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submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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”

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Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

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[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago

RG Veda had some really good music in its OST, although I don't think it played much of it during the actual OVA. I'd have to rewatch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSmTHLxhrAk

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

This is composed by Nick Wood who started a music studio in Japan in the late-80s, early-90s and I think worked with the wife of one of the Duran Duran members writing a bunch of music. I also noticed he did the soundtrack for the PC Engine shmup Gate Of Thunder.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

@[email protected], After a week of using that anti-dust spray I did a round two this weekend and there was barely any dust. I think most of the dust that was there was due to me not swapping cloths enough during my first clean last week. So I think I can confirm that it works pretty well. Only thing I would change would be adding like at least 1-2 teaspoons of some kinda' scent/oil to override the white vinegar smell that it'll have for a couple hours.

My room's nicely dust-free for a week+ when I'd sometimes dust on like a Friday afternoon and notice things gettin' dusty again on Monday.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 3 hours ago

Come to think of it I've never lost a fight in my dreams, I either just keep getting more brutal or unleash absolute whimsy to win. I feel these are my 2 settings

[-] [email protected] 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Yeah same for some reason I'm totally unphased by monsters in dreams. Like not long ago I had a dream that a shadow man started oozing out from under my bed and I just stomped the fuck out of him and woke up lmao

[-] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago

IDK how one even fights in a dream. Trying to throw a punch feels like you're in a thick viscous fluid

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago

Someone working at the grocery store i go to has been increasingly clearly trying to flirt with me (made a point to show me pics on their phone of new pants they bought from hot topic, asked if i ever shopped there acted super impressed when I said all of my clothes are from donation bins and asked what anime I liked when I mistook a band logo for the bleach logo and said 'oh theyre anime pants?' As a best guess, I know very little anime and just recognized the logo but had already been asked what ani.e I liked and mentioned I'd gotten into to gundam recently and they said they'd check it out and recommended Eva. I tried to get an age mention by saying I'd seen it priestly way too young when vhs fandubs were a thing cause im pretty sure they're too young and think im like a decade younger than I am, maybe they aren't and id dste anyone who is that interested in me from the start. It's just like...now as a customer should I be like "noticed you've been hitting on me are you at least like...25 or so cause I'm in my early 30s." Or them being at work and aski g me out and me replying with that.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

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.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

Dreamt I was discussing the intricacies of the yakuza games with someone and having a spirited discussion. Wish I could do that but no one I know plays it like I do so I can't discuss what I wanna kiryu-pain

spoiler3 tried to do criticism of the military industrial complex only to fall short on rouge CIA agent while 6 does it forcing most of japan trying and failing to put kiryu down end game. Just something interesting though because it was kiryu's "last" game I feel like it gets lost from the personal narrative. I do find the switch from 6 to 7 and the dissolving of the tojo to be good. Having these games finally have a departure and continuation of the old stories is nice.

I always contend the last game should be able to stand alone as an ending in case the IP is never brought up again. Yakuza 1 ended with so many people dead and kiryu happily adopting haruka to live together then 2 happens and then he's with the cop lady happy ever after then 3 happens and so on. I liked 0 but it being a forgone conclusion kind of messed up my enjoyment. The kiwami remasters are nice and I have come around to being open to 3-5 getting that treatment too

[-] [email protected] 4 points 4 hours ago

If you see someone identical to you, please run away

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[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

I remember back when playing DnD 2.0, the DM mentioned how Drow language was like 20% sign language due to being sneaky and having to navigate the Underdark and all its terrors. Was a fun detail and not sure how well that survived into later editions.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

drow sign language was separated into its own thing from spoken drow at some point but i've never heard of a DM making use of it

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

I know part of the media for the drakengard series is playing the game to get the message across but fuck me does playing drakengard 1 kinda suck. I powered through the first part because kept hearing how great the series is but ran out of juice after a while with how the gameplays. Might just watch a play through and jump to 3 though I hate doing this with games.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours 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

[-] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago

sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night and just feel like time has stopped, like your consciousness snapped wide open for a bit forcing you to reflect on the fucked dream you had. my dream involved fighting some people making amends and seeing one of them being me the other my sibling. Guess it was just seeing the humanity in people kind of vision idk just feeling really odd rn

[-] [email protected] 6 points 5 hours ago
[-] [email protected] 10 points 7 hours ago

My cat doing owl-pissed

[-] [email protected] 4 points 6 hours ago

Spilled like 400mL of smoothie on myself today. I haven't had a big food spill like that in years.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 5 hours ago

Yesterday at my computer - I spilled a significant amount of water from a pint glass. Some of it got into the recessed top of my PC tower where some jacks are. I tried to mop it up as fast as I could be I was a bit too late. The easy access headphone jack got water logged and the poor thing died. I use my headphones for my PC all the time. The good news is I can simply use a jack at the back. And I'm lucky it wasn't something like a smoothie. I can get ants and sugar inside my PC could become a problem.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

That sucks. Glad you have a work-around for now. I have a, like, a glass couch side-table that sits over my desktop tower that's propped up on the floor beside my computer, which should mostly protect against that. Also have two Ghibli handtowels I got off AliExpress hanging nearby 'cause I'm so paranoid about spills near my electronics. I got superglue on my computer monitor once though. I have so little room (and too much stuff) so I use my computer desk as a work surface way more often than I should. Should probably stop eating on it too. Hard habits to break.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 7 hours ago

rewatching s1 of true detective again. holy christ it's so good

[-] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

It really is

[-] [email protected] 7 points 7 hours ago

🙏🙏🙏

[-] [email protected] 5 points 6 hours ago

So my pc broke, idk if it's 100% dead or not but I guess I fucked it up. It was a 8 year old pc, but it still sucks to lose it.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 hours ago

What happened, exactly?

[-] [email protected] 6 points 8 hours ago

I decided to torture myself by going on Reddit and reading posts from Latin Americans about how bad Cuba is and justifying the embargo that’s put it in the position it’s currently in while simultaneously saying Communism did it.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

I was listening to a podcast and it mentioned how a Canadian boy/man went there for vacation in 2015 and got paralyzed in an accident in the water there and he's been there since 2015 at the hospital because it'd be too expensive to bring him back and receive the same level of care or something.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 16 minutes ago* (last edited 15 minutes ago)

Found it. It was Napu Boychuk an Inuit-Canadian boy who was a ballerina dancer who become quadrapelegic, I think. Edit: he got use of his arms partially and legs would move voluntarily at least, no idea where he is now. Hopefully he continues to progress with his movement and stuff and get the best care.

A number of factors weighed on their minds. The distance would prove challenging, and there was an obvious language barrier, although Boychuk had picked up some Spanish through dance. What mattered most, however, was ensuring Boychuk would receive the best care possible.

The children’s mother died of cancer in 2003, after having spent time in four or five different Toronto hospitals. Nothing was wrong with the doctors or nurses, Tuutalik said. The hospitals were just too big.

“When my mother was there, she was just a number. Not a human being, not a person, not a woman with cancer,” she said.

Cira Garcia hospital in Havana, in contrast, is small and intimate. The staff is made up of highly professional, well-meaning people. Tuutalik describes them as “angelic,” and in an interview with the CBC, Dan Boychuk said the level of care in Cuba is “second to none in the world.”

“He would never get his kind of care in Toronto,” he and Tuutalik wrote in Facebook post on Jan. 3.

Dan explained further in an email: “The Cuban health care system leads in medical care generally and there are many who come from Canada and other countries to have surgery, not only for spinal problems but a vast array of medical conditions.”

-bourgeois Canadian newspaper that's trying really hard to thread the needle between "socialized healthcare bad, but Canada better than Cuba"

[-] [email protected] 4 points 7 hours ago

"stop hitting yourself"

[-] [email protected] 15 points 10 hours ago

I d/l'd and opened the pdf for Trans Liberation, and adobe acrobat gave me this message at the top

"Don't bother yourself with reading a book, just let the racism machine spit out vaguely related words at you" lenin-rage

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[-] [email protected] 9 points 9 hours ago

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

[-] [email protected] 9 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours 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

[-] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago

Drakenier series is actually part of the kaiju genre, and is in fact its highest development. Giant androgynous demon mother falls from the sky, kills off humanity with a mass pollution (fallout/microplastic/mako) event, failure of international governance, men become obsolete, and mankind is replaced by (female/genderless) machine intelligence. The reason Yoko Taro wears the Emil mask is to hide the fact that she is actually Nyx Land.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Thank God my friend hit me up to go to the punk rock show or I probably would've chickened out again

Hope my allergies do not destroy me on the bike ride there

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[-] [email protected] 7 points 10 hours ago

it is june 7 and stalin saved the world from fascism

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this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
90 points (100.0% liked)

chapotraphouse

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