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Transcription: [00:06:40]
{SPEAKER name="Jan DeLap/Shirley Schultz (interpreter)"}
You all have names, given to you by your parents. We were given names when we were born, but we also have name signs.
[00:06:51]
Mine is J for Jan, why? Because my first name is Jan. And I was given this name sign with the letter J. Everyone, every deaf person has their own individual sign.
[00:07:15]
Usually they get it at school, the residential school, from other children. When they first get into school the kids would say, "Ahh, you're new, what's your name?" And they'd say "Steve" and they'd say "Steve, huh?"
[00:07:33]
to another kid, "this kid's named Steve, we're gonna need a name sign for him." We don't want to spell his name all the time, every time. So it's easier to have a name sign. So, hmmm
[00:07:45]
how about that? S, Steve. You can decide with the first letter of the name, or the first letter of the last name.
[00:07:56]
For instance B, uh, that could be a sign name. Or B there, or a B there. Different places on the body.
[00:08:09]
Do you have a name sign? Yeah. She has a name sign. Her name is Libby. What's your name sign? L. Where did you get it? Says from my parents, they gave me that sign.
[00:08:26]
Her parents are deaf. And that's another place where you get name signs! From deaf parents. From schools, and also from counselors, or supervisors at the school, house parents, from people that you work with, deaf friends will give you name sign, um, let's see.
[00:08:49]
Another reason. Sometimes we have name signs related with a family. Can you give one story of the history of a family? Said yes, I know one family, mother is deaf, this is her sign. Nona. She has three daughters, the oldest one is Karen, same sign, K with a K, second one is Janet, and the third baby sister is Doris, same position with a D.
[00:09:21]
She, the first daughter had four children. Eric is the first, Judy the same position with a J, Chad, same position with a C, and Keith same position with a K.
[00:09:38]
The second daughter Janet had one daughter, signed R like that. The third had three children. Juun... Joanne... Joan, Jessica JC like that on the same position and Jimmer with a JR on the same position.
[00:10:02]
So each of them were uh, the positions were classified by families, with the change in the initials. And Dick?
[00:10:15]