Hand Talk: The Native American Sign Language that Prior to ASL
Centuries prior to the development of American Sign Language, Native American Sign Language, also called Hand Talk, was developed. It features four essential parameters: hand location, hand movement, hand shape, and hand orientation:
Hand Location: The relates to the positioning of a sign in space. A sign’s meaning can be altered when placed in a different area, for instance in front of one’s face as opposed to in front of the chest.
Hand Movement: This relates to how one's hands move when creating a sign. As an example, in Hand Talk, the signs “afternoon” and “mid-day” are formed in the same way. The only variation is the fact mid-day is stationary, and afternoon shifts from above the head to the side of the head in an arching motion.
Handshape: Each sign takes on a specific shape in the hand, known as a handshape. The handshapes of signs are necessary factors. As an example, the signs for “yes” and “I know” are similar in most aspects with the exception of the handshape; in “yes” the hand forms the characteristic J shape, whilst in “I-know” the hand makes the L shape.
Orientation: This refers to palm position which is noticeable within the Hand Talk words “above” and “add.” Both signs involve utilizing the left-hand to create a base, through which the right-hand rises, and both have identical movements, handshapes, and locations. On the other hand, when signing “above,” the non-dominant hand is positioned palm down, while in “add” the non-dominant hand is palm up.
Hand Talk’s Impact on American Sign Language
No one individual takes recognition for making American Sign Language. Its history reaches straight back to early 19th century, when varieties of signs developed in New England’s Deaf communities. And during the latter portion of that century, Hand Talk impacted the development of ASL, but historians generally dismiss this fact.
Hand Talk comes with regional versions which exist all over North America. Some examples are a northeastern version that ranges over the present-day New England, upper Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic states. Experts consider this version of Hand Talk significantly impacted the creation of American Sign Language. This influence took place within the 19th century through the signing of Native American youngsters who attended the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. An online video titled “The Hidden History of “Hand Talk” presents powerful evidence for Hand Talk’s impact on ASL and US culture.
Nevertheless, regardless of its once-large number of users and powerful impact on American Sign Language, Hand Talk is in decline. This particular effect is caused by the widespread depopulation and Americanization of Native North Americans over the past 200 years. For example, in 1885, around 110,000 Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Sioux, Kiowa, Arapaho, and other tribal peoples utilized Native American Sign Language or Hand Talk. But by the 1960s, merely a portion of this number remained. And in the Twenty-first century, a small amount of active Hand Talk users remained.
Such as the other indigenous languages of North America, Native American Sign Language is decreasing in numbers. But as the quantity of proficient signers might be minimal, the language is still being used to varying degrees by a few members of Siouan and Algonquian tribes.
In addition, activists like Deaf Cherokee researcher Dr. Melanie McKay-Cody of Arizona are working diligently to help keep North American Hand Talk in existence. Dr. McKay-Cody works with tribal groups to assist them to protect their signed languages. She also advocates for Hand Talk to be integrated into the mainstream education of Deaf and Hard of hearing students. It’s hoped that such efforts can help Hand Talk to exist. In this way, forthcoming generations can continue to use and relish the language and understand the rich ethnic tradition from which it originated.
