this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
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Map of the various sign languages spoken across Turtle Island, excluding Francosign languages. Plains Sign Language is labelled in red as Hand Talk

Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), also known as Hand Talk, Plains Sign Talk, Plains Sign Language, or First Nation Sign Language, is an endangered sign language common to the majority of Indigenous nations of North America, notably those of the Great Plains, Northeast Woodlands, and the Great Basin. It was, and continues to be, used across what is now central Canada, the central and western United States and northern Mexico. This language was used historically as a lingua franca, notably for international relations, trade, and diplomacy; it is still used for story-telling, oratory, various ceremonies, and by deaf people for ordinary daily use.

In 1885, it was estimated that there were over 110,000 "sign-talking Indians", including Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Sioux, Kiowa, and Arapaho. As a result of the European colonization of the Americas, most notably including American boarding and Canadian residential schools, the number of sign talkers has declined sharply. However, growing interest and preservation work on the language has increased its use and visibility in the 21st century. Historically, some have likened its more formal register, used by men, to Church Latin in function. It is primarily used today by Elders and Deaf citizens of Indigenous nations.

History

Hand Talk's history is intimately associated with both ancient and recent petroglyphs of the continent, however, little is known to academia about Plains Sign Talk's historical antecedents. The earliest records of contact between Europeans and Indigenous peoples of the Gulf Coast region in what is now Texas and northern Mexico note a fully-formed sign language already in use by the time of the Europeans' arrival there. These records include the accounts of Cabeza de Vaca in 1527 and Coronado in 1541.

Signing may have started in the south of North America, perhaps in northern Mexico or Texas, and only spread into the Plains in recent times, though this suspicion may be an artifact of European observation. It is known that there is a complex of Maya sign languages called Meemul Chʼaabʼal or Meemul Tziij in the Kʼicheʼ language, but it is unknown to what extent Meemul Tziij has affected Hand Talk.

The Northwest is home to Plateau Sign Language, which is either a single language or a family of sign languages spoken by the local nations. It is also unknown how associated Plateau Sign Language is with Hand Talk, but it is probable that they are related. Although it is still spoken, especially by the Ktunaxa, the Plateau nations historically shifted to using Chinook Jargon instead

In recent years, the Oneida Nation has taken steps to revive their sign language. Historically, the nations of the Northeast Woodlands, like the Haudenosaunee, spoke a variant of Hand Talk. The Oneida Sign Language Project officially began in 2016, and more signs are being added to this day.

Geography

Sign language use has been documented across speakers of at least 37 spoken languages in twelve families, spread across an area of over 2.6 million square kilometres (1 million square miles). In recent history, it was highly developed among the Crow, Cheyenne, Arapaho and Kiowa, among others, and remains strong among the Crow, Cheyenne and Arapaho.

Melanie R. McKay-Cody, a Cherokee Deaf woman and Hand Talk speaker/researcher, motions that "Plains" Sign Language is actually a family of inter-related languages extending beyond the Great Plains. She breaks down the regional languages as: Northeast Hand Talk (including Oneida Sign Language), Plains Sign Language, Great Basin Sign Language (spoken, for example, by the Ute), and Southwest Hand Talk. She also notes a West Coast language spoken by the Chumash, and she advances the idea that Inuit Sign Language has some relation to this complex of manual North American Indigenous languages. Unmentioned is Coast Salish Sign Language. Within each of these languages, she explains that nations will themselves have specific dialects, such as the Blackfoot.

Southwest Hand Talk is spoken by the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, and Pueblo peoples. However, amongst the Navajo and Keres people, there are two unrelated sign languages also spoken: Keresan Sign Language and, by a Navajo clan with a large number of deaf members, Navajo Family Sign. Likewise, Plateau Sign Language may or may not be related to Hand Talk.

The hidden history of “Hand Talk”

reminders:

  • 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
  • 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes comments over upbears
  • 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
  • 🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can reserve a spot here nerd
  • 🐶 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

(page 7) 50 comments
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[–] SterlingPooper@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago

Dog sitting at my parents' instead of being able to do Pride stuff. If I had queer friends they might wonder where I am.

[–] SterlingPooper@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

5 years since I had a friend group. It's like Thandos snappled them all!

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[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago

An algorithm that detects when you're arguing with someone online and sends you a notification when someone likes their comment

[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 17 points 2 days ago

My gf's dad keeps talking about me bagging my grass when i mow, like, "oh your grass is getting kinda tall, might wanna bag it up" and im pretty sure the man just wants my grass for himself. Ive never mowed the yard without blowing grass all over and it's been fine, the grass just goes back into the yard yknow. This guy wants my grass to compost and that sounds like STEALING NUTRIENTS FROM MY YARD TO ME

[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Every morning i say hello to my roomba, The Goon, in a way that makes me sound like Strongbad

Good morning The Goon! I hope you have a good day edging around the house. Do a good job The Goon or no electricity for YOU

[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

BOY I SURE AM GLAD MY GF BOUGHT A FUCKING ELECTRIC LAWNMOWER THAT CAN'T MOW THE WHOLE FUCKING YARD BEFORE BOTH BATTERIES DIE, I LOVE STANDING AROUND DRENCHED IN SWEAT WITH MY DICK IN MY HAND WAITING FOR A BATTERY TO CHARGE BEFORE I CAN FUCKING TAKE A SHOWER

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[–] silent_water@hexbear.net 17 points 2 days ago (4 children)

heya all! I took a year long break from this website for health reasons - migraines, not even once. the ketamine they gave me to break them was kinda fun though.

anyone wanna hit me with the highlights? any other lemmys implode from interacting with us? struggle sessions? funny threads? hit me with them!

Care-Comrade

[–] Acute_Engles@hexbear.net 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We almost lost the domain to some crypto guys but then it turns out everything is fine

[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago

Lemmee is going to die at the end of the month so thas fun

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[–] goatmeal@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Talk to the hand cuz the face ain't listening

[–] comrade_pibb@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago

I was just thinking about this today

[–] rhubarb@hexbear.net 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

When your bladder is full, nothing quite beats a good piss! (This post has been brought to you by the European Urination Advocay Board)

[–] spudnik@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

This guy's in the pocket of Big Piss!

[–] GladimirLenin@hexbear.net 15 points 2 days ago

Love you all. Goodnight. Tomorrow we start building communism. Rest up, big day ahead.

[–] Edie@hexbear.net 8 points 2 days ago

I fucking hate Copyright. This shit was published 61 years ago. The author died back in 2019. Please, why is it still copyrighted up till 2059. (hey, at least it isn't as bad as This Soviet World)

[–] Moss@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Everyone who goes bouldering also plays Baldur's Gate and Stardew Valley and Minecraft and is very likely to be queer. I do not know why

[–] stink@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 2 days ago

God I wish. My gym is half granola crunchy, half right-wing, with some commies sprinkled in

chopper sound like baby shark cause it go doo doo doo

[–] rhubarb@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

Least drunk Dane live on Summer Game Fest

[–] Rojo27@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

The only thing I like about the really high desk/table at the place I'm covering a shift today is that I can sit under it and its dark and relaxing. The chair here aren't the most comfortable and the lights are a tad bright (same at my usual workplace though).

[–] infuziSporg@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

It seems like reddit-logo loginwalled their whole site some time within the past week.

One step closer to the enclosures of the internet, I guess.

Did they because i was browsing reddit shit from google searches in an incognito tab literally today

[–] miz@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

hahahaah I hope this kills reddit

[–] HarryLime@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

Marcelo Mayer hitting his first MLB home run, in Yankee Stadium no less, is nice but I would like the Red Sox to stop sucking please

[–] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Not like us maybe starts off a little strong by calling drake a pedo repeatedly because the rest of the insults don’t hit quite as hard after. Like oh you’re also a pussy and not particularly masculine doesn’t seem that bad at that point.

[–] UmbraVivi@hexbear.net 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I think the part where he calls him a colonizer hits pretty hard as well

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[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 8 points 2 days ago

Kendrick's issue with Drake is largely about Drake being a culture vulture. K.dot clearly hates Drake as a person, but Not Like Us is a club banger steeped in west-coast culture. It's structured to start hard and be popular (we all wanted to hear him say it) before diving into exactly how Drake co opts culture and a history lesson on Atlanta. Personally I like Euphoria better, but the beef music + the pop out show + dropping one of his best albums 6 months later was unbelievable. Absolutely putting Kendrick in a dominant position in the music industry.

[–] FunkyStuff@hexbear.net 7 points 2 days ago

That's why Euphoria was the best song from the beef, saved the most cutting parts for the end so it could actually ramp up.

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[–] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've been going through it and not hiding it at all (not in my skillset). My boss caught me kicking a trashcan over and shouting cause I was briefly inconvenienced.

The rare occasion where male gender standards of sweeping shit under the rug can be used for good.

[–] Acute_Engles@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

Pretty sure if my boss caught me doing the same it would earn me respect. Everyone gives me shit for never getting outwardly upset

[–] PaulSmackage@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago

Just realized that my "trying a guitar" default riff is a The Replacements deep cut that i don't think showed up on any of their albums.

[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 21 points 3 days ago (2 children)

New Megathread nerds!

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@thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net

@CARCOSA@hexbear.net @Alaskaball@hexbear.net @liberal@hexbear.net @ella@hexbear.net @KiraNerys@hexbear.net @BoarAvoir@hexbear.net @dialectical_analysis_of_gock@hexbear.net @RotundLadSloopUnion@hexbear.net @tls123@hexbear.net @cloudy@hexbear.net @IgnusNilsen@hexbear.net @Lyudmila@hexbear.net

No current struggle session discussion here on the new general megathread, i will ban you from the comm and remove your comment, have a good day/night :meow-coffee:

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[–] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

ITV uploaded a bunch of full episodes of Sharpe for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS93tpv2HoI S1E1 he's like a non-40k rip-off of Ibram Gaunt

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[–] Wheaties@hexbear.net 15 points 3 days ago

bloomer Cuomo might not win the ranked choice ballot in New York

[–] Cimbazarov@hexbear.net 8 points 2 days ago

I really need to stop eating ice cream everyday. Damn you dem

[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 12 points 3 days ago (4 children)
[–] Gorillatactics@hexbear.net 14 points 3 days ago

They love blaming dissent on outside agitators.

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