Re-Centering Hand Talk in the History of North American Signing

Abstract: The common narrative about signing in North America starts in 1817 when Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded a school for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, providing the birthplace for American Sign Language. But long before ASL emerged, Indigenous peoples had been signing here for generations. Hand Talk , the collective term for Indigenous signed languages of North America, is used by both deaf and hearing members of Indigenous communities across the continent. The goal of this article is to raise awareness of Hand Talk, and to encourage individuals to share their knowledge of Hand Talk in contexts where they previously did not. By making Hand Talk a part of our shared understanding of signing in North America, we will improve opportunities for language reclamation efforts and repair the history of signing that is rooted in this land.