this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2025
98 points (99.0% liked)

chapotraphouse

13877 readers
786 users here now

Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.

No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer

Slop posts go in c/slop. Don't post low-hanging fruit here.

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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 3) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] CocteauChameleons@hexbear.net 21 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Apparently its wrong to attack the leader of a mafia that extorts medication for the sick and disabled, and the supporters of a genocidal regime. Guess I took the wrong message from those superhero movies this country financed.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 10 points 5 days 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.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Took a peek at Twitter. I saw a lot of self-proclaimed leftists acting like the conservative strawman of liberals. I hurry back to Hexbear.

[–] oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net 15 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Like, writing 5 full length replies about oppression in response to a guy's 5 word tweet (correctly) correcting a word. Or talking about how misgendering is more important than Gaza.

The worst thing though was when a bunch of "communists" replied to a right-wingers tweet about the USSR with agreement.

I can get Slammer's memes from the blog, so the only account I was mildly interested in is aldanmarki, who is suspended. Trying to look beyond that was a mistake.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Oh, I'm sorry, you thought this was your megathread? (Haughty chuckle)

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CrawlMarks@hexbear.net 16 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

My Spanish is not very good. A middle adult age mexican coupple is moving into the appartmnet in the building here. I helped them carry their oversized heavy ass folding couch up a few flights of stairs and get it in their unit. Then I gave them some beers. It is what marx would have wanted

[–] DragonBallZinn@hexbear.net 9 points 5 days ago

I’ve grown to love pineapples as of late.

For whatever reason, kid me didn’t like them that much but if I appreciate one thing about adulthood is that foods like pineapples, strawberries, blueberries all appeal to me.

[–] rhubarb@hexbear.net 11 points 5 days ago

Anyone down to do some phallocentric communication later today?

[–] DragonBallZinn@hexbear.net 6 points 4 days ago

Ugh i got sick….again.

Can I please stop catching colds all the time? Why is my immune system so weak?

[–] thelastaxolotl@hexbear.net 16 points 5 days ago (2 children)

This is what the Kkkore WorldSS truly fear

tweet

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] MF_COOM@hexbear.net 8 points 5 days ago (11 children)
load more comments (11 replies)
[–] Wmill@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days 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

[–] SpiderFarmer@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

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.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Wmill@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days 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.

[–] ratboy@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

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

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Blockocheese@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago (7 children)

Tried converting an epub to kepub (epub for kobo ereaders) and it actually makes the reading experience so much better comfy

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

better how? I always use epubs. am I missing out?

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] LocalOaf@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

The riff in +rodä läppar, söta äpplen+ by Vildhjarta with the bent harmonics might be one of the coolest riffs I've ever heard

thall

[–] Comrade_Mushroom@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Anyone able to recommend some easy-to-watch anime? Just finished watching Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan and found it very enjoyable. Anything out there with a similar low-stakes, laid back vibe? I don't watch a ton of anime so I don't know where to look.

load more comments (6 replies)
[–] BanSwitch2Buyers@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

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.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Carl@hexbear.net 11 points 5 days ago

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

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (4 children)

I found a 1 GB MicroSD card stuck in a full-size SD card adapter while rummaging through a desk today. How adorable

Didn't even realize MicroSD cards ever came in such small sizes

[–] VHS@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I remember paying $20 for a 2GB sd card in the 2000s. I think Sansa MP3 players were using MicroSD as early as 2006

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] BanSwitch2Buyers@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Make sure to save it. Might be handy or old hardware that has weird SD card size limits.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] UmbraVivi@hexbear.net 17 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Between walking my dog every day and now going to the gym 5-6 times a week, nobody can tell me I live a sedentary lifestyle anymore. catgirl-happy

[–] BanSwitch2Buyers@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

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

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Keld@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Someone I know has been hired to play D&D with people as a form of therapy. The idea is cool. The DM is one of the therapees (What do you call a person who receives therapy? Patient seems the wrong word considering the intervention is D&D). Does the group also do other forms of group therapy, I wonder (If so it's not my acquaintance who is responsible for that. They play D&D with the group). I should ask them about the mechanics, but I only vaguely know them and it feels weird to contact an acquaintance just to ask about the mechanics of their job.

[–] BanSwitch2Buyers@hexbear.net 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

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

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›