Whistled Speech Among kickapoo Indians in Mexico
Encyclopedia
Whistled speech
is a system of whistled communication that allows subjects to transmit and exchange a potentially unlimited set of messages over long distances.
state of Coahuila
. Kickapoo whistle speech is a substitute for spoken Kickapoo in which the pitch
and length of vowels and vowel clusters are represented while vowel qualities and consonants are not.
was employed around 1915 by young members of the Kickapoo tribe. These individuals wanted to be able to communicate without their parents’ understanding.
purposes. Young men and women rendezvous using whistle speech each evening as a cultural tradition
. The whistling can be heard from dusk to as late as midnight every evening. Messages mostly consist of phrases such as “I’m thinking of you” and “Come on.”
Whistled language
Whistled languages use whistling to emulate speech and facilitate communication. A whistled language is a system of whistled communication which allows fluent whistlers to transmit and comprehend a potentially unlimited number of messages over long distances...
is a system of whistled communication that allows subjects to transmit and exchange a potentially unlimited set of messages over long distances.
Whistled speech among the Kickapoo
Whistled language occurs among the Kickapoo Indian tribe living in the MexicanMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
. Kickapoo whistle speech is a substitute for spoken Kickapoo in which the pitch
Pitch (music)
Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
and length of vowels and vowel clusters are represented while vowel qualities and consonants are not.
History
The system of whistlingWhistling
Human whistling is the production of sound by means of carefully controlling a stream of air flowing through a small hole. Whistling can be achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips and then blowing or sucking air through the hole...
was employed around 1915 by young members of the Kickapoo tribe. These individuals wanted to be able to communicate without their parents’ understanding.
Technique
In order to produce whistle speech, the Kickapoo Indians cup their hands together to form a chamber. Next, they blow into the chamber with their lips placed against the knuckles of their thumbs. In order to alter the pitch of their whistle, the Kickapoo Indians lift their fingers from the back of the chamber.Use of Whistle Speech Among Kickapoo Indians
Among the Kickapoo Indian tribe in Coahuila, Mexico, whistled speech is employed primarily for courtshipCourtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
purposes. Young men and women rendezvous using whistle speech each evening as a cultural tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
. The whistling can be heard from dusk to as late as midnight every evening. Messages mostly consist of phrases such as “I’m thinking of you” and “Come on.”