HIST 333 Diversity in the Deaf Community: Settler Colonialism

This section focuses on Indian Sign Languages and Indigenous Deaf Communities. View the videos in the YouTube playlist linked below. Use the keywords deaf* AND (Native American* OR Indian* OR indigenous) to retrieve book results. You can search by specific tribe names as well. Some Native American tribes have sign language dialects that both Deaf and hearing use and other sign language dialects that Native Deaf Americans use. Onalee Cooper, a Native American from Rochester, NY, has a father who was Chief Clinton Rickard. She donated his biography, which we have in our collection.

Onalee Cooper is a Deaf Native who grew up unaware of her heritage due to communication barriers and infrequent visits to her home while she was a student at the Rochester School for the Deaf. It was not until she retired she became aware of her father's role as a chief fighting for Native rights and became more immersed in the Native culture.