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Which ideas and objects could be expressed in Plains Indian sign language?

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Plains style — Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains Dancers at the Totah Festival Powwow performing the Northern Tradition dance, a dance inspired by Plains traditions, on September 1, 2007, in Farmington, New Mexico.

Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL) was a sophisticated system of manual gestures used by diverse groups across the Great Plains to communicate across linguistic barriers. It functioned as an explicit vocabulary of gestures representing specific objects, actions, and ideas, rather than spelling out words.123

Because the various groups shared a similar environment and mode of life, they developed common symbols that were widely understood. Examples of these expressions include:3

Objects and Animals: A cupped hand leaping away from the signer represented the rump of a bounding deer, while a circle drawn against the sky signified the moon or something pale.3
People and Roles: Two fingers astride an index finger represented a person on horseback, and the gesture of brushing long hair down over the neck and shoulder signified a woman.3
Abstract Concepts: Two fingers spread and darting from the mouth like a snake’s forked tongue represented lies or treachery.3

This system was so effective that it allowed for the communication of complex narratives, dialogues, and monologues, facilitating trade, diplomacy, and hunting activities where silence was required.132