In 1978, Kendon began his initial work on gathering Aboriginal sign language material.
[1] During this time, he travelled to many areas within the North Central Territory, documenting the sign languages of the Warlpiri, Waramungu, Mudbura, Anmatyerre, Kaytej, and Djingili, including trips to Tennant Creek, an area where Warlmanpa is located.
[1] On his second visit to Tennant Creek, Kendon, along with fellow researchers, gathered a vocabulary of about 900 Warlmanpa signs.
In addition, the majority of signs are performed with only one hand and the range of handshapes and body locations used are significantly different.
Traditional practices in Warlmanpa society, such as initiation ceremonies or mourning, often place limitations on (or even restrict) the use of speech.
For young males in Aboriginal society, an initiation ceremony signifies their transition into manhood.
Restrictions are placed on communication and behavior as a male undergoes this process and a state of "semi-death" is observed (since the dead cannot speak).