Before English, Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) was the lingua franca among diverse Plains Native American groups, as well as a vital means of communication for deaf and hard of hearing Native Americans. PISL is now endangered, though revitalization efforts are underway in tribal communities across the country. Two fellowships from the NEH’s Documenting Endangered Languages program have allowed linguist Jeffrey Davis to help further these efforts by creating a PISL digital archive.
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Davis’s primary goal was to consolidate and digitize the existing archival documentation of PISL, much of which is housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Non-tribal historical documentation of PISL was early and extensive, including drawings from the 1870s and films from the 1930s. Davis’s first DEL fellowship allowed him to completely digitize this documentation; his second allowed him to put the archive online and make it fully accessible to tribal members and the wider public. In addition to the historical research, NEH funding allowed Davis to do contemporary fieldwork, documenting PISL among those who still use it today. This work increased knowledge and awareness of PISL within Native communities and internationally; in particular, it has helped make the case that PISL is a legitimate form of sign language, like American Sign Language and other varieties. Davis was able to complete the archive thanks to NEH funding, which allowed him to take a break from his teaching duties at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and give the project the time and attention it required.
This short documentary, produced by Thomas Truong and Heesu Seo, features the project.
Davis’s time creating the PISL digital archive also generated a wealth of historical and linguistic knowledge about the language, leading him to author a book, Hand Talk: Sign Language among American Indian Nations and two peer-reviewed journal articles. This research has also been the basis for several dissertations and master’s theses since the grant period ended.