La Mont West

Who is La Mont West?

La Mont West, Jr. is an anthropologist. He received his PhD in Anthropology from Indiana University in 1960. His dissertation, titled "The Sign Language, An Analysis," was a study of Plains Indian Sign Language.

West received a grant from AIAS to study Australian Aboriginal sign languages. He spent most of his time in Lockhart River Mission, Queensland but also traveled extensively through other parts of Australia. He recorded traditional didgeridoo music by Aboriginal Elders. These are some of the only known recordings, and selections were released commercially in 1963 as Arnhem Land Popular Classics. His work is considered ground breaking and is still referred to in the field of Anthropology.

West attended Cornell University, majoring in economics, from September 1947 to February 1951, and also from February 1955 to to June of 1955. He attended Indiana University as PhD student, majoring in anthropology, from June 1955 to June 1959. He did field work in Australia, then became a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington

Later in life, he donated most of his artifacts to the National Museum of Australia Canberra.

Note: English Linguist Adam Kendon did further research on Australian Aboriginal sign languages.