Native Life: Plains Sign Talk

North America west of the Mississippi was home to hundreds of tribes, each speaking its own language.  Contrary to popular conception, they weren't always raiding and warring on one another.  Trade and diplomacy happened, alliances were forged and agreements made.  They had to communicate somehow.  The solution was a sign language first observed by Spanish explorers in the early 16th century.  The signs were a form of pidgin, a hybrid language that drew from the languages around it to form a means of communicating.  However, the sign language wasn't based on any particular language, but a commonly accepted vocabulary of signs for various words and ideas.  Its use spread from northern Mexico, throughout the Plains and Great Basin tribes and throughout central Canada above the Great Lakes.

As with many Native languages, the number of sign speakers dwindled over the centuries.  Some tribes retained the sign language as part of their own culture, including Blackfoot, Sioux, Arapahoe, Navajo, Crow and Cree, among others.  Today, the sign talk is useful for deaf Natives who wish to communicate in their own language.

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