The first Season 2 episode of Disney+'s The Mandalorian reintroduced Tatooine's indigenous "Sand People," and portrayed the notorious bandits in a far more sympathetic light than Star Wars fans were used to seeing.
Din Djarin encounters a group of Tuskens on his journey across the Jundland Wastes, and they later assist him in taking down a monstrous Krayt Dragon. The Mando is shown to communicate with the Sand People via grunts and hand gestures, and it's now been revealed that this was a brand new "Tusken Sign Language" created for the show.
According to The Daily Moth, the language was developed by deaf actor Troy Kotsur, who also played one of the Raiders.
"I did research on the culture and environment of Tusken Raiders," says Kotsur. "My goal was to avoid [American Sign Language]. I made sure it became Tusken Sign Language based on their culture and environment."
Star Wars fans in the deaf community were very happy with this news, and excited by the prospect of a signed alien language being introduced to the galaxy far, far away. A teaching assistant named David Wellbeloved who works with a deaf child actually started a Facebook group in an effort to further develop the language (find out more HERE).
What did you guys make of The Mandalorian's depiction of the Tusken Raiders? Are you looking forward to Friday's new episode? You can check out a brief, but revealing synopsis HERE.
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