really helpful for their "image."

My first place, alone, was in a bad community of drug addicts, mostly of "native" descendants. I say "native" because that all I ever heard about that particular crowd; the respectful ones are called "aboriginals." Sad. I have huge respect for them in high school, but to see them reinforcing their own stereotypes in the neighbourhood where I got my first place was sad.
 
my old interpreter gave me a sign name when i was in kindergarten. You know how to sign working right? well make a "K" and sign it as you would sign working. the reason why my interpreter gave me that sign name is because i'm always a hard worker. Which is true because I'm in high school, I'm tutoring high school kids for ASL, and i'm in a marching band and will be in World drumline in the end of november [i think]
 
Buffalo said:
:confused: Cherokees don't speak Cherokee language? I understand there is a written Cherokee language (courtesy of Sequoyah). There are websites that are devoted to teaching you to speak that language.
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The schools on the reservations were run by whites, who insisted the children attend, and forbid the use of any language except English. Just as, when I was a child, sign language was forbidden at school, and my CODA friend and I were suspended for using it. Many children grew up ashamed of their parents language and never learned to speak it or lost it over the years. As recently as 2005 a student in Kansas was suspended for speaking Spanish in school.

I am going to start a new thread related to this.
 
LDNanna said:
Back in the day, and I mean waaay back in the day, I assisted midwives. (bear with me here) hahaa! There was a young Mexican woman who gave birth to her first sweet little girl. Since this was the first child, and was a citizen, the family wanted to give her a US name. An auntie came by with a US dictionary. They studied that book a loooong time. Finally - PAH! No joke...against all good advice, would not listen to anyone, they named that baby ... Vagina. No joke. True.
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That reminds me of twim brother I knew back in the 80's. They were in their 80's at the time. I don't know where the minds of the parent were when they were named. Anal & Hymen Vaginellis. True story! They married twin sisters Ann and Helen.
:laugh2:
 
KristinaB said:
That reminds me of twim brother I knew back in the 80's. They were in their 80's at the time. I don't know where the minds of the parent were when they were named. Anal & Hymen Vaginellis. True story! They married twin sisters Ann and Helen.
:laugh2:
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:rofl2: It is really interesting when they tried to find a names for their babies from the US baby book but came up with dictionary words instead of names. I will never understand why parents do that. :scratch: The twins must be very embarrassing themselves over their names. :hmm:
 
Make a shape of a d at your forehead and shoot it straight out away form your forehead and open your hands at the sametime to sign (straight.) the reason for this is because my last name is said the same way as straight.

It's was given to me by Valentine Wojton III
 
Topgun said:
Make a shape of a d at your forehead and shoot it straight out away form your forehead and open your hands at the sametime to sign (straight.) the reason for this is because my last name is said the same way as straight.

It's was given to me by Valentine Wojton III
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That's really nice, but what does it have to do with softball??
 
souggy said:
Thing is, I never seen a Canadian use it in a crude form. I have seen people use "Indian" "Native" in bad forms, but not "aboriginal" or "First Nations." Racism against the First Nations is heavy in Edmonton... although the fact that [the most visible ones] usually get drunk or use needles near the LRT isn't really helpful for their "image."

My first place, alone, was in a bad community of drug addicts, mostly of "native" descendants. I say "native" because that all I ever heard about that particular crowd; the respectful ones are called "aboriginals." Sad. I have huge respect for them in high school, but to see them reinforcing their own stereotypes in the neighbourhood where I got my first place was sad.
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That is very interesting. It is not that way in the parts of the U.S. that I am familiar with. Not to say it is not that way in all parts, as I have not spent significant time in all parts.
 
Berry said:
The schools on the reservations were run by whites, who insisted the children attend, and forbid the use of any language except English. Just as, when I was a child, sign language was forbidden at school, and my CODA friend and I were suspended for using it. Many children grew up ashamed of their parents language and never learned to speak it or lost it over the years. As recently as 2005 a student in Kansas was suspended for speaking Spanish in school.

I am going to start a new thread related to this.
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I remember some American indians on a forum that i used to belong to mentioning that my oral upbringing was similar to what they went tru when I mentioned it to them. I must say much of what they went tru was much more brutal than what deaf went tru but it's still cultural genocide no matter what means you use.
 
deafskeptic said:
I remember some American indians on a forum that i used to belong to mentioning that my oral upbringing was similar to what they went tru when I mentioned it to them. I must say much of what they went tru was much more brutal than what deaf went tru but it's still cultural genocide no matter what means you use.
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:gpost: :gpost:

That is very true and it is all about cultural genocide. Same with our Deaf culture which the Audists tried to destroy so that we must be forced to suffered to learn to lipread and speech. They don't know how to leave us alone the way we are. Geez. :roll:
 
Bottesini said:
That's really nice, but what does it have to do with softball??
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Did I happen to say pitch it or toss it? I didn't think so. besides you do not hold softball up to your head and throw it; clearly that's baseball....

It matches who I am.. I am a straight up guy who speaks his mind and leaves nothing out.
 
Topgun said:
Did I happen to say pitch it or toss it? I didn't think so. besides you do not hold softball up to your head and throw it; clearly that's baseball....

It matches who I am.. I am a straight up guy who speaks his mind and leaves nothing out.
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No. I just wondered why you said a who gave it to you because of his position in sports.

It didn't seem like it made sense. That is why I was curious.
 
Bottesini said:
No. I just wondered why you said a who gave it to you because of his position in sports.

It didn't seem like it made sense. That is why I was curious.
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Yes, I understand that. It's just that I am and I always have been straight with my answers and thoughts. So the name was given to me as a personality treat as being (forward.)
 
I found this thread via Google and apologize if it is inappropriate for a hearing person to ask a question on this board.

I am teaching sign language to my son Ben, who is 2 years 2 months. He has a severe expressive language delay and can speak only a few consonants (b/d/g/m) without any vowel variation. He also has motor planning difficulties and cannot make most letter signs. Even his regular signs are hard to read sometimes, with "cracker" and "love" looking the same.

Since it looks like we will be signing for at least a few years, I would like to give him some sign names for some of the people in our family (all hearing). For instance, he cannot make the sign for "sister," but I could teach him a modified "R" hand combined with "beautiful" or "smart." Also, since he doesn't understand pronouns yet, I could teach him to sign "Ben" as a "B" hand above his head for tall (he's projected to be 6'8").

I realize that a hearing person teaching a hearing person a sign name doesn't directly involve the deaf community, but since we are often out in public, I don't want to offend anyone. So, it is moderately acceptable for me to give sign names when the deaf community is not involved? Or is it tantamount to a Caucasian appearing in blackface?

Thank you for your help,
Dawn
 
I don't really have a sign name. I was given one by CrzyMeg on AD, but I can't remember it. I guess I will just wait until I can get together with other deaf in this area. I haven't found the time to get to the group yet. They have a clubhouse and are there daily . they have Texas Hold-em and Bingo and Fingo each night. Dances monthly and all kinds of things.
 
Welcome to AllDeaf, Dawn. We welcome hearing people, all users of sign language, and friends of the community. Kudos to you for providing Ben any and all means of communicating. I believe it's appropriate for a parent to assign name signs to their family; a 2 year old cannot be expected to spell names and needs to identify them somehow. I don't find it insulting or improper at all. However, I'm no expert. Just sharing my humble opinion. :wave:
 
DeafDoc1 said:
Welcome to AllDeaf, Dawn. We welcome hearing people, all users of sign language, and friends of the community. Kudos to you for providing Ben any and all means of communicating. I believe it's appropriate for a parent to assign name signs to their family; a 2 year old cannot be expected to spell names and needs to identify them somehow. I don't find it insulting or improper at all. However, I'm no expert. Just sharing my humble opinion. :wave:
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I didn't want to say anything, but if she has him use that B for himself, will he get it on the top of his head?

Any lower and he will be calling himself "bastard."

Turn it wrong on top and it will look like he is saying "shark."

:shrug:
 
Thanks, DeafDoc1!

And thanks, Bottesini! I knew about shark, but I had to look up bastard. Pretty funny to think about though -- an ignorant mom naming her son Bastard! Hilarious!

I'll have him keep it above his head, not touching his face.

Thanks for the heads-up and the chuckle!

Dawn
 
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