Category: Blog Post

Keeping the Lakota language at your side has never been easier. Two new products being released by LLC this fall liberate you from wi-fi signal and web servers, even as they deliver language study at the speed of the digital age.

NLD-Pro

While it’s comforting to hold a solid book in your hands, carrying around a resource like the New Lakota Dictionary poses some challenges. To bypass these, LLC has created both the NLD-O app to connect your smart phone to the online dictionary – and now, a way to download the entire NLD to your desktop computer, making an Internet connection unnecessary.

 

 

The NLD-Pro is the entire New Lakota Dictionary set in an interactive, searchable form designed to let you work offline.  The Help feature is especially useful to language learners. It will give you a handle on how to use the dictionary to build your own path of research and study.

For example, the NLD-Pro helps your word-search go quicker with an approximate spelling function – you don’t have to know a word’s exact spelling and diacriticals to look it up. The Help text says,

Press Ctrl + F and check “approximate spelling”. This will allow you to type e.g. tatanka when searching for tȟatȟáŋka or wicasa when searching for wičháša.

However, bear in mind that the approximate spelling (or simplified orthography) results in frequent ambiguities, for instance the search result when typing toka will be three words: tȟóka, tȟoká and tókȟa. The search for lena will display both léna and lená. Depending on the size of the entries you might only be able to see the first entry within the visible part of the search window so it is necessary to scroll down in order to see all search results.

 

NLD-Pro offers Autocorrect options for words you type in, and many different ways to search for a known or unknown word.  You can also “change the direction” of your translating, from English – Lakota to Lakota – English and back again.

The NLD-Pro’s Help function will show you how to do all of this, and more.

Part II takes an in-depth look at the Lakota Audio Series.

LLC is hopping this week, packing for the 7th Annual Lakota-Dakota Language Summit put on by Tusweca Tiospaye in Rapid City, SD, October 10-12.

The big change this year is that the Summit happens in October instead of November. Tusweca has joined forces with the Black Hills Powwow, combining the two events at Rushmore Plaza, so that hundreds of powwow participants from the U.S. and Canada also have a chance to experience the events and breakout sessions of the Language Summit.

The 28th Annual Black Hills Powwow takes place in the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, while the Summit goes on in the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn.

LLC will have a big table display at the Summit, with fun new language-support materials like bumper stickers and t-shirts.  We’ll also show samples of our new products and have information about our upcoming projects.  Books, CDs, dictionaries, Lakota Berenstain Bears DVDs and other products from our catalog will be available for purchase.

We’re really looking forward to this Summit, which for the first time will provide a unique opportunity for teachers and language students to have intensive Lakota language instruction in a weekend workshop setting. There will also be a keynote speech by Ryan Wilson (Oglala), the Director of the National Alliance to Save Native Languages.  This is going to be a terrific opportunity for  interested supporters to become real language activists, in the midst of the Powwow’s cultural energy.

Come visit! We want to see you again.

Do you believe scary rumors about other people? Let Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe (the Compassionate Bear Family, a.k.a. the Berenstain Bears) help you with your Lakota language study in this Halloween story.

TRICK OR TREAT

Brother and Sister plan to avoid Widder Jones’ house when they go trick or treating because neighborhood lore has it that she’s a witch. Mama knows Widder Jones personally and tells the cubs what a sweet person she is. When the evening is over the cubs agree with Mama. They enjoyed visiting Widder Jones more than anyone else that Halloween.

 

Each Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episode comes with free extras for download: a complete script in Lakota, a vocabulary sheet with English translations, and comprehension questions (in Lakota) to check your understanding of the action.

Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe is a co-production of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Lakota Language Consortium, Berenstain Enterprises and Nelvana Limited. Episodes were first broadcast in 2011 on Prairie Public Television.

Friendship makes all the difference at school. Let Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe (the Compassionate Bear Family, a.k.a. the Berenstain Bears) help you with your Lakota language study and think about what it means to be a friend.

MIGHTY MILTON

When a new cub at school is teased by Too-Tall and the gang for his lack of sporting ability, Brother takes it upon himself to help his new friend renew his self-esteem by finding value in the things he can do well.

Each Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episode comes with free extras for download:  a complete script in Lakota, a vocabulary sheet with English translations, and comprehension questions (in Lakota) to check your understanding of the action.

Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe is a co-production of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Lakota Language Consortium, Berenstain Enterprises and Nelvana Limited. Episodes were first broadcast in 2011 on Prairie Public Television.

School! Teachers! What’s it all about? Let Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe (the Compassionate Bear Family, a.k.a. the Berenstain Bears) help you with your Lakota language study in this story about Little Sister.

 

GO TO SCHOOL

Too-Tall and the gang amuse themselves at Sister’s expense by warning her how hard third grade will be and how strict Teacher Jane is. Brother tries unsuccessfully to convince Sis not to worry.
 Mama reminisces about Sister starting kindergarten and reflects on how her daughter’s feelings back then were exactly the same. Sure
 enough, when Sister starts grade three she enjoys the new experience just like she did when she started kindergarten.

 

Each Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episode comes with free extras for download: a complete script in Lakota, a vocabulary sheet with English translations, and comprehension questions (in Lakota) to check your understanding of the action.

Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe is a co-production of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Lakota Language Consortium, Berenstain Enterprises and Nelvana Limited. Episodes were first broadcast in 2011 on Prairie Public Television.

Got Homework? So does Brother Bear, and he tries to get out of it. Let Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe (the Compassionate Bear Family, a.k.a. the Berenstain Bears) help you with your Lakota language study.

HOMEWORK HASSLE

Brother Bear complains that he’s given too much homework and that’s why he has fallen so far behind at school. Papa blames it on his highly distractive study environment and until Brother gets caught 
up, there’ll be no television, video games, loud music or chatting on the phone. When Brother decides to do a little homework every night, he finds it’s much easier to stay on top of his workload.

 

Each Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episode comes with free extras for download: a complete script in Lakota, a vocabulary sheet with English translations, and comprehension questions (in Lakota) to check your understanding of the action.

Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe is a co-production of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Lakota Language Consortium, Berenstain Enterprises and Nelvana Limited. Episodes were first broadcast in 2011 on Prairie Public Television.

 

 

The Lakota Language Consortium has adopted digital technology and social media to make language learning more fun and playful, something you come back to every day.  This Fall we look forward to shipping our new Lakota Audio Series for conversational lessons on everyday topics.

Today we want to spotlight a project that was begun by a few learners and speakers who wanted their own digital gathering place.

One of our Forum members set up a community for beginning Lakota language learners on Facebook, with unexpected success.  “Lakota Language for Beginners” opened up with just 60 members and has quickly grown to more than 8,000.

It is “an open group for those just beginning to learn the Lakota language, or who are completely unfamiliar with it, with downloadable lessons that have an emphasis on introductory phrases, basic grammar, and elementary vocabulary,” according to the site’s introduction.

Founder Charles B. Smith of Gettysburg, SD has help from fluent members as “teaching admins,” to post sentences with translations, and discuss words and grammar of Lakota.  All members are encouraged to use the standard orthography developed for the New Lakota Dictionary, and all are encouraged to try posting remarks and updates in Lakota.

Smith says that of the 8,000+ members, about 100 are “very active” with regular posts and comments. The teaching admin whom members call the “resident teacher” is Les Ducheneaux, a retired Lakota language teacher from Tiospaye Topa School on Cheyenne River.

LLC is proud to see that so many Lakota speakers and learners have set up their own village in cyberspace, to help one another bring back the language.  Wóphila! Taŋyáŋ ečhánuŋpi!  (“Thank you! Well done!”)

School’s in!  Let Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe (the Compassionate Bear Family, a.k.a. the Berenstain Bears) help you with your Lakota language homework by telling you about Brother Bear’s problems at school.

TROUBLE AT SCHOOL

Brother Bear has been kept home from school for a few days with the flu and neglects to do the schoolwork that Sister delivered from his teacher. As a result, Brother’s next math test mark is zero and he 
doesn’t know how to break the bad news to Mama and Papa. He turns to Gramps and Gran for help and learns that getting a problem out in the open goes a long way toward solving it.

Each Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episode comes with free extras for download:  a complete script in Lakota, a vocabulary sheet with English translations, and comprehension questions (in Lakota) to check your understanding of the action.

Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe is a co-production of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Lakota Language Consortium, Berenstain Enterprises and Nelvana Limited. Episodes were first broadcast in 2011 on Prairie Public Television.

Four Lakota tribal schools have emerged from the 2013-2014 school year showing real strength in teaching the language.  Comparison of test scores between the September 2013 pre-testing and May 2014 post-testing proves that students at all grade levels are improving and advancing.

Elementary schools

Most Improved — Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Early Elementary (Cheyenne River)

Best Overall — Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Early Elementary (Cheyenne River)

Junior High schools

Most Improved — Rock Creek Grant School (Standing Rock)

Best Overall — Red Shirt School (Hermosa, SD, Shannon County)

High Schools

Most Improved — Red Cloud High School (Pine Ridge)

Best Overall — Red Cloud High School (Pine Ridge)

Kili! These schools will be recognized with awards at the upcoming Lakota-Dakota Language Summit October 10-12 in Rapid City, SD.

Outstanding news from our friends at Lakota Immersion Childcare!

Lakota Immersion Childcare (Iyápi Glukínipi), a language revitalization initiative based in Oglala, SD, recently received a sizable three-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA).

These funds were awarded through the exceedingly competitive Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance initiative (NALPM) which, in addition to supporting immersion endeavors, provides grants for curriculum development, teacher training, and technology used to disseminate and preserve Native American languages.

ANA awarded approximately $2.6 million in new NALPM grants for 2014, which were conferred on 13 recipient organizations. Lakota Immersion Childcare, which is receiving the funds via its fiscal sponsor, Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, is the only organization in the Dakotas to be awarded ANA language funds, and one of only three in the Great Plains area.

Lakota Immersion Childcare currently has a staff of five, including two administrators, and three fluent speakers who work with the children on a daily basis. Their enrollment is currently 15 children, and the program admits a new cohort of five toddlers between 18-24 months of age each fall. The ANA funds will enable the program to develop and expand over the next three years and beyond, according to their long term plan, which includes partnering with a local school to create a full-immersion elementary program.

 

Kili! Taŋyáŋ ečhánuŋpi! (Fantastic! Well done, congratulations!)