Plains Indian Sign Language

Uncommon card · No. 139913

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 United States, the 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 storytelling, 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...

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