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:

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Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

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[–] GladimirLenin@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Wheaties@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago

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

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

contrapoints is posting through people reminding her of that time she did a show with a war criminal.

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[–] AnarchoBolshevik@lemmygrad.ml 14 points 1 week ago (5 children)

https://red.ngn.tf/comments/1l3sq27/_/mw6zcw9

I almost want to chuckle at these moderate Herzlians sloooowly realizing that the war on Gaza is not only a waste of time but a horrible atrocity.

the longer this has gone on, the worse and less defensible everything has gotten.

A pro-pally will accuse Israel of genocide now. I'll ask why they think that. Then they'll pull up an interview of a Likkud member saying that "palestinian babies are enemies", and then another of IDF soldiers making light of flattening a neighborhood, and like... I can't make a rebuttal to that because, yeah, it is genuinely fucking heinous. Then I see more reports of more civilians dead, and more reporters killed. And now they are threatening a flotilla bringing in humanitarian supplies?

The time to be outraged is far past due now, buckos. There were plenty of hints yesteryear and the year before that one that this was going to be an extermination campaign, but you preferred to bury your heads in the sand and deploy the usual Herzlian talking points (e.g. ‘Hamas uses human shields’).

If you still aren’t going to reexamine either Zionism or the alternatives thereto then I am just going to laugh when I see you infighting.

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[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 14 points 1 week 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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[–] Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net 13 points 1 week ago

Elon saying “Trump wouldn’t have won without me” has been interpreted by the libs to mean he’s admitted to rigging the election.

[–] rhubarb@hexbear.net 13 points 1 week 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)

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[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Apparently one GameStop store used a stapler to attach receipts to Switch 2 boxes and the staple ruined the screen...another person commented their unit and others were affected at the same store

its funny how companies now do bad packaging just to give an "opening experience" to the buyer

[–] Wheaties@hexbear.net 13 points 1 week ago

I heard an interview with a guy who's spent like a decade working with a bunch of different companies to reduce wasteful designs and single use plastics in packaging. Then he watched it all evaporate as iPhone unboxing videos took off.

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[–] HarryLime@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week 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

[–] Goblinmancer@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] SterlingPooper@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week 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.

[–] FuckyWucky@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (4 children)
[–] Gorillatactics@hexbear.net 14 points 1 week ago

They love blaming dissent on outside agitators.

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[–] CrispyFern@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

There is no order to the stages of grief

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[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago

storm's a brewin'

[–] LanyrdSkynrd@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

When I was 12 or 13 I used BBS's, which was like a proto-internet kind of thing where your computer would dial in to other people's computers. They had games, message boards and file downloads.

Anyway, I met this guy who lived in my town through one of these. His handle was "Violator". I asked my mom to bring me to his house to hang out. She drove me, a teenager, to where this 35 year old man lived in an RV behind his parents house.

I was not molested, but looking back on it, I cannot believe my mother let me go.

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[–] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago

🙏🙏🙏

[–] Moss@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week 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

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[–] CrispyFern@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Did you know? They're reforming the Dawnguard.

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[–] hexaflexagonbear@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (6 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.

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[–] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago

The Hooters discussion today reminded me of this little gem. Maybe not worksafe, but not for the reasons you'd think. Just some next level irony and dark humor.

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

My cat still hasn't peed

He has been very lethargic all day. I am not sure if it's the muscle relaxants or if he is in pain/obstructed again.

If I take him back to ER they will want to admit him and I can't pay 5k. When I tell them that they will kill him.

All I can do is pump him full of fluids and hope that he pees. Come on buddy please pee

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ok he is in his litter box. He is having a very hard time.

I'm sure he is scared and in pain from the catheter. Come on pal you can do it

[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 14 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Oh my God he peed

He had a REALLY hard time. And it was a tiny amount. But he peed.

Very much not out of the woods but a massively positive sign. If he pulls through this I'm getting his ass pet insurance

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[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I sense a shift in Bluesky in just the last few hours. I said I Newsom shouldn't have rolled over and he needed to do something. A lib actually had the gall to tell me "What do you want Newsom to do?" I hate that argument at Reddit because talking more is most likely pointless. At Bluesky the character limit is so low that the "what do you want" gibe is the lib working hard to nuke the convo from orbit.

It was pointless but I said I wasn't a lawyer but of course Newsom could sue, delay, etc. No replies yet. And I assume I won't get any.

---

Edit

I was wrong. The lib made a couple thoughtful replies and said he wasn't a lawyer either. But he's trying to get me to wade into this shit.

It's not the california guard, it's the national guard of california. it is under the control of the state adjutant general...

I have no idea what the "state adjutant general" is. And I'll be fucked if I'm going to learn. Oh, well. That convo is over.

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[–] BanSwitch2Buyers@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Guy who refers to just taking entire tracks and selling them as your own as "sampling"

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[–] Carl@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago

been listening to this one particular smooth jazz playlist while doing ridesharing... man these people play "the riff" in every single song.

[–] Blockocheese@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

For the longest time I was convinced Steph Curry was 5'7" and was so impressed that he played professionally against all those giant men

I just found out he's 6'2" what the fuck

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[–] KnilAdlez@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I can't believe that we as a society just let the nft bros walk free. You should get a phone notification with exactly how much they paid for a picture of a monkey every time you talk to them.

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[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

while misgendering is on my mind idk if i posted about it but shout out to the time my dad was like "you know she's a girl dog" the time i called my dad's dog buddy jesse-wtf

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[–] Assian_Candor@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (9 children)

My cat was definitely dying yesterday so I said fuck it and took him to the ER to be admitted. Threw the 5k on the credit card. Not ideal but I would not have forgiven myself if I hadn't at least tried.

They say there's no guarantee it will unblock him and I definitely can't do any surgery so it's this or bust. But I would have never forgiven myself if I hadn't tried everything in my means.

It's such a strange position to be placed in, having to answer the question, "how much is this animal's life worth?"

Like there has to be a limit. But it's such a fucked up calculation to have to do when a loved one is in distress, and that is what they are ultimately.

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[–] rhubarb@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago

Anyone down to do some phallocentric communication later today?

[–] Parzivus@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (6 children)
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[–] peppersky@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Imagine living in a world in which everything that exists isn't constantly and relentlessly squeezed for ever growing profit.

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[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Why does every dinosaur related merch have to be Jurassic World branded kitty-cri

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[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The deployment of the California National Guard might end up being a first step if federal agents are attacked again in Los Angeles, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said tonight, adding that he might deploy U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton in San Diego County to support federal law enforcement.

"They are on high alert," he said.

The idiots designed it so I can't link to a specific update. All I can do is link to the live updates page itself.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/paramount-california-home-depot-protest-rcna211650

[–] KuroXppi@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] miz@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago

im in a hole of despair, it's corrosive living in a society that is attacking children's entertainers for saying we shouldn't hurt kids

I fucking hate it here

[–] WizardOfLoneliness@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

what the fuck was wrong with the writers of The Walking Dead that made them constantly introduce and then kill off likeable characters but then like the absolutely insufferable characters stick around FOREVER

I'm so sick of Gabriel and I want him to just fucking die already but woops, nope, he lives until season fucking 11 or some bullshit?? Christ on a cracker, fuck, he literally tried to die twice in this fucking episode ahhhhhh god damn it. Meanwhile it's like one more season until they kill Glenn, a character who is actually likeable

WILL NO ONE RID THIS SHOW OF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST

edit: oh my god they never kill him fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[–] forcefemjdwon@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago

Heartbreaking—dialectical materialist arbitrary applies negation of the negation, upholds vulgar dyad

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 10 points 1 week ago (8 children)

I found a small lizard in my bathroom. I googled how to catch him but - of course - google was shit and it wasted my time. I ended up using an old tofu container and a dust mop which is very soft.

I felt like the biggest idiot in the world. This is my plan? Yet within 30 seconds I had him. With the mop I somehow gently flipped him into the container. And then with equal care I pinned him to the side of the container. I was worried he'd fall to the floor and get badly hurt. But he didn't move. I got him to the front door, opened it, put the container down, and he scampered away.

I made a mistake and I'm very lucky he didn't fall to the floor. If I do this again - I'll add a book to my toolkit. After put him in the container - I'll use the book as a cover so he can't escape prematurely.

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