We’ve received a great many questions about lodging information for this year’s LSI, which is now confirmed! Participants are encouraged to read through the information below and get in touch if you have any questions.

PRAIRIE KNIGHTS CASINO HOTEL

• We invite our guests to stay at the Prairie Knights Casino Hotel at a special rate of $50 per night (available June 5-June 25).
• We’ve reserved a block of 40 rooms under “Lakota Summer Institute”.
• To make your reservations, please call 1-800-425-8277 ext. 7704
  
  

SITTING BULL COLLEGE DORMS
**Please read the information below carefully. There have been some changes regarding dorm rooms for LSI from the previous years.**

• There is a limited number of dorms available for LSI participants (8 male, 8 female). These are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Applications are AVAILABLE HERE. For information please CLICK HERE. For dorm availability and reservations please contact:
  • Sterling St. John
    Housing Director at Sitting Bull College
    sterling.stjohn@sittingbull.edu
    phone: 701-854-8022
    fax: 701-854-3124
• Instead of a deposit, all dorm rooms now require a one time, non-refundable $100 application fee. Additionally, each dorm costs $24 per night.
• Participants staying in SBC dorms must also pay for their own background check (on average $25 for a state, federal, county or tribal background check)

By now we’re sure you’ve heard about all the great things being offered at LSI this year! As part of the 10th Anniversary celebration, we’ve invited Scatter Their Own to perform, with special local guests Humor The Ruse. The performance will be held at:

Prairie Knights Casino Pavilion
Thursday, June 16th at 8 PM
……
FREE for youth under 13, elders and LSI Participants
General Admission $10
Tickets at the door $12
…………

You can now reserve your tickets at https://sto-at-lsi2016.eventbrite.com

Check out the poster for the event below and share it with your friends and family! You can follow updates about the upcoming performance on the Lakota Summer Institute 2016 Facebook Event Page. You can pre-register for Lakota Summer Institute at https://www.laksummerinst.com

Are you a poet but don’t know it?  Here’s your chance to build your poetry skills and take your Lakota proficiency to a whole new level!

During this 2016 Lakota Summer Institute, fluent speakers of Lakota will have the the opportunity to participate in the first ever Lakota poetry course. Ben Black Bear, a first-language Lakota speaker, and Lawrence Diggs, South Dakota Humanities Scholar, will co-teach the course the third week of LSI.

During the workshop, participants will explore and create new Lakota poetry styles, work on poetry reading and public speaking skills, including body language and experience that helps one communicate poetry.

When asked about the importance of such a course for the Lakota language, Diggs commented,

“The depth and breadth of life experiences demand expression in many forms. Poetry offers us an opportunity to dance with a language. There are many poetry styles. The beauty of poetry is that you can create your own styles. […] We will be exploring and discovering new ways the language can be beautiful when we play with the sounds, nuanced meanings of words and unique Lakota expressions. We will show you how to use poetry to encourage vocabulary expansion and deepen understanding of words and expressions. Writing poetry in a language takes you from being a craftsperson to an artisan in that language. […]

We will work hard and fast, but the most important thing is we want to have fun. You will learn to love Lakota language even more by experiencing how much more you can express in Lakota with poetry.  You will leave equipped with tools to make your Lakota teaching experience more exciting and fun for you and your students.”

Black Bear and Diggs will both contribute a different dynamic to the new course. Ben Black Bear brings his expertise in Lakota language. You may know him as the voice of “Papa Bear” in Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe, the Lakota-language Berenstain Bears cartoon, but Mr. Black Bear is also a teacher of Lakota Studies and Lakota language at St. Francis Mission School in St. Francis, SD. With decades of Lakota teaching and language experience, at LSI and elsewhere, Mr. Black Bear’s teaching style is sure to make every participant comfortable and confident in their poetry abilities.

Lawrence Diggs shares his cumulated knowledge of poetry from a lifetime of dedication to the arts.  Diggs has traveled to every continent except the Antarctic and addresses his global experiences through his art, such as poetry (in English and Japanese), photography, animation, and ceramics. He aims to use these media to encourage communication on difficult topics. His works are featured in the HGS Gallery in Luvern, MN and he serves as a member of Northeast Artist Network.

We’re looking forward to seeing this duo at work! “Creating new literary styles in a language is a sure signal that a language is not dead. Who knows, we may be creating a whole new tradition in the Lakota language. Creating new traditions is a sure signal that a culture is not dead. This bud can blossom. This blossom can fruit,” explained Diggs.

Philáuŋyayapi kšto!

Thank you to everyone who attended the 3rd Lakota Language Weekend in Rapid City on April 2-3. The weekend was a great success – it is the participants’ enthusiasm and passion for learning and teaching Lakȟótiyapi that is the driving force behind events like this!

During this language weekend, we had the biggest beginner, intermediate and fluent speaker groups yet! But it wasn’t just the sheer number of participants that made the event successful. The teachers, organizers and support staff created a positive and comfortable atmosphere for all learners.

We were also excited to host Lakota magician Reuben Fast Horse, who shared his love of magic,  the Lakota language, and the creation of new words (neologisms) through an engaging performance.

If you weren’t able to make it this time, we hope you join us at the Lakota Summer Institute, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year! With over 30 classes to choose from this year, we are certain that every participant will find something they’re excited about. Read this post to get all the information about the Institute.

For Lakota language learning materials and resources, visit the LLC bookstore. As always, we welcome any questions about personal orders, school orders and discounts at customersupport@lakhota.org

Click here to watch the KEVN Black Hills Fox segment about Lakota Language Weekend.

One thing we noticed at last year’s Lakota Summer Institute was how well some of the newcomers were speaking Lakota. Paulette R. High Elk commented, “When we had the opening ceremony, all of the new people introduced themselves in Lakota. I was very impressed!” We asked some participants what their secret was, and many responded…the Lakota Language Forum!

If you are not part of the forum yet, make yourself an account (it’s FREE). The forum currently hosts over 10,000 members and 60,000 posts, and it’s growing! It’s a great place to get introduced to the language, practice listening, reading, writing, and to connect with fellow learners.

Don’t get us wrong, Facebook is great, but it’s more of a news source. Posting a language-related question on Facebook will surely get you many fast replies, but how reliable will those responses be? In the Lakota Language Forum, you can be sure that experienced people with Lakota language background will join the discussion and answer your question.

Still need more reasons to join? Here’s a list of pros:

1. All discussion is moderated. This means the atmosphere is friendly and respectful.

• Nervous to join the forum? Well, don’t be! Everyone is learning Lakota at their own pace and makes mistakes. Rest easy knowing that the privacy of the forum is much better than Facebook!

2. Need to search a word or phrase? No problem! Finding older questions and answer is much easier than on Facebook. Instead of endlessly scrolling through a newsfeed, you can simply use the search function. You can also search your own posts for the question you asked, say, 4 years ago!

3. Additionally, you can double click any word in the forum to see its entry from the dictionary, right in the same window!

4. The “Sentence of the Week” forum page is a great method for beginners to get a sense for Lakota sentence structure, and to learn new vocabulary all the while doing this.

• You can also learn from sentences other learners wrote and from mistakes other learners have made. The forum is made for discussion and collaboration, so all sentences are easily accessible in one place.
• For advanced learners and contributors, reading material is available—a great way to develop language skills.  This material is read and translated together. Here are some examples:
  • The Turtle https://www.lakotadictionary.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3242#p38621
  • Iktomi Takes his Mother-in-Law on the Warpath https://www.lakotadictionary.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1819#p18469

5. Audio files are also easily accessible, so you can better familiarize yourself with Lakota pronunciation and speech!

If you’ve been to LSI, you know that every year the organizers of the institute plan something exciting. Last year participants and their families enjoyed a special pre-screening of Rising Voices/Hótȟaŋiŋpi, and in 2014 participants had the opportunity to take a Lakota/Dakota Drama and Performance class, which culminated in a production of Iktómi Lečhála Tȟawíčutȟuŋ (Iktomi’s New Wife).

There are no doubts that this year we’ve got something special up our sleeve. To celebrate LSI’s 10th Anniversary, we are very excited to welcome Scotti Clifford and Juliana Brown Eyes-Clifford, a.k.a. Scatter Their Own for a performance and guest lecture at LSI!

The dynamic duo has been gaining popularity on the Alternative Rock scene since before 2013! Now just kicking off their 2016 Spring Tour, STO were delighted to receive the invitation for LSI. In addition to a performance, Scotti and Juliana will give a guest lecture for the “Audio Materials Development” course and share their experiences in creating music.

If you haven’t heard them perform, check out their website or watch the video below. The group has described themselves as “Alter-Native Rock and Roll”:

SCATTER THEIR OWN, Scotti Clifford and Juliana Brown Eyes-Clifford, are an Alternative Rock Duo of Oglala Lakota ancestry from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota. Scotti Clifford has performed across the U.S. and Canada as a Vocalist, Back-up Vocalist, Bass-Player, Drummer, and Guitarist. But now the Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist fronts the newly formed duo with Bassist/Rhythm Guitarist/Backup Vocalist Juliana Brown Eyes-Clifford. Scatter Their Own, lyrically, pays tribute to the concepts and philosophy of their Lakota culture while fusing Alternative and Blues into what they would like to call Alter-Native Rock and Roll. They believe that their music celebrates Grandmother Earth.

Details about the performance time and place to come soon, but we hope this news gets you even MORE excited about this year’s institute…

You can follow updates about the upcoming performance on the Lakota Summer Institute 2016 Facebook Event Page. You can pre-register for Lakota Summer Institute at https://www.laksummerinst.com

You may find yourself asking, “What’s #MarkdownMonday?”

Starting today we will feature a Lakota language-learning resource every other Monday on our Facebook page and offer a discount code!

To kick off our new promotional campaign, this week we’re highlighting Ikotmi’s Raccoon Hat – a Lakota play performed at LSI in 2012. The long-awaited script for Iktómi Wičhítegleǧa Siŋté Waŋ Úŋ is finally here, complete with a synopsis, 9 scenes in Lakota and English, and a set suggestion page to stage your own production of the play!

You can purchase the script at the LLC Bookstore at the following link: https://www.llcbookstore.com/iktomi-wi-hitegle-a-si-te-wa-u-iktomis-racoon-hat-iktomi-play-series/  Use the code raccoonmonday to get a 25% discount at checkout! But hurry, this code will expire on Sunday ‪and next Monday we will feature a new product with a discount. 

Be sure to follow our Facebook page for all the updates and check out a video excerpt from the play below, performed at Sitting Bull College:

Háŋ mitákuyepi,

The 3rd edition of the Lakota Language Weekend will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rapid City on April 2-3.

Last week, the LLC released a public announcement that there only 2,000 first-language Lakota speakers remain – a devastating 66% decrease in 10 years (Read the full press release here).

Now, more than ever, is the time to begin learning Lakota, to encourage and uplift others who are learning, and to meet people who are working hard to preserve and teach the language.

Join us in Rapid City for a full two-day workshop with classes for beginners, intermediate learners and fluent speakers (schedule to be announced soon). 

REGISTER NOW

We have reserved 20 rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn for a special price of $94/night, but Rapid City has many booking options (like the fun La Quinta, across the street).

If you would like to book a room at the Hilton Garden Inn, you can call the front desk (605) 791-9000 and mention that you are with the Lakota Language Consortium block.

Check out the flyer below for more information and join the Facebook event page for the latest updates. Registration for the event is a non-refundable fee of $20; you can register at this link. 

UPDATE (March 15): 

Exciting news – as part of this language weekend, we will have a Lakota Magic Show by magician Reuben Fast Horse! The show will be held in the same room as the language workshop on Saturday, April 2 at 8:30 PM

Check out this Bonus Video from Rising Voices/ Hótȟaŋiŋpi to learn more about Reuben:

Great news for everyone who didn’t get a chance to catch Rising Voices/Hótȟaŋiŋpi during its broadcasts in November 2015 –

the film is now available for public streaming on YouTube for free!

Our sister organization, The Language Conservancy, and partner Florentine Films/Hott Productions are proud to share the film with all the language warriors across the country (and beyond), working to preserve and revitalize their languages. We hope that this film will bring communities together, and inspire YOU to learn, teach or create resources for an endangered language, especially Lakota. We hope it inspires you to become part of the growing movement to preserve a part of America’s cultural heritage.

Although the film is now available for streaming, we are continuing to arrange public screenings at libraries, schools, universities and museums all over the country. The screenings are often followed by a discussion and/or a Q&A with Producer Lawrence Hott and Executive Producer Wilhelm Meya. Get in touch with us if you would like to bring this film to your community. Our updated screenings page can be found at this link. DVDs are still available for purchase here.

You can watch the film at the link below. Don’t forget to share this news with your friends and family!

We thank the sponsors that made this project possible: Vision Maker Media, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Administration for Native Americans, the Dakota Indian Foundation, the South Dakota Humanities Council, and the North Dakota Humanities Council.

Lakota Language Now Critically Endangered

Only 2,000 first-language speakers remain

PIERRE, S.D.  – Lakota Language Consortium (LLC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the Lakota language, also known as Sioux, announced today that only 2,000 first-language speakers of Lakota remain – a decline of 66% in ten years.

Lakota, a language spoken on reservations in North and South Dakota, is one of the most well-known of America’s indigenous languages, and one of the few still spoken with a significant chance of survival. Lakota population is 170,000, but fluent speakers are a small fraction of that number.

In 2006, there were an estimated 6,000 first-language Lakota speakers.  Beginning 2016, LLC counted approximately only 2,000 remaining speakers – a loss of 4,000 in just 10 years.  The 66% loss in speakers equates to approximately 400 speakers lost each year.

Based on the new findings, Ethnologue, a catalogue of world languages, will now redesignate the Lakota language from “Threatened” to “Moribund”, with the special status of “Reawakening” – reflecting the community’s commitment to bringing back the language into every day use.

Ben Black Bear, a 69 year-old Lakota Elder and a first-language speaker, remarked, “I’ve been looking for good Lakota speakers, and the only ones I’ve found are older than me.  But there are young people interested in learning.   The challenge is getting them from ‘I want to learn’ to ‘What can I do to stop Lakota from disappearing?’”

For 10 years Mr. Black Bear has worked with the Lakota Language Consortium on numerous translation and recording projects, dubbing The Berenstain Bears into Lakota, and taking part in a language documentary, Rising Voices/Hóthaninpi, which premiered on public television in November 2015.

Despite the latest Lakota speaker count, Mr. Black Bear remains hopeful, “From the outside perspective, the language is in critical condition. But from the inside, from those of us living and speaking it, we just need to look at ourselves in a positive way to move the language forward.”

Lakota Language Consortium (LLC) is one of the most prominent nonprofit organizations working to save Native American languages. The group consists of schools and colleges across Lakota reservations, Native community leaders, linguists, and volunteers working together for the revitalization of Lakota.

For more information please visit https://lakhota.org

Or for Rising Voices/Hóthaninpi  www.risingvoicesfilm.com.

###