Reclaiming Plains Indian Sign Language

IN THIS EMAIL:

- Learn about Plains Indian Sign Language, also known as Hand Talk, which was used by generations of Indigenous Peoples to communicate across languages and landscapes

- Read about the scientists equipping bees with backpacks to learn more about their movement, behaviour and habitat choices

- Listen to our latest Explore podcast episode with David Mearns and Antoine Normandin, who take us behind the scenes of the search for Quest

- Looking for your next getaway? Discover more about Maple Leaf Adventure's expedition cruise around Vancouver Island's north coast with RCGS Ambassador John Wright

Hand talk: Reclaiming Plains Indian Sign Language

Plains Indian Sign Language was used by generations of Indigenous Peoples to communicate across languages and landscapes. Now, it’s being reclaimed.

By Alanna Mitchell with photography by David Stobbe

One summer, when the theatre artist Floyd Favel was in his early 20s, he went to a Sun Dance ceremony in the Qu’Appelle Valley of southern Saskatchewan. An Assiniboine Elder from Montana spotted him and gestured for him to come over.

Intrigued, Favel did. The Elder made more gestures with his hands. Favel was astounded. “And so I asked him, ‘Do you know that sign language?’ And he said, ‘Yes!’ And I said, ‘Show me some more signs!’ And so he showed me some more signs.”

As a child and young man, Favel, whose first language is Cree, had seen his Deaf grandmother, Philomine Star, make similar gestures. But it was a revelation to him to see an Elder from a different part of the Prairies who was not Deaf use the same motions to communicate.

Bees with backpacks

A group of scientists are learning more about bees — by fitting them with tiny trackers

By Abi Hayward with illustrations by David Wysotski

In a grassy meadow in Cambridge, Ont., blooming with native plants and surrounded by forest, a low hum fills the air. It’s a warm spring day and fuzzy eastern bumblebee queens are hard at work gathering pollen for the colony. But take a closer look and you’ll notice that some of them are wearing… backpacks?

These backpacks are actually radio trackers — a tool used by post-doctoral fellow Amanda Liczner of the University of Guelph to learn more about the bees’ movement, behaviour and habitat choices. Surprisingly, as Liczner will tell you, there’s a lot we still don’t know about bumblebees.

EXPLORE PODCAST

How the Quest was found

World-renowned shipwreck hunter David Mearns and lead researcher for the RCGS Shackleton-Quest Expedition Antoine Normandin take us behind the scenes of the search for Quest

Welcome to the second part of our series on the RCGS Shackleton-Quest Expedition. Today, we’re delving into the intriguing details of the successful hunt for Quest, the last ship of the legendary polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. The discovery of this shipwreck holds a significant place in maritime history.

In this episode, we get a bit more into the nitty-gritty of the hunt, talking to David Mearns, the expedition’s search director, and his associate director, Antoine Normandin, who did the research and math that helped pinpoint Quest’s location in the vast Labrador Sea.

Canadian Geographic Adventures

Departing July 21, 2024
Explore Vancouver Island’s rugged and beautiful north coast. Go beyond our classic Wild Side itinerary and dive deeper into learning about weather systems and local culture.

Highlights of this voyage include the Brooks Peninsula, Solander Island, Kyuquot Sound, lush inlets and sandy beaches, as well as a cruise around the northernmost tip and on the protected eastern coast. Wildlife commonly spotted on this voyage includes otters, black bears, whales, sea lions, and seabirds.

Exploring northern Vancouver Island by boat with Maple Leaf Adventures

Spotting otters, wolves and orcas on a small-ship adventure on Vancouver Island’s wild west coast
By George Kourounis