Insights

Native American Heritage Month: Honoring Deaf Natives and the Legacy of PISL

Recognition of Native American Heritage Month first started in 1986 under President Reagan and began as a week-long celebration overlapping with the week of Thanksgiving. It has since expanded to the entire month of November allowing for celebration and recognition of Indigenous history and contributions to present day United States. Just as Indigenous history is integral to the collective American history, so too is Deaf history. Records and storytelling share powerful tales of the impactful contributions made to Native American and colonial history by Deaf indigenous leaders and community members. This article aims to highlight Deaf Native leaders and stories, the first origins of sign language in the Americas, and to highlight modern preservation of Deaf Native culture.

Deaf Native Leaders and Stories

Deaf Native community members have been woven into American history since its inception. Lewis and Clark’s expedition was equally explorative of Native Deaf culture and signing customs as it was of the North American terrain. Discover Lewis and Clark quote Lewis’s journey log stating, “The means I had of communicating with these people,” wrote Lewis, was by way of Drewyer who understood perfectly the common language of gesticulation or signs which seems to be universally understood by all the Nations we have yet seen[.] it is true that this language is imperfect and liable to error but is much less so than would be expected[.] the strong parts of the ideas are seldom mistaken.^”

Communication Service for the Deaf shares, “According to First People’s Voices, a Deaf man named Black Coyote may have been the first victim of the 1890 massacre at Wounded Knee. He refused to surrender his rifle during a raid conducted by American soldiers and was shot for “ignoring” their orders. It’s difficult to know how many indigenous people are Deaf and hard-of-hearing, but it’s believed that a higher rate of people in Native communities are deaf. A National Center for Health Statistics 2006 survey shows that more 1 in 4 Native people over the age of 18 report some level of hearing loss.”

Deaf Native history has endured largely through rich traditions of oral and signed storytelling, passed down across generations. These stories preserve the memory of Deaf leaders who guided their communities, bridged communication across cultures, and stood resilient in the face of colonial disruption. Their contributions remind us that Deaf Native voices have always been present in shaping history, even when written records overlooked them.

Origins of Sign Language in the Americas

Native Sign Language, commonly referred to as “Hand Talk” has as many variations, regional dialects, and nuances as modern ASL. Plains Indian Sign Language is one of the most commonly used Native Sign Languages, due to the large populations of indigenous across the Midwest. The Potawatami Nation states, “though it is estimated that 110,000 tribal members used PISL in the 1880s, the Start ASL website says that number had already dwindled to a fraction in the 1960s, and today, there are few active users.” The map below illustrates the volume and reach of Native sign languages.

Wyoming Humanities notes, “many of the PISL signs are obvious, such as an index finger pointing upwards to indicate “Up.” Another, for “Come here,” would be familiar to any child about to be scolded by their mother. While in other cases rote memorization is necessary. Many of the signs are ambiguous enough to lend themselves to many interpretations.”

To learn more about PISL and the origins of ASL in the United States, click on the link below to view a short video!

Modern Preservation of Deaf Native Culture

Ultimately, Native parents to Deaf children face the same challenges and choices as non-indigenous parents weighing opportunities for Deaf-centered education away from home and risking the potential loss of culture or local-reservation education without the greater level of signing access. Communication Service for the Deaf interviewed Deaf Native Judy Stout and she shared, “Native people tend to keep their Deaf children at home and shelter them or have them learn a trade. I’m grateful to my parents, who sent me to Deaf school at age 11. Before that, I was mainstreamed with no access. I couldn’t read or write. I was a skilled artist, and I could write cursive, but I didn’t have language.”

Many Deaf Natives keep indigenous signs alive through storytelling and sharing with others. One example of this is Deaf Native American, James Wooden Legs of the North Cheyenne Tribe. Watch below as James shares four Native stories in sign language.

Today, there are ongoing efforts to document and preserve Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) and other Indigenous sign languages, recognizing them as vital threads in both Native and Deaf heritage. Deaf Native communities continue to play a central role in sustaining this cultural continuity, ensuring these languages remain living practices rather than relics of the past. Yet challenges persist—limited documentation, generational language loss, and a lack of visibility in mainstream history all threaten their survival—making preservation and awareness more important than ever.

Native American Heritage Month is not only a time to honor Indigenous history and culture, but also an opportunity to recognize the powerful stories and enduring contributions of Deaf Natives. From the early use of sign language across tribes to the resilience of leaders and storytellers who carried their communities forward, Deaf Native voices remind us that history is richer and more complete when all perspectives are included. As efforts continue to preserve PISL and other Indigenous sign languages, we are called to support visibility, advocacy, and cultural preservation so that future generations can inherit this vital legacy. Honoring Deaf Native communities ensures that their history is not only remembered but continues to thrive.

Q&A

1. What is Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), and why is it significant in Native American and Deaf history?
Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) is one of the oldest documented sign languages in North America, used by multiple Native tribes as a shared form of communication across linguistic and cultural differences. For Deaf Native Americans, PISL provided both cultural connection and accessibility, making it a vital part of both Native American history and Deaf history.

2. How did Deaf Native Americans use PISL to connect with both Deaf and hearing communities across tribes?
Deaf Native Americans used PISL not only to communicate within their own tribes but also to bridge communication with other Native nations. Because PISL was widely understood across the Plains, it gave Deaf individuals a unique role in fostering connection and community, breaking barriers that spoken languages could not.

3. Why is it important to honor Deaf Native voices during Native American Heritage Month?
Honoring Deaf Native voices ensures that the diversity within Indigenous communities is recognized and celebrated. Too often, the stories of Deaf Natives are overlooked, yet their experiences highlight resilience, cultural pride, and the vital role of language in identity. Including Deaf perspectives during Native American Heritage Month gives a fuller, more inclusive picture of history.

4. What role does PISL play in understanding the cultural legacy of communication within Indigenous communities?
PISL demonstrates the innovation and inclusivity of Native cultures, showing how communities valued communication across cultural differences. Its legacy highlights how Indigenous peoples created accessible solutions long before modern interpretations of disability or accessibility, making PISL a cultural treasure that connects the past to present-day Deaf and Native communities.

5. How can schools and organizations include Deaf Native history and PISL in their cultural awareness efforts?
Schools and organizations can highlight PISL in Native American Heritage Month programming, share resources on Deaf Native leaders, and include Deaf voices in cultural presentations. Representation in curriculum, events, and media ensures that Deaf Native Americans are recognized as an integral part of both Native and Deaf histories.