Science Nation: Indian Hand Talk
James Woodenlegs first learned to communicate using Plains Indians Sign Language from his family, growing up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Also known as “hand 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. Woodenlegs is working with sign language scholars Jeffrey Davis and Melanie McKay-Cody to document and preserve hand talk, one of thousands of the world’s endangered languages.
Media Details
Runtime: 2 minutes 33 seconds
- Topic: History, Science
- Subtopic: Conservation, Native Americans
- Grade/Interest Level: 7 - 12
- Standards:
- Release Year: 2009
- Producer/Distributor: National Science Foundation
- Series: Science Nation
- Report a Problem
Related Media

Science Nation: Doppler on Wheels--The Biggest 'Dish' on the Road

Science Nation: Testing the Waters--1,4-Dioxane in North Carolina's Cape Fear River Basin

Science Nation: Hydraulic Fracturing--Using Scientific Methods to Evaluate Trade-Offs

Science Nation: Giving Robots and Prostheses the Human Touch

Science Nation: CASA Radar Tracks Tornadoes

Science Nation: Biophotonics Poised to Make Major Breakthroughs in Medicine

Science Nation: Off the Water Grid--Energy Efficient and Sustainable

Science Nation: Could a "Thinking Cap" Help Us Learn?

Science Nation: Arctic Soils Key to Future Climate

Science Nation: Hunting for the WIMPS of the Universe