THE NAIGAJE
Hand-Signs of the Great Plains: A Cross-Species Bridge
In this intriguing linguistic revelation, reptiliandude claims that sign language is the primary mode of communication for his species and their relatives. He reveals that they intentionally introduced these signing systems to Native American tribes—specifically the Iroquois and the Plains Indians—to test humanity’s capacity for non-verbal communication, a project that was highly successful until European-introduced plagues decimated the populations involved. DestinyAcension notes the practical benefits of this discovery, suggesting that because humans lack the vocal apparatus to properly mimic reptilian speech, these historic indigenous sign languages could serve as a vital “meaningful interaction” bridge between the two species today.
THE NAIGAJE
Hand-Signs of the Great Plains: A Cross-Species Bridge
In this intriguing linguistic revelation, reptiliandude claims that sign language is the primary mode of communication for his species and their relatives. He reveals that they intentionally introduced these signing systems to Native American tribes—specifically the Iroquois and the Plains Indians—to test humanity’s capacity for non-verbal communication, a project that was highly successful until European-introduced plagues decimated the populations involved. DestinyAcension notes the practical benefits of this discovery, suggesting that because humans lack the vocal apparatus to properly mimic reptilian speech, these historic indigenous sign languages could serve as a vital “meaningful interaction” bridge between the two species today.
Image: A 1900 newspaper illustration claiming to showcase several of the signs of Plains Indian Sign Language (Photo by Lincoln County leader – LOC via Wikimedia Commons)
Source: RD (via GT), "Put your questions here so Reptiliandude can find them!" r/reptiliandude, Reddit, (28 June 2017) https://www.reddit.com/r/reptiliandude/comments/6jvn4t/put_your_questions_here_so_reptiliandude_can_find/
Bluedragon11200: Are you aware of other races that use signed languages? If yes how do they compare to the variety of signed languages on Earth?
Also since bilingualism is more common than being bimodal on Earth, are there other races that have a wider variety of modes language wise?
If yes how much of these race’s people take advantage of these other modes of communication?
reptiliandude: Odd that you would ask that question… Most species related to my own use a common sign language to communicate. We actually encouraged this among native Americans to see if you could pick up on such a thing and it became so popular that it actually exceeded our expectations right up until the contagion that wiped out so many millions prior to the European colonization.
DestinyAcension: Are there any records of this particular type of sign language that could be used to communicate between our species? It makes me think this method of communication would be preferable seeing as how we cannot vocalize your words properly or atleast not enough to be effective in conversation.
reptiliandude: Examine the sign language of the Iroquois and the Indians of the Great Plains. We will understand you.
DestinyAcension: Thank you. One day I hope we can get around this wall of reeds and on to more meaningful interactions.
Admin Note:
Indigenous Language Statistics (USA & Canada)
While the conversation focuses on the origins of these languages, the current state of Native American and First Nations communication involves a mix of spoken and signed varieties:
| Group / Category | Estimated Number of Speakers/Users | Notable Linguistic Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) | < 100 fluent traditional users | Once a lingua franca for dozens of tribes. |
| Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Speakers | ~15,000 | Includes Mohawk, Oneida, and Seneca. |
| Navajo (Diné) Speakers | ~170,000 | The most spoken indigenous language in the US. |
| Total Indigenous Languages (Americas) | Over 800 distinct languages | High levels of bilingualism with English/Spanish. |
Research suggests that PISL (Plains Indian Sign Language) is one of the few historically documented non-vocal communication systems used by hearing people for trade and storytelling, aligning with reptiliandude’s claim regarding its cross-cultural utility.
