Category: Blog Post

Earlier this month the LLC staff and board had the opportunity to attend Tusweca Tiospaye’s 11th Annual Language Summit in Rapid City, SD. We held a booth for 2 of the 3 days of the summit, listened in on the sessions, and had a lot of great conversations. The theme of the conference was “Uniting the Seven Council Fires to Save our Language”. We met with old friends and made new ones and overall it was an amazing weekend of community.

We made connections with teachers who brought forward their thoughts about classroom materials. We took a lot of notes based on their suggestions and have a good idea of how to better support those who are in the classrooms putting in the work! There were some participants from all over Turtle Island that made us really appreciate what we have for the Lakota language. We got to hear their stories of language success and celebrate the different important paths each of us are on. It lit a spark for other languages too to see what’s possible for helpful tools to exist in their home language.

It was truly a wonderful experience to remember all the contributors to Lakota Language documentation and use. Together we built bridges and connections. The LLC staff and several others said our final goodbyes to our good friend Kevin Locke as well by attending his funeral in the beautiful Black Hills. It was an overall heartwarming weekend spent in the language. We look forward to next year’s conference.

Participants also got a preview of what is to come with the NLD 3.0! It has been a long couple of years but we are excited to get this dictionary into the hands of learners and speakers. We had the opportunity to meet some of the Elders who contributed to the NLD 3.0! The materials are held in a different light when we saw the people who help make these materials happen. Our hearts went, “Here it is! It is done!” We were also able to say thank you to the few contributors who helped make this happen. Their eyes lit up at their hard work being in their hands. Language will always be important and will sit at the center of our people but when we look at all the materials available it really leaves room for fun. Our speakers, leaders, and learners wrote and spoke these materials into existence. It really makes the future of language all that more bright.

You get the scoop here first but we are gearing up for a launch party for the NLD 3.0 in December of this year! Look out for more details in next month’s newsletter.

A Joint Statement From The Native Members Of The LLC Board Of Directors

A recent article published by NBC News severely mischaracterized the Lakota Language Consortium, what we do, and who we are.

As Native members of LLC’s board, we are saddened that the article lacked the many Native voices that could have spoken to the widespread support for, and the profound impact of, LLC’s important work with the Lakota community. This erasure of Native experiences, in favor of focusing on misleading and false claims initiated by a single individual, is antithetical to our core values as a Native-operated organization.

LLC exists to expand Lakȟótiyapi literacy and ensure that anyone who wants to learn the language has the tools they need to learn it successfully through a community-based approach.

We Ben Black Bear (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta), Iris Chasing Eagle (Cheyenne River),  Travis Condon (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna and Mnikȟówožu), Šišókaduta (Dakhóta iápi Okhódakičhiye), Richard Two Dogs (Oglála Lakȟóta), Tipiziwin Toleman (Wičhíyena Dakota and Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta), and Kevin Locke (Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and Anishinaabe) remain singularly dedicated to this mission.

This is an open letter to the Standing Rock Community from Kevin Locke

As a Standing Rock tribal member who has been involved with the Lakota language for my entire life, I am saddened to see the decision by the Standing Rock Tribal Council to ban the Lakota Language Consortium and Jan Ullrich and Wil Meya who have a long history of contributing positively to the Lakota language documentation and revitalization. I have reasons to believe that this decision was ill-informed by a manipulative narrative full of propaganda.

If the proponents of this narrative were sincerely concerned with the future of our Lakota language, they would have called for a constructive dialogue. Instead, they resorted to spreading misinformation, gossip, manipulations, slander, unsubstantiated allegations, defamation, and ad-hominem attacks disguised as facts. The worst part is that the proponents of this narrative have actively sought to stigmatize all who voice different views. They have manipulated identity politics and decolonization rhetoric to label their opponents. I believe that this type of narrative is counter-productive to our shared goals of language revitalization.

I was discouraged to see that politics outweighed constructive conversations. I believe that the committees should have brought people like myself who work in language revitalization as well as Elders that have worked with LLC to provide perspective. It’s disappointing that no one asked for first-hand accounts of how the LLC materials were created. I could go on about how I’m feeling, but I wanted to clear up some misinformation and manipulation that I’ve seen floating around social media.

One of the biggest manipulations is the one about copyrighting the Lakota language. For more than a century, native and non-native authors who published about our language have copyrighted their books and no one has accused them of copyrighting the language. Because they didn’t! A language cannot be copyrighted. Joseph Flying By, Ella Deloria, Beatrice Medicine, David Rood, Albert White Hat, Eugene Buechel, Ivan Starr and many others have published copyrighted books to share the language and culture. And we have benefited from their work. In the same way, we benefit from LLC publishing the collaborative work of many first-language speakers.

The topic of intellectual property of people’s stories has also been manipulated greatly. I was present for many of the sessions where Jan interviewed Elders from across Lakota country I can testify that ethics and cultural protocols were followed. And I also know official Standing Rock representatives encouraged his language documentation work. Many Elders around Lakota country entered collaborative efforts with the LLC to create Lakota language content. I have been to dozens of interviews with Jan and I saw first-hand that people shared their stories willingly and happily knowing that LLC is a vehicle for making their stories accessible to learners. I believe we all had a clear understanding that we gave LLC permission to share the information but that it did not prevent us from continuing to tell our stories elsewhere.

I often think about our Standing Rock Elders from the turn of the 20^th century who decided to share our sacred songs with the music researcher Francis Densmore. They believed the songs should be recorded for future generations. Had Densmore and our Elders not worked together on this project, we wouldn’t have had this wonderful record of our songs. Along the same line, the LLC worked with our contemporary elders and this resulted in creating a record of our language and making it accessible to all who wish to learn it.

I am very concerned that Standing Rock has asserted it should have ownership of the intellectual property of tribal members.

Like I said, I’ve been there when stories in our language have been shared and sometime later seen them used in lessons within the language materials and the dictionary. I was also present when native-speaking consultants vetted the translations or interpretations of words and sentences. I believe that the LLC has created the only truly reliable Lakota dictionary. All of us language learners have benefited from it, and generations of Lakota language learners will continue to benefit from it, as well as other LLC materials.

Moreover, as a lifelong learner of the Lakota language, I am familiar with all of the publications on our Lakota language, not only those published by LLC but also those by other publishers. For this reason, I find it beyond absurd when someone claims that LLC plagiarized existing language materials. Only someone who has not studied the Lakota Grammar Handbook in detail can state that it is a plagiarism of the Colorado Lakota Language Project textbooks. Or someone who purposely wants to manipulate the narrative!

Recordings of interviews between Jan Ullrich and Delores Taken Alive have also been at the center of the online debate. Again, I observed a number of occasions when Delores worked with Jan. They had a warm relationship and cherished their shared love for the language. I am aware that copies of the recordings have been shared with Delores herself as well as with her family. Along the same line, LLC has been working actively with our Culture and Language Institute toward storing the entire collection of recordings in our tribal archive. During a recent tribal council meeting, the representatives of the Culture and Language Institute acknowledged that the delay took place primarily on their end.

The question of orthography is another topic that has been manipulated by the social media campaign. The allegation that LLC bullied people into using an orthography is beyond absurd. Standing Rock tribal representatives, educators, and elders, such as Jesse Taken Alive and Delores Taken Alive, invited the LLC to Standing Rock specifically so that the schools could have a standard orthography and curriculum. The use of the orthography was supported by the tribal department of education and the tribal council who voted to partner with the LLC on it. The fact that the orthography has been chosen by our tribal schools and by the Dakota/Lakota Summer Institute and used by them for the past 16 years is clear evidence. Is Standing Rock going to act on a whim and abandon a 16-year-long trajectory started by our wise Elders? Two generations of Standing Rock children have been learning Lakota with this orthography already. Who will benefit if they have to switch orthographies suddenly? Is the idea that using five or more orthographies benefits our language? Nonsense! While LLC has encouraged a single orthography in Lakota education, it has also encouraged elders to continue to write as they are used to. The idea of a single orthography was firmly endorsed by the Summer Institute and many elders.

It should also be said that we, as Lakota people, have disagreed about how to write our language for decades prior to the existence of LLC. LLC did not create this problem. It simply offered one possible solution, and in my personal opinion, it is a good one. The Elders on the LLC board of directors selected one of the existing writing systems for their publications. I have been involved with the Lakota language learning and teaching for more than half a century, so I can confidently say that the introduction of the orthography and the reliable products written in it was one of the main factors contributing to the unprecedented increase of Lakota language learners, growing proficiency and accuracy in their pronunciation.

There are, of course, first language speakers and learners who promote or use other orthographies. It is their right to do so and we should all simply respect each other’s choices. We can have a constructive dialogue about the various advantages and disadvantages of different writing systems, but attacking or stigmatizing each other for our choice of orthography is not helpful.

In my view, LLC has facilitated valuable work on behalf of Lakota language documentation and revitalization. It contributed to increasing local capacity by organizing many educational events and programs, it wrote grants to fund scholarships and many of our tribal members have benefited from them. More than 80% of the LLC materials are digital and free. But there is a cost associated with printing books and that is why hard copies are not free. Costs have to be covered in order for materials to stay in print. Old materials are out of print because there is no one fighting to keep them printed. Our students deserve colored textbooks, not old photocopies of photocopies. Why would we want lower-quality materials in our classrooms? We should spend the money to have good material printed at a cost and I believe our young people deserve that. Our schools and tribes can partner with the LLC to find grants for funding more quality materials delivered to our schools at an affordable price.

LLC also encouraged and supported local initiatives. Anyone can work on creating language materials. We should be telling stories, making new songs, and finding more ways to use the language so we can be immersed in it. LLC doesn’t limit any of that. On the contrary, reliable reference tools, like the dictionary, make it possible.

Last thing about money, which comes up all the time. LLC applies for grants WITH Tribes. The funding pays Lakota language linguists, and First language speakers to document the language. Do we want to see our Elders and young people doing this work for free? It’s hard work, it takes a lot of time and effort. We should be encouraging these folks, not discouraging them by telling them they shouldn’t get paid for the work they do. It devalues the language and the work.

I had been involved with the Lakota language before the existence of the LLC and I have been there with the LLC from its very beginning. What I saw was that the LLC always promoted partnerships, collaboration, and focusing on the things that unite us in our shared goal of language revitalization.

The destructive social media campaign is doing the very opposite. It divides people, it stigmatizes language learners based on their choice of language materials to study from. It disrespects our elders by claiming they lacked agency in making good decisions. It attacks elders who don’t support its narrative. It spreads allegations based on nothing but gossip. The claim that Wil Meya stole a Winter Count is a good example. As a student at OLC, Wil was given permission to work under the supervision of Johnson Holy Rock to translate a video of Ben Marrowbone describing the Calico Wintercount. The translation was finished and provided to OLC, whereas the original videotape never left the OLC archive. Do we really want our tribal resolutions to be based on such gossip and unsubstantiated allegations?

We are all intelligent people and we need to work together to see our language revitalized. I hope as a Tribe we have more discussions before we make big decisions like this that impact so many people. I think that this destructive narrative has done much damage to the Lakota language revitalization movement here on Standing Rock.

If you’ve made it this far I want to encourage you to join me as I move forward with the LLC materials that have helped me become more fluent and literate in the language. One thing I think we can do is to enter into a positive discourse where more people’s voices can be heard. I’ve been working with others to come up with a code of conduct that I think folks entering these conversations should follow. I hope you’ll join me in being open to conversations like the ones outlined here.

I have also encouraged open-minded and constructive communication with community members.

This blog post is written by Shania Black Bear-Searby about the Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ – Traditional Lakota Songs Book which can be found in the LLC bookstore.

The Traditional Lakota Songs book is a legacy that began over 50 years ago. In the summer of 1973 or 1974 Ben Black Bear Jr. and Dr. Ron Theisz began hosting a Lakota song and dance class at Sinte Gleska University (SGU) in Rosebud, South Dakota. The class was created as a demonstration of the potential of the Lakota Studies Department in the early years of Sinte Gleska University. The success of the class later resulted in the course becoming a part of the curriculum at the time, the production of the Songs and Dances of the Lakota book, as well as the Traditional Lakota Songs book. 

My name is Shania Black Bear-Searby and I am writing today about my family’s history in creating the Traditional Lakota Songs book. When gathering more information about the early Lakota Song and Dance classes provided by SGU, I spoke with an elder on Rosebud who remembered what the classes were like at that time. She recalls being a bashful young mother who was interested in the class. It was a unique experience that offered an encouraging space to learn and was welcoming to people who didn’t have access to this knowledge. She mentioned that it can be difficult to be a learner in the powwow community and that she didn’t expect the class to be as valuable as it was. The dancers who taught the dances were in their full regalia, there was a drum group singing, and everyone was encouraged to get up and participate throughout the semester. The dances were broken down into lessons that were easy to follow and she said she still holds the knowledge of the dances and songs to this day. It was a very cherished moment to not only know about the existence of this class but to hear about its success almost 50 years later. 

In the early years of the Lakota Studies Department at SGU after the summer song and dance class was successful, the instructors changed. Ben Black Bear Sr. took over instruction and Dr. Ron Theisz continued teaching. Ben Jr. outsourced local experts he grew up with and trusted including his father Ben Sr who was a traditional singer. Ben Sr created the Ironwood singers, a homegrown family drum group with his in-laws. Like many Lakota teachers, Ben Sr. opened his home to the group and taught the songs that were eventually taken on the powwow trail. The instruction of the songs and dance class worked as a living project for years being produced in audio, video, and the published book. 

The living knowledge of both the songs and the dances included in the Songs and Dances of the Lakota book was knowledge from decades before its publication in 1976. The book was worked on for several months by the main collaborators Ben Black Bear Sr. and Dr. Ron Theisz with help from various other local experts. The book exists as a bilingual text with the Lakota portions provided by Ben Sr. and transcribed by Ben Jr. Dr. Ron Theisz provided the English portions of the book. The goal of the text was to provide instruction about the various dance styles and songs that are essential parts of Lakota culture. Without these songs, it is not possible to understand Lakota culture. When collecting each type of song to include in the book there were some instances where only 1 or 2 songs were included in that specific category. Not every type of song was recorded in this book and is in no way an exhaustive list but it did produce an incredible result. 

The Iron Wood Singers collaborated with Dr. Ron Theisz and Ben Sr. to produce the audio portion that was originally recorded as reel to reel tapes then formatted for cassette tapes and later CDs. After the recording of the audio and the book in progress, the Iron Wood Singers along with a collection of dancers were gathered in the Digmann Hall in St. Francis, SD to be recorded by the video department of Sinte Gleska University. The video was completed and pictures were taken to include in the text as examples. Today, very few copies of the original audio and text exist. Our family research and outside sources have not been able to locate the video portion. We fear it has been destroyed or lost with time, either way, it remains inaccessible to reproduce.  

The reason this project came to fruition was very simple. There was a want to create materials for Lakota people to learn to sing and dance. The creators involved in the original project had two goals. First, they hoped the book would be put in the hands of teachers across the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ. The humble instruction style that was used was accessible enough that the teachers who picked it up did not need to be music teachers or dancers and could still learn the practices documented in this project. It was enough material to bring into a classroom to teach children. The dream was to have materials to teach intact Lakota culture as Lakota studies. 

Unfortunately, the materials did not appear in the classroom and mostly became a part of collections of individual buyers, much to the disappointment of the creators. 

The second goal was to inspire Lakota people to learn the songs and dances so they could be inspired and gain confidence and create music, stories, poetry, video, and other art mediums. It was intended to be a start of a process to show our people that it is possible to think, research, produce, and repeat for those involved to create any material they wanted. It was the instruction that came from the home, structured and recorded to go into schools, to again appear in the home. 

Reflecting back on this process that existed around 50 years ago it is amazing that this project came to fruition and produced materials against all odds. At the time they were producing this product from scratch and there were very few materials available to base things off of. We sometimes find ourselves in similar situations in smaller communities feeling the need to create structure by researching, creating materials, and developing lesson plans. They did this with little to nothing at the time and pondered if this was right or what their efforts would result in. They took leaps of faith and went with the steps that seemed logical and ran. The incredible moves of the early Language movement efforts became our history and are referenced when making moves today. The University of Colorado materials were available to teach from but this was during a shift in time from a halt in Lakota language acceptance and the deliberate efforts to structure Lakota language learning in academia. The dreams of the Lakota people 50+ years ago resulted in materials that we can use today. 

Fast forward to today, we have good news and bad news. The bad news is that very few copies of the original Songs and Dances of the Lakota book and audio by Ben Black Bear Sr. and Dr. Ron Theisz are in circulation today. On occasion, preowned copies will surface on the internet from individual buyers and collectors, which is how I came to own my copy of the Songs and Dance book. (If you have a copy of this book’s recordings reach out to me! I would love to hear them!) It was a preloved copy that came from someone outside of Rapid City. Which is very unfortunate. The good news is that in 2018 Ben Black Bear Jr., in collaboration with the LLC, worked to assemble these songs in print for Lakota people today. The 2018 Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ- Traditional Lakota Songs book exists again as a bilingual text that is a great resource for Lakota learning to teach the language through song and connect with elders in your life about the origins of these songs. There is a proposed phase 2 of the 2018 release to include rerecorded songs as well as video recordings of the dances that accompany the songs as the original project did. The global pandemic and unsecured funding have caused delays in the completion of this project. 

This book has a long history that began in the 50s and 60s in Rosebud, South Dakota, home of the Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta Nation. This book is a snapshot of what Lakota songs were like in this period before they experienced the transition into the modern pieces we hear at gatherings today. Throughout this readily accessible version, you will see 36 different styles of songs in Lakota with English translations. Not only does this book exist as a time capsule for the Black Bear family but provides views of the early use of Lakota language in a classroom setting. I believe this ongoing project is an example of Lakota excellence and our capabilities to do something incredible using the language. 

It has been around 50 years since the beginning of the Lakota songs and dance project and sometimes we can still feel unsure of what to do with Indian Studies. We have the ability to get back to the reason we do things and understand Lakota life. This history serves as an example of a way to turn a passion into action that leads to tangible materials for the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ. It goes back to the idea that our experts in Lakota are our elders and first language speakers. We need the opportunity to express ourselves through music, poetry, stories, video, art, and so many other mediums to show the passion that exists in Lakota. There are so many ways the language can be used and inspired Lakota people can do that. 

You can find the Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ – Traditional Lakota Songs Book in the LLC bookstore. If you are an educator and need more information on Lakota educational resources you can reach out to customersupport@lakhota.org.

Are you a Tribal member that would like to get started learning Lakota and need assistance accessing materials? Check out this previous blog post about Free Resources to get started Learning. You can also reach out to customersupport@lakhota.org to request materials at no or low cost to get started on your learning journey.

About The Author

Hello! I’m Shania Black Bear-Searby a Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta woman from Two Strike, SD. I have been learning Lakota since 2017 with the help of free Lakota classes on Rosebud. When I first began my journey I expected learning to very formal but with Allen Wilson and my grandpa Ben Black Bear Jr. as instructors it was funny, empowering, and easy to follow along. I am extremely thankful for the people who are a part of my language journey. I work with the Lakota Language Consortium as an Associate Media Specialist as one of the people creating content for Facebook, Instagram, and the blog. In my free time I am also a ribbon skirt and ribbon pinafore maker. I look forward to getting to know you and moving deeper into my Lakota language journey!

Nice to meet you! I’m Jamie Marquez-Bratcher, a Lakota Language Learner since 2020. I’m Oglala Lakota and chicano woman raised in the Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene) territory. My mother and I started learning Lakota to speak with each other and reconnect to our culture through language. My great grandmother Dorothy White Magpie passed two years after the Native American Language Act passed when many Lakota people like her felt passing on the culture would do more damage than good. My grandmother Darlene Red Bear passed before healing emotionally enough to share our culture effectively. Our family is working toward reclaiming our language and connecting with lost family through this slow mending process, just as many others do as well. It’s been a remarkable emotional journey to attend Lakota language classes and meet people who knew our loved ones when they were alive.

About The Author
While my partner, daughter, and I are typically based out of Arizona, we currently travel full time in an RV across the country. I also have an adult daughter that recently graduated from ASU. I work with the Lakota Language consortium as a Digital Media Specialist. After leaving a long career in Communications Technology Sales, I started freelancing, managing operations, and content creation for other businesses. When I’m not working, I enjoy hobbies such as creative planning and beadwork.

About This Series
I’ve partnered with the Lakota Language Consortium to share my observations using the materials the LLC has created on my personal learning journey. This blog post is the first in a series while I work though the materials to enhance my personal language journey.  While I hope this series is encouraging to anyone that’s reading it, I hope it’s especially encouraging to those reclaiming our culture in healthy ways such as language reclamation. 

Last year when LSI (Lakota Summer Institute) ended, I picked up the Lakȟótiya Wóglaka Po textbooks and the Grammar book. My intention was to get through this textbook and the other 4 before LSI started in 2022 so that I might feel confident in joining a more advanced class than I took last year. Fast forward to January of 2022, I’m just now getting around to cracking open the Level 1 textbook.

Before I got started, I grabbed my phone, opened up Apple Music (also a first) and searched for the Lakota Language Consortium, and found the audio portion of the lesson to stream. When I read through the acknowledgments of the textbook, it was neat to see so many Lakota people involved in the making of this textbook. A few pages in, I ran into an introduction page explaining how to use the book and wondered if I had somehow gotten a teacher’s textbook accidentally. Later, I would learn that the Level 1 textbook and teacher guide is 1 book since it is the oldest textbook in the series. 

I click “play” on the audio, and I’m greeted with catchy music and a soothing voice introducing me to the book. The audio jumped right into the lesson on page (10) of the textbook. I wasn’t ready. All the words were on the page, I had heard all these words before, but I wasn’t as prepared as I thought to follow along. I started the track over, and this time I responded with the speaker as he read down the page. I was thrilled that I knew many of the words and concepts after attending various Lakota language events. 

I read through the corresponding page (11) that was labeled “For Teachers and Parents (Unit 1)”. This gave a significant amount of detail on how the exercises should work in a classroom. It gave me an idea of how a teacher could encourage students to work through this lesson one word at a time. Lastly, there was a helpful section providing additional context for some words that were regional or that had alternate pronunciations.

I was so proud of myself for getting through lesson 1 that I quickly moved on to lesson 2. This lesson asked me to observe objects that I would see in a classroom. The phrase “Lé táku he?” was introduced to create corresponding responses. This is my a-ha moment. Although I wasn’t in a classroom, many of the objects in the lesson were sitting next to me in my own home. One object was my coffee cup.  I said to myself, “Lé wíyatke héčha.” The pencil I was holding “lé táku he?” “lé wíčazo héčha.”

I went through my junk drawer and found a roll of tape, and wrote the words onto it with a marker. I felt silly at first labeling areas that I keep my wakšíča, wówapi, and other objects highlighted in the unit. I was also glad to have clear reminders everywhere of these ideas and words I want to use to describe the world around me in my language.

Once I finished up with my labeling, I came back to the lesson. As I listened to the audio again and felt like these words were closer to becoming part of our family’s daily vocabulary. Just like in the first section, I found some additional notes with a few more words that are commonly used, like minísapa wíčazo – the term for a pen. 

The audio for Lesson 2 had a bonus section that allowed more opportunities to use the phrases in a different order for the objects on the page. I had to listen a few times before I matched the audio to the page, but I found all the objects in the end. 

With this being something that I had put off for so many months, I was surprised when I realized it took only about 45 minutes to complete these first few lessons. As I looked ahead, I realized there were more opportunities to listen to audio and match my learning, and even get some adult coloring time in on the lessons as well. 

I often think that my Lakota Language learning experience needs hours of preparation, planning, and guidelines with someone more experienced to help me. Reflecting on this first solo experience with this textbook, I wish I wouldn’t have let months of procrastination get the better of me. If you’ve got one of these books at your disposal, take a bit of time to get the first lesson done, and when you finish, drop me an email introducing yourself with that first lesson!

You can find the Lakȟótiya Wóglaka Po textbooks in the LLCBookstore. This book was created in 2004 and is part 1 of a 5 textbook series. If you are an educator and need more information on Lakota educational resources you can reach out to customersupport@lakhota.org.

Are you a Tribal member that would like to get started learning Lakota and need assistance accessing materials? Check out this previous blog post about Free Resources to get started Learning. You can also reach out to  customersupport@lakhota.org to request materials at no or low cost to get started on your learning journey.

The New Lakota Dictionary Pro Mobile app (NLD) version 3.0 update was released for Apple and Android devices in July of 2021. The NLD Mobile app is the best way to look up Lakota words, hear the pronunciation, and view thousands of example sentences while on the go. It’s the ultimate electronic Lakota learning and reference tool.

The New Lakota Dictionary was created with ongoing partnerships with over 400 native speakers to ensure accuracy not only in spelling and definition but in context as well. This is an invaluable resource for Lakota learners everywhere and is easily accessible to anyone with a mobile device. When a user searches a word, they are presented with multiple definitions and spellings depending on the context in which the word is being used, as well as example sentences to demonstrate the word in a complete Lakota phrase. A total of 31,000-word entries and 53,000 example sentences makes the New Lakota Dictionary Version 3.0 the most in-depth Lakota dictionary available, and an important tool in Lakota language learning and preservation.

What’s new in version 3.0? 

• 6,000 new entries – 31,000 total words
• 13,000 new sample sentences – 53,000 total sentences
• Male and female voices for audio
• Consistent phonemic spelling – Standard Lakota Orthography
• Superior cross-referencing capabilities
• Faster and more responsive than online versions
• Works offline, without an active data connection
• Built-in lemmatizer simplifies searching to find related results that have different word endings & compounding
• Over 400 native speakers involved in its development and review
• Regularly updated
• Accurate and reliable
• Fun to use and explore
• An excellent self-study investment

With the addition of 6,000 new entries and 13,000 new example sentences, this updated version builds on decades of linguistic work to create the most accurate up-to-date dictionary possible. 

The lemmatizer is one of the biggest advantages of the app when compared to the printed version of the NLD. Many Lakota words and sentences rely on guttural tones and stops. Affixes are added to words all the time, so unless you know the stem of the word with affixes, you won’t be able to find it in the dictionary. Fortunately, this app does that for you, if you time in the word e.g. waŋwičhablake the app will show you the entry for the stem word waŋyánka.

The New Lakota Dictionary – Mobile Version 3.0 is available now for download or update on your Apple or Android devices. 

Click Here for the Android

Click here for the Apple App Store

Release Notes Update: Additional Android Instruction

Friday, July 9th LLC released an update to the NLD in the Apple and Android stores. While the Apple update had no issues, some Android users encountered issues downloading the update. Our tech team worked with Google and users to resolve errors reported over the weekend. As of Monday, July 12, Google’s representatives have advised us the problem is resolved. Android users should have no issues downloading or updating the NLD Mobile App on their Android devices. 

If you have experienced this issue, we recommend you uninstall and reinstall the app or attempt to update the version. Before you get started, make sure you have a stable internet connection and that there is enough space on your device for this download of 174 MB (learn how to check your space here, or free up storage here). Once you have downloaded the NLD Mobile, make sure you do not allow your device to fall into sleep mode until the content inside the app is fully downloaded. Depending on the internet speed to your device this additional download may take 3 – 30 minutes and when complete. Again this will consume 174 MB of storage on the device when fully downloaded.

If you have any issues with the NLD Mobile App on Android or other apps you can email tech@lakhota.org for additional support. 

Free Resources You Can Use To Learn Lakhota

Lakota Language is something we are passionate about and we want you to know about the free resources we have available! Lakota language is accessible and can be a fun addition to your day. Today we are going to talk about all the ways you can level up your Lakota language skills to either begin your Lakota language journey or assist in your already established efforts. Continue reading Free Resources You Can Use To Learn Lakhota

Meet our 2021 Summer Intern Shania Black Bear

At LLC it’s so important that we encourage the next generation to learn how they can be a part of our mission. Summer Interns assist with a variety of tasks at LLC from general admin, to helping with events, and even assisting in product creation. This week we welcomed Shania to share a bit about herself as well as what she hopes to do during her internship period, get to know her below and see what she’s been up to so far! 

Hello! I am Shania Black Bear-Searby, I am a 24-year-old Lakota woman from Rosebud, SD. This summer for 4 weeks I am interning at The Language Conservancy as 1 of their 3 native interns. My grandpa is Ben Black Bear Jr. aka the male voice on the Lakota dictionary app. Seeing my grandpa work with LLC and TLC for so many years I am excited to become a part of the team for a while and see what goes on behind the scenes. 

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