At one point in history, the various tribes in the Plains region developed a shared universal language. But it didn't rely on the spoken word. Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), or Hand Talk, was a complex means of communication that spread over a large swatch of North America. It was a way for deaf people to communicate before the invention of American Sign Language (ASL). Colonial intrusion and assimilation policies caused the number of PISL practitioners to drop off drastically. Now, a handful of PISL speakers are trying to revitalize this unique language.
I went to the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee, to marvel at kids spelling words I had mostly never even heard of. But when you’re at Bee Week, the competitive spelling is merely the tip of the icebee.
Find out more about this episode, get the transcript, and listen to the rest of the Word Play series, at theallusionist.org/beeing. And visit spellingbee.com for all the information about this year's tournament.
Members of the Allusioverse also got daily Beecaps from my time at Bee Week, so if you want to read those, head to theallusionist.org/donate. Plus, you get regular livestreams with me and my collection of reference books, inside scoops into the making of this show, watchalong parties, and the company of your fellow Allusionauts in our delightful Discord community. AND you’ll also be keeping this independent podcast going.
This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with Martin Austwick of palebirdmusic.com.
Our ad partner is Multitude. If you want me to talk winningly about your product or thing on the show, sponsor an episode: contact Multitude at multitude.productions/ads. This episode is sponsored by:
• Understance: comfortable, stylish, size-inclusive bras and undies. Shop the range - there's a big anniversary sale 11-13 June! - and learn about your own branatomy at understance.com. • Babbel, the language-learning app designed by real people for real conversations. Get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/allusionist. • Wildgrain, the subscription box for sourdough breads, fresh pastas, and artisanal pastries that you can cook from frozen in 25 minutes. Get $30 off your first box, PLUS free croissants in every box, when you start your subscription at Wildgrain.com/allusionist or use promo code ALLUSIONIST at checkout. • Squarespace, your one-stop shop for building and running your online empire/new home for your cryptic puzzle that takes months to solve. Go to squarespace.com/allusionist for a free 2-week trial, and get 10 percent off your first purchase of a website or domain with the code allusionist.
Mia talks with James and Gare about the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and their part in the Great Uprising that stretched from 1963-1972.
Quickie with Bob - Drake Equation; News Items: Chang-e-6 Lifts Off from Moon, Adaptogens, Younger Menarche, More Aliens, Metasurface Night Vision; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Megabits and Ancient Pyramids; Science or Fiction
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.
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An email hips the guys to the global conspiracy of the Atlas Network -- a think tank that creates think tanks. Fun Crusher looks for more information on allegations of a serial murderer in Austin. Wayne makes a great point about Ben and Matt's earlier 'get out of trouble with scopolamine' idea. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.
An email hips the guys to the global conspiracy of the Atlas Network -- a think tank that creates think tanks. Fun Crusher looks for more information on allegations of a serial murderer in Austin. Wayne makes a great point about Ben and Matt's earlier 'get out of trouble with scopolamine' idea. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.
Death is one of humanity's great unifiers. Before the dawn of recorded history our species and others like it venerated, feared and honored the dead. The practice of commemorating our loved ones continues today -- and it's become a big business. Join the guys as they delve deeper into the fact, fiction and controversy of the funeral industry to determine whether or not a secret monopoly is at play.
Mental health conditions tops the list of causes for pregnancy-related deaths over a three-year period in a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Calling the problem an “urgent public health crisis”, the Biden Administration is forming a task force to report to Congress about ways to turn the statistics around. We’ll get reports from those who know about mental health treatments for pregnant Native Americans.
At one point in history, the various tribes in the Plains region developed a shared universal language. But it didn't rely on the spoken word. Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), or Hand Talk, was a complex means of communication that spread over a large swatch of North America. It was a way for deaf people to communicate before the invention of American Sign Language (ASL). Colonial intrusion and assimilation policies caused the number of PISL practitioners to drop off drastically. Now, a handful of PISL speakers are trying to revitalize this unique language. 