May 17, 2010

Historical films, field work reveal more about endangered Native American language

James Woodenlegs first learned to communicate using Plains Indians Sign Language from his family, when he was growing up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Known as “hand talk” or “sign talk,” the language has been used by both deaf and hearing Indians from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico for at least 200 years, possibly much longer.

Full story here:

https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/indianhandtalk.jsp