yes all the automatic floor shift cars are like this. to save money and to avoid having to make a different column, when you upgraded to a floor shift. The shifter and indicator collar was not used on the column and was replaced with a smooth collar. but the whole mechanism was still used for the neutral safety switch and backup lights (column/shift lock in 69). So gm used a linkage from the transmission to the column to rotate the collar to actuate the safety switches and backup lights.
If its disconnected from the trans, try it. rotate the collar and see where it will and wont allow the car to start and where the backup lights come on.