ASL Resources for Native American Heritage Month

November is designated as National Native American Heritage Month in the United States. We recognize and honor the contributions that indigenous peoples have made to the larger culture. In this video, a Deaf Native American from the North Cheyenne tribe, James Wooden Legs, shares four native cultural stories in ASL. Please enjoy!

Prior to colonization, signing, or “hand talking” was used to facilitate intertribal communication across the American continent. The most common of these signed languages was Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL). We are pleased to share these videos with you so you can see examples of hand talking and see how it compares to American Sign Language.