La Mont West facts for kids
La Mont West Jr. (born July 2, 1930 – died 2022) was an American anthropologist. An anthropologist is a scientist who studies human societies and cultures. La Mont West Jr. earned his highest degree, a PhD, in anthropology from Indiana University in 1960. He was especially interested in sign languages. He studied these languages among Native American Indians and Aboriginal Australians.
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Studying Sign Languages
La Mont West Jr. was born in Southwest City, Missouri, on July 2, 1930. He went to Cornell University and later to Indiana University. There, he studied anthropology and focused on sign languages. His teachers, Charles F. Voegelin and Alfred L. Kroeber, also cared about this topic.
Plains Indian Sign Language
From 1955 to 1959, West did important research among the Plains Indians. He studied their sign language, which was a very complex way of communicating without words. His research became his PhD paper, called "The Sign Language, An Analysis." This was the most complete study of the Plains Indian Sign Language at that time.
West found that this sign language had two different styles. He also discovered many new signs, increasing the known signs from about 3,000 to 3,500. People sometimes thought that using sign language meant someone couldn't speak English well. However, West found that many people who used sign language were also fluent in English. He also learned that the sign language was spreading. It was even being used in parts of Canada where it hadn't been before.
Australian Aboriginal Sign Languages
La Mont West Jr. also received a special grant to study Australian Aboriginal sign languages. He made his grant money last for two full years of research. He traveled all over Australia, living simply to save money. He preferred to interview the oldest tribal men. He believed they held the most traditional knowledge.
West saw hand languages as complete language systems, even though they existed alongside spoken languages. He worked on creating a system to write down and analyze these sign languages. This helped others understand how they were structured, just like spoken languages.
Recording Music and Ceremonies
While in Australia, West also recorded traditional didgeridoo music played by Aboriginal Elders. These recordings are some of the earliest known. Some of them were even released to the public in 1963 as Arnhem Land Popular Classics. He also spent time at the Lockhart River Mission in Queensland. There, he filmed a local initiation ceremony called bora.
Later Life and Legacy
La Mont West Jr. was known for being a private person. However, he later donated many of the items and materials he collected to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. He lived in Vashon, Washington, USA.
He also used the stage name "Tan Cahil." Under this name, he performed with a group called "Tribal Voices." They released music CDs. La Mont West Jr. passed away in 2022 at the age of 92.
