Plains Indian Sign Language II

Plains Indian Sign Language II explores the tradition, development, and usage of the Plains Nations sign language—a combination of ancient language and iconography. Language-diverse Indigenous communities among the various Plains Nations from what is now central Canada, the central and western United States, and northern Mexico used this coded language to traverse territory, identify who they were to a related community, and share stories of adventure.

The artist Warren Realrider (Crow/Pawnee) in the video uses Plains Indian Sign Language to reimagine the experiences of first contact between settlers and First Nations peoples, recontextualizing how we view history and language.