The New

Lakota Grammar Handbook

It’s here after nearly two years of development so we’re celebrating with the linguists and native speakers of Lakota who worked with us here at the Lakota Language Consortium to complete the Lakota Grammar Handbook, a 636-page self-study guide we believe is going to become the gold standard for Native American language learning in the U.S.

Both a reference guide and a practice workbook, the Lakota Grammar Handbook is the most comprehensive grammar book ever compiled of the Lakota language and is designed for a wide range of users: from beginning learners to Lakota language teachers, educators who use the native language and linguistic researchers. It’s been a massive undertaking: 19,000 Lakota sentences, including over 11,600 practice sentences, 230 learning units, all taken from the study of authentic narratives and dialogs recorded from hundreds of Lakota speakers.

This is the first Lakota grammar designed primarily for self-study so neither a teacher nor previous experience with Lakota is required to use the handbook effectively. It is also organized progressively, so learners can work their way through it gradually, learning new patterns of the grammar. Each pattern can be practiced in exercises provided for every unit and learners can check their answers in the answer key at the end of the book. It is also packed with important cultural content, for example, how possessive verbs are used in prayers to evoke the relationship to the Creator.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW!

“I don’t think I’ve ever read a better grammar of any North American language,” said Marianne Mithun, a University of California Santa Barbara linguistics professor who specializes in American Indian languages. “This is certainly an extraordinary document that should serve as a model for all others aiming to do the same thing: documenting a language in its full richness and detail, but making it all accessible to motivated and sophisticated readers, as well as linguists.”

It was authored by linguist, fluent Lakota speaker and LLC board member Jan Ullrich with the assistance of fellow LLC board member Ben Black Bear, a first-language Lakota speaker, founder of the Lakota Studies program at Sinté Gleška University and the Lakota Studies and Lakota language teacher at St. Francis Mission School in St. Francis, S.D.

Ullrich thanked Black Bear for the important role he played in consultation, sentence proofing, and in providing the nearly 20,000 audio-recorded language examples and practice sentences that are expected to be used in follow-up audio learning materials, including the forthcoming Owóksape Lakota language on-line learning platform expected to be released in late 2017-early 2018.

“This is the most detailed and accurate grammar of Lakota ever, and will serve as a reference grammar and as a pedagogical grammar for a long time to come,” said Willem de Reuse, a University of North Texas Research Professor whose work has focused on the documentation of endangered languages.

LLC has already begun receiving pre-orders so get your order in today and before the holiday gift-giving season!

“This is the most detailed and accurate grammar of Lakota ever, and will serve as a reference grammar and as a pedagogical grammar for a long time to come.”

– University of North Texas Research Professor

Willem de Reuse

“Wačhí Awášteyalaka he?”

or, “Do You Like to Dance?”

The first in a series of six children’s books to be published solely in Native American languages has been released in the Lakota language. “Wačhí Awášteyalaka he?”, or “Do You Like To Dance,” is an 18-page monolingual Lakota picture book developed for early elementary and preschool children.

Illustrated by Oglala Lakota artist Marty Two Bulls, the book uses the topic of dancing to help children with the use of adverbs and basic question and answer structures. An additional five other picture books will first be released in Lakota, followed by versions in Crow, Hidatsa and Mandan.

Two Bulls, also a sculptor, jeweler and designer from Pine Ridge, S.D., whose satirical cartoons are regular features at the Indian Country Today Media Network, is among three Native American artists who are part of a team illustrating the series being published by The Language Conservancy and the Lakota Language Consortium. The others are Standing Rock Sioux cartoonist and illustrator Omani Luger of Fargo, N.D., and Maliseet artist and animator Tara Audibert.

Each of the books is designed to provide a specific area of language education. In addition to Wačhí Awášteyalaka he?, upcoming titles to be released in Lakota on Dec. 1 will include:

• Gnaškála (Froggy), which introduces time clauses for habitual and past reference activities.

• Šuŋǧíla Waŋ Naǧí Waŋgláke Kiŋ (The Fox Who Saw His Own Shadow), which exposes children to equative, comparative and superlative structures.

• Maká Waŋ Waŋbláke! (I Saw A Skunk), which teaches words for parts of the house and exposes children to the use of prepositions.

• Waúŋyutapi Iyéhaŋtu! (Time To Eat!), which teaches a number of important terms for family members and their reciprocal counterparts.

• Wakíŋyaŋ Aglí (The Storm), which teaches children terms for weather and exposes them to verbs of perception.

“These books are designed to immerse children in their own indigenous languages and to be used as a tool for parents, caregivers and teachers looking to stem the tide of the loss of indigenous languages and to offer an option beyond use of the English language,” said The Language Conservancy Executive Director Wil Meya. “Our aim with these monolingual children’s stories is to provide an opportunity for children to be absorbed in a cultural authenticity that can rarely be provided in the context of reading material.”

All of the children’s books are available for pre-order through bookstores at The Language Conservancy and Lakota Language Consortium websites. Be looking for upcoming announcements for a public reading in Lakota of the picture books at a special children’s book hour at the book store at Prairie Edge Trading Co & Galleries in Rapid City, N.D.

First-Ever Lakota Language Weekend in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is home to an enthusiastic, interested and dedicated group of Lakota language learners, the Lakota Language Consortium learned during its first ever Lakota Language Weekend to be conducted in the L.A. area (Nov. 12-13 at the Four Points Sheraton in Culver City).

About 30 beginners to learning the language came out for the two-day event led by three fluent Lakota speakers – Alayna Eagle Shield, Nacole Walker, Dusty Nelson – all from the Standing Rock area of North Dakota.

The event began with an opening prayer, then went into an introduction to basic sound and language systems, followed by a session of vocabulary learning facilitated through a fun and lively afternoon of circle games that helped participants develop skills for pronouncing animal names, the names of family members, how to introduce one’s self in Lakota and more.

Just as important, according to Elliott Bannister, a Lakota Language Consortium linguist fluent in Lakota who facilitated during the event, participants were provided the direction, tools and knowledge to improve Lakota language skills through self-instruction.

“When participants ‘flew the nest’ that weekend, we wanted them to be equipped to conintue learning at home,” Bannister said. “We want them to be able to apply the language learning techniques they pick up here for their own self-study. Leaving L.A., we recognized there was a very powerful sense of community, a great intimacy, that developed between the participants.”

Be looking for future Lakota Language Weekends in coming months in the cities of Bismarck, Denver and Minneapolis.

The Language Conservancy’s hour-long documentary Rising Voices, which documents the efforts of Lakota tribal members and language rescuers to save the tribe’s native language, will air across the country on the World Channel at 7 p.m. EST as part of Native American Heritage Month.

To view on a station near your, just go to the World Channel website, click on Set Your Station, and your entire zip code to determine what channel Rising Voice will air on.

The third week at LSI, on two different occasions, participants gathered to honor Lakota teachers and students.

Last year was a particularly difficult one, with the passing of many respected elders and powerful advocates of the Lakota language.

LSI teachers, organizers and staff wanted to honor Mr. Milton Brown Otter, former Standing Rock Sioux Tribe councilman, and Ms. Velia Salas, a vibrant Lakota language teacher. Both Velia and Milton had been involved with LSI since its inaugural year, and were an inspiration to many of our participants. On Tuesday, June 21, we held a ceremony in their honor.

In an interview with ICTMN, LSI attendee and Lead Lakota Language Activities instructor at the Lakota Language Nest in Sitting Bull College, Tipizin Tolman said, “Their passing reminded the community that we have a closing window of opportunity to do language revitalization and do it well, while our speakers and supporters are alive”.

The second ceremony of the week was less somber, as we celebrated the graduation of four students from Sitting Bull College.  Marilyn Circle Eagle, Emmanuel Red Bear and Courtney Yellow Fat were honored with a traditional eagle feather, a medicine wheel and their Sitting Bull College diplomas. The fourth graduate, Evelyn Goodhouse, was unfortunately not in attendance.

We congratulate the graduates!

This week, Linda Black Elk’s 3-week Ethnobotany course culminated in a mouthwateringly tasty potluck, all made with freshly picked ingredients and wild meat brought from home.

In fact, the during the whole third week Ethnobotany students did daily hands-on activities- making shampoo, lip balm and massage oil – all with the herbal ingredients they learned about throughout the week.

Many students were impressed with the class; LSI attendee Barb Dupris shared, “I’ve lived here my whole life, but I didn’t know what half of those plants were or how to recognize them.”

But it wasn’t only the students who were learning. Instructor Linda Black Elk commented, “I feel so thankful and blessed to have so many elders in my class this summer. I am learning so much from them and I hope they are learning a little from me.”

Linda was particularly excited to have Hazel Red Bird in her class.

“She is my sons’ grandmother. She hadn’t dug thíŋpsiŋla (Pediomelum esculentum; turnip) since she was a little girl of about 10 years old. Now she is 91. A few years ago, she made a bucket list. ‘Going out to dig thíŋpsiŋla‘ was on that list. I’m thrilled to say that we made that happen this week by taking her out on the hills behind Sitting Bull College and helping her dig her first thíŋpsiŋla in 80 years. It was very emotional for her and for all of us. She is a remarkable woman.” 

All LSI participants were invited to the potluck and were encouraged to learn about the ingredients used in the cooking.

At this year’s Lakota Summer Institute history was made with the first ever Lakota Poetry course, taught by Ben Black Bear and Lawrence Diggs.

While poetry as we know it today wasn’t prevalent in Lakota culture, many Lakota songs could be considered a form of poetry. The language itself is poetic and easily gives way to creating a new literary style.

The class explored different poetry styles in Lakota, all the while discovering new ways the language can be beautiful when we play with the sounds, nuanced meanings of words and unique Lakota expressions.

Additionally participants in the class worked on poetry reading and public speaking skills, including a focus on body language to help communicate their poetry. The class recorded to see how different every participant sounded to others in comparison to themselves.

Courtney Yellow Fat, long-time LSI participant and now teacher, shared: “Ever since I was a young man I have been interested in poetry, because it gave me an outlet to express my feelings. Poetry isn’t a new thing to the Lakota people, we have always had poetic expressions in our stories and especially in our songs. […]”

We’ll be putting together an album of recordings from this class, so stay tuned! In the meanwhile, check out this video on our Facebook page – Lakota Poetry class participants reading a poem all together. We hope that many new, creative possibilities for language learning will emerge in the future as the Lakota Summer Institute continues to blossom.

With every consecutive year, we have more and more attendees at LSI. We spoke with participants during week 2 & 3 to bring you a variety of impressions about this year’s training.

Manny Iron Hawk – Manny, an LSI veteran, has been attending the Institute every year since 2008! He used to teach grades 7-12 at a school in Eagle Butte and still gives presentations today. Manny admitted that when he first heard about the Institute, he was suspicious: “I was skeptical, but I wanted to come with an open mind, to come and see for myself and to participate in the classes.”
He shares that since that year he’s been eager to return every summer.

“I found out that this could really have impact with kids, especially all the Methods classes with engaging actives and games, as well as the spelling system and diacritics – I find it easier to read. I also come here to meet other language speakers, to speak, to socialize. That’s the way to keep our language going.”

Teachers like Manny are the heart & soul of LSI. “I tell young people interested in the language to come here and to check it out for themselves,” he said.

Barb Dupris – Barb is an 8th grade Lakota language & culture teacher at Eagle Butte Jr. High. This is Barb’s third, non-consecutive year at LSI; she was previously at the Institute in 2010 and 2015. “In 2010, I took my very first phonology class. That was very helpful because Lakota was my first language, but I got away from it for a while and wasn’t using it. The class reminded me about the sounds of the language.”

Barb shared that reading and writing were one of the strongest points about the Institute, “Fluent speakers have been speaking their whole life but don’t necessarily know how to read and write. Now I can read and write and I am getting more and more comfortable.”

Her favorite classes this year included Ethnobotany and Teaching Methods with Kim Campbell. “Kim is very knowledgeable,” Barb said, “There are a lot of activities and exercises that go along with the book. There is a whole different, engaging idea of teaching, of building up material and doing final review exercises.”

Barb also enjoyed the 3-week Ethnobotany course that was offered this year. “I’ve lived here my whole life, but I didn’t know what half of those plants were or how to recognize them.”  In week 3, Ethnobotany students did daily hands-on activities using the plants they gathered and picked throughout the week. Activities included making shampoo, lip balm, massage oil, and cooking a meal for a potluck at the end of the week. Check out this post for more information.

 Sammi Seidel – Sami is a lively high school student from Rapid City who came to LSI for the first time this year! She first heard about the Institute from her sister, Savannah, who attended LSI last year and has since been at a few of LLC’s Lakota Language Weekend events in South Dakota. Sammi has been taking a Lakota language class in Rapid every Tuesday, but she says that being at LSI for all 3 weeks has really improved her language skills.

“It gives me a better opportunity to learn the language. I like how everybody gets involved. We get together to do activities and I feel very welcome here.”

Sammi also shared that she felt very supported by her teachers in class, “I like that the teachers will teach the whole class but also help you one-on-one. They really reach out to every student and follow their progress.”

When we asked Sammi if she was planning on returning next year she said, “Definitely. It’s just a great experience and I’m so lucky to be here. If you want to learn Lakota, I would recommend coming here.”