Talking with Hands: Everything You Need to Start Signing Native American Hand Talk - A Complete Beginner's Guide with over 200 Words and Phrases

by Mike Pahsetopah

Explore Native American culture and learn Hand Talk, also known as Plains Indian Sign Language, Plains Sign Talk, and First Nation Sign Language.

In Talking with Hands, professional Native American dancer, storyteller, and educator Mike Pahsetopah reveals the beauty of Plains Indian Sign Language, which was once used as a common language between the Indigenous peoples of the region now generally known as the Great Plains of North America. The language was used for trade, but also for storytelling and by the Deaf community, making it a very common and useful tool in society. Today, only a few native speakers remain.

This beautifully designed book makes practicing Plains Indian Sign Language easy and engaging. Learn the proper positions and motions of this now-rare language with photos and descriptions throughout the pages. Follow along with diagrams to perfect your abilities.

Learn how to use your hands to convey the meanings of over 200 common words. In this detailed guide, you will learn to sign words
  Hungry Camp Evening Angry Fire Owl Together Brave And more
Honor and carry on the culture of the Plains peoples by learning the sign language they shared.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, History

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My, what an interesting find this was! I do know about Sign Language, but I had no idea there was a whole hand-based language by Native Americans. It was very educative, some of the signs in Hand Talk have meanings that I wouldn't have thought of because they're not quite like Sign Language. I've learnt a few, I don't think I'll ever use them, nobody in my circles would get them, but it was fun to learn new things, like what the backstory behind this Hand Talk system is.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[syd]

read this over a couple of slow shifts and it was super interesting. very clear and easy to follow. happy to see the continued preservation of endangered languages

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces readers to Native American Hand Talk, a historic form of sign language that some indigenous people continue to use both for practical reasons and cultural preservation. The author shares his personal story about Hand Talk, introduces history surrounding this method of communication, and teaches readers a great variety of words and phrases, with photographs and short descriptions explaining each one. The pictures are really nice, the writing is clear, and the layout is aesthetically pleasing and easy to follow. This is a great cultural experience book, and I would recommend it to people who are interested in the topic.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[Brent Woo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting, brief introduction to a language I knew nothing about. I thought the section on signs apparently useful for "Council Meetings" was very smart and practical. Something I'm left wondering is how to use any of this information. The author briefly describes that there is an emergence of Plains Indian Sign Language in camps and the school curriculum, but otherwise how can I, as a random person in the northwest, engage with the language and community? Who uses it now? What sites or apps are there for the language? What content is there using the language?

[Jamie Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in a school for the deaf and the blind so naturally I want to know everything I can about the origins of sign language. This was perfect for that! The pictures were amazing. The heartbreaking history was there too.
What a wonderful book!