Registration Is Open To All

Lakota Summer Institute is NOW open to all language learners eager to learn Lakota! This event will be held in a virtual format on Zoom.

Since 2007 LLC has been hosting the Lakota Summer Institute. These classes are designed to offer a deep dive into the Lakota Language. Language events offer beginner, pre-intermediate, and teacher tracks so learners can have the time and space to learn and use essential skills with other language learners at their level.

Teacher Track –
June 27th – July 1st

Registration Closes 6/24/2022
Choose the Teacher Track if you are a Lakota language teacher wanting to build upon their teaching and language skills. Dr. Kimberlee Campbell will be instructing this one-week continuing education session being held virtually. 

Beginner & Pre-Intermediate
July 18th – 29th

Lakota language learners can enroll in Beginner and Pre-Intermediate classes. You can attend 1 week or 2 weeks of sessions from 9 am – 4:15 pm that will cover communicative and grammar topics. This is a great opportunity to connect with others learning Lakȟólʼiyapi. 

Scholarship Applications Open

If you are a Lakota person interested in participating in the upcoming Lakota Summer Institute online we do have scholarships available so you can attend for free! The scholarship covers your registration for LSI Online and course materials. Click the “Apply Now” button below for details and to apply. Make sure to apply for the scholarship before completing the registration. The scholarship confirmation will have instructions on how to register as a scholarship recipient.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

Registration Is Open To All

Lakota Summer Institute is NOW open to all language learners eager to learn Lakota! This event will be held in a virtual format on Zoom.

Since 2007 LLC has been hosting the Lakota Summer Institute. These classes are designed to offer a deep dive into the Lakota Language. Language events offer beginner, pre-intermediate, and teacher tracks so learners can have the time and space to learn and use essential skills with other language learners at their level.

Teacher Track –
June 27th – July 1st

Choose the Teacher Track if you are a Lakota language teacher wanting to build upon their teaching and language skills. Dr. Kimberlee Campbell will be instructing this one-week continuing education session being held virtually.

Beginner & Pre-Intermediate
July 18th – 29th

Lakota language learners can enroll in Beginner and Pre-Intermediate classes. You can attend 1 week or 2 weeks of sessions from 9 am – 4:15 pm that will cover communicative and grammar topics. This is a great opportunity to connect with others learning Lakȟólʼiyapi.

New Picture Books Coming Soon! 

Three children’s picture books will be available soon. These new, colorful books are intended for children ages 3-8 years old.

• “How is the sky today?” – a picture book about weather patterns.
• “What’s for lunch?” – a picture book featuring a cartoon bunny who counts to help readers learn numbers
• “How are you?” – a picture book that helps explain feelings using emojis.

If you are a teacher, educator, homeschooler or administrator we will be offering copies at no cost once they become available for a limited time.

We hope you will find encouragement as you listen to the story. Elders like Rick are sharing in this way to make the language and these stories more accessible to all. The translation is provided so you can use the dictionary to look up words you may not be familiar with. Check out the online dictionary here > New Lakota Dictionary Online 

Last Chance To Apply
For Native American Internships!

Are you a Native Student Looking for a summer internship? Come spend a month in Bloomington, Indiana, and learn how the Language Conservancy supports Indigenous Language Communities. This internship allows you to see the operations, administrative, and material creation process up close and personal.

Benefits: This is a paid internship that provides housing, transportation, and a generous weekly stipend for your time. 

Qualifications: Applicants must be from a North American Tribe and be between the ages of 18 – 24.
Contact internships@languageconservancy.org with any questions

LLC Cultural Competency Training

As part of our commitment to working with Native communities, we recently participated in cultural competency training hosted by Pete Hill (Cayuga) from Native American Child Services (NACS).

The training session focused on understanding historical trauma. Sessions like this allow our staff to better support the Native communities and individuals that we work with.

LLC has and will continue to commit time for staff to staff receiving ongoing training from Native-led orgs.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

New Picture Books Coming Soon! 

Three children’s picture books will be available soon. These new, colorful books are intended for children ages 3-8 years old.

• “How is the sky today?” – a picture book about weather patterns.
• “What’s for lunch?” – a picture book featuring a cartoon bunny who counts to help readers learn numbers
• “How are you?” – a picture book that helps explain feelings using emojis.

If you are a teacher, educator, homeschooler or administrator we will be offering copies at no cost once they become available for a limited time.

LSI Details Coming Soon!

Since 2007 LLC has been hosting the Lakota Summer Institute. These 1 – 3 week-long classes are designed to offer a deep dive into the Lakota Language. Language events offer beginner, intermediate and advanced students time and space to practice essential skills with other language learners at their level.

This summer LSI will be held July 11 – 24, 2022.
We are in the final stages of planning and will be opening registration soon.

If you have attended a Lakota Language Weekend or a Lakota Summer Institute in the past we will provide you with more details via email once we’ve finalized these details.

Hoping to attend for the first time this year?
Click Here To Sign Up For Updates

Recently we also featured a blog about the Traditional Lakota Songs Book – Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ there has been increased interest in the details of the book and its creation. Last month we took a deeper dive into the history of this book. 

Internships For Native Students

Come spend a month in Bloomington, Indiana, and learn how the Language Conservancy supports Indigenous Language Communities. This internship allows you to see the operations, administrative, and material creation process up close and personal.

Benefits: This is a paid internship that provides housing, transportation, and a weekly stipend for your time.

Qualifications: Applicants must be from a North American Tribe and be between the ages of 18 – 24.
Contact internships@languageconservancy.org with any questions

Nature Poster Sale

In honor of upcoming Earth Day and Arbor Day, all of the nature-related posters are available for $5 in the LLC Bookstore. You can hang these in your classroom, home, or learning space to reinforce what you see outside your windows.  No discount code is necessary, these are discounted when you add them to the cart.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

International Women’s Day

March 8th marks International Women’s Day! The Lakota Language Consortium spent the day celebrating the remarkable Indigenous women Elders, speakers, knowledge keepers, language learners, and educators we work in partnership with. 

LSI Details Coming Soon!

Since 2007 LLC has been hosting the Lakota Summer Institute. These 1 – 3 week-long classes are designed to offer a deep dive into the Lakota Language. Language events offer beginner, intermediate and advanced students time and space to practice essential skills with other language learners at their level.

This summer LSI will be held July 11 – 24, 2022. We are still working through the planning details of this event and anticipate releasing details soon.

Lakota Summer Institutes (LSI) allow Lakota people and those passionate about the language to come together to learn Lakȟótiyapi. It’s incredible to gather groups from across Lakota Country for a common purpose. Participants reconnect with peers, mentors, and friends from past Institutes, creating an ideal Lakota learning community – bound together and investing in the Lakota language.

If you have attended a Lakota Language Weekend or a Lakota Summer Institute in the past we will provide you with more details via email once we’ve finalized these details.

Hoping to attend for the first time this year?
Click Here To Sign Up For Updates

After featuring the Traditional Lakota Songs Book – Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ there has been increased interest in the details of the book and its creation. We thought it was a great time to take a deeper dive into its details.

Shania Black Bear sat down and interviewed Ben Black Bear Jr. for more detail on the book’s origin and history. She also answers the questions about the original collaboration, and how we hope this project comes to life in the future.

Native NYC Residents

Come spend a month in Bloomington, Indiana, and learn how the Language Conservancy supports Indigenous Language Communities. This internship allows you to see the operations, administrative, and material creation process up close and personal.

Benefits: This is a paid internship that provides housing, transportation, and a weekly stipend for your time.

Qualifications: Applications must be from New York State and must be from a North American Tribe and be between the ages of 18 – 24.
Contact internships@languageconservancy.org with any questions

Linguist & Computational Linguist Interns

This 4 – 6 week internship is focused on those pursuing a career in Linguistics. Those participating in the program will be given the opportunity to work with the Linguistics team at The Language Conservancy (TLC). Interns will assist linguists in daily tasks or on small projects. The internship is based in Bloomington, Indiana.

Benefits: This internship provides working experience of the day-to-day of a Linguist. Housing and transportation are provided in conjunction with this internship opportunity.

Qualifications: Applicants must be pursuing a career in Linguistics or Computational Linguistics Must be enrolled in a college program.

Submit your application online – Apply online here.

Learn, Color & Teach

You can color all 37 letters and practice writing out the letters in the Lakota alphabet! This coloring book not only walks you through each letter of the alphabet but also gives you a letter to go along with it.

Lakȟól’iyapi Oówaptaya Owíyuŋ Wówapi – Lakota Alphabet Coloring Book has 77 pages of learning and coloring. Whether you are learning the alphabet yourself or teaching someone else, this book is packed with language activities.

Don’t do this alone! This month you can pick up a copy of this coloring book and get another copy for free for a loved one in our book store using promo code:  BOGOABC.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

Sharing Love Phrases

This month on social media you’ll see a series of posts that highlight LOVE! Shania Black Bear has been working with Ben Black Bear Jr. to create a series of short videos that highlight this theme. We hope that this series on social media will give you a chance to share how much you care about your Valentine with these Lakota phrases.

A Personal Language Journey

Learning the Lakota Language is a gradual journey that evolves over time. Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting Lakota people’s journey toward fluency. This blog is the first in a series that will highlight how people are integrating the Lakota language into their daily lives.

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. 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. In this blog post, I share what I learned while studying on my own using the Lakȟótiya Wóglaka Po textbook and corresponding audio.

Eháŋk’ehaŋ Lakȟóta Olówaŋ
Traditional Lakota Songs

This book has a long history that began in the 50s and 60s in Rosebud, South Dakota, home of the Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta Nation. Moving through this book you will see 36 different styles of songs in Lakȟóta with the English translations. This book is a snapshot of what Lakȟóta songs were like in this period before they experienced the transition into the modern pieces we hear at gatherings today.

These songs were originally published by Ben Black Bear Sr. and Dr. Ron Theisz in 1984 as a part of a larger project on Rosebud in collaboration with Sinte Gleska University. The goal of the project was to teach Lakȟóta people how to sing and dance to Lakȟóta songs in an engaging environment close to home. The early project held classes with dancers in full regalia teaching the songs to Lakota people. A few elders on Rosebud still remember participating in this project and have good memories of these classes. Unfortunately, very few copies of the original publication remained.

In 2018 Ben Black Bear Jr., in collaboration with the LLC, worked to assemble these songs in print for Lakota people today. This book provides the opportunity to reconnect with Elders in your life about the origins of these songs. You’ll also be able to see how these songs have changed over the years in the pow wow community.

February is the month of love, and several songs featured in this book are love and rabbit dance songs that express how to sing to the beloved. Printed copies of these songs are available in our bookstore, this month the book is being offered at a 35% discount using promo code LoveLakota35 at checkout.

Do you listen to podcasts or stream music? Well check your preferred audio streaming app and search for Lakota Language Consortium! Our digital media team has been working to make as many Audio lessons and songs available on these platforms like Spotify, iHeart Radio, iTunes, Google Play Stores, Amazon’s Audible, and many more!

One of the best ways to build fluency is to spend time learning with a Lakota speaker. Unfortunately for many people gaining access to Elders or Fluent speakers is not an option for a variety of reasons. This series features the voices of Ben Black Bear Jr. and Iris Chasing Eagle.

Also available on audio streaming services – Lakota Audio Series Volume 1, Lakota Audio Series Volume 2, Children’s Songs Volume 1, Textbook 1 Audio

If you are new to using streaming audio applications we can offer assistance, just reply to this email and our team can help! Our email address is news@lakhota.org.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

We Had A Blast At LNI

Last month LLC Staff Jamie, Shania, and Samantha spent 3 days in Rapid City, South Dakota at the 44th Annual Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI)! LNI is a collection of invited teams from the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ and surrounding areas that come together for a variety of competitions and cultural events.

Generations of Lakota families attended to support Native Youth participating in a variety of cultural activities and sports. While LNI is a basketball-focused event Native Youth can also participate in Hand Games, Art Shows, Traditional Dances, the Knowledge Bowl, and Art Show and so many more events! We saw artists who told stories through their creations, incredible athletes, and so many hard-working youth get their names out there and compete and show incredible sportsmanship.

We came out to share information about available materials and support the efforts of those in the Lakota language community! Many families picked up children’s books to gift at the holidays. It was also exciting to see so many new learners seeing information on how to get started learning Lakota.

We want to extend congratulations to all the Language Bowl participants and winners for investing their time in learning the language and continuing to make strides in language efforts! We had a great time and can’t wait to see everyone again at the next event!

New Picture Book Available

Last month we announced a new picture book created by the Dupree High School Lakota Language Class of 2020 – 2021. Over 400 giveaway books have been sent out to Native educators from California, Colorado and throughout the Dakotas!

This book is a Cheyenne River Community project written by students in the Lakota Language Class at Dupree High School with illustrations by Tammy Granados a Lakota artist from Cheyenne River.

Do you listen to podcasts or stream music? Well check your preferred audio streaming app and search for Lakota Language Consortium! Our digital media team has been working to make as many Audio lessons and songs available on these platforms like Spotify, iHeart Radio, iTunes, Google Play Stores, Amazon’s Audible, and many more!

One of the best ways to build fluency is to spend time learning with a Lakota speaker. Unfortunately for many people gaining access to Elders or Fluent speakers is not an option for a variety of reasons. This series features the voices of Ben Black Bear and Iris Chasing Eagle.

Also available on audio streaming services – Lakota Audio Series Volume 1, Lakota Audio Series Volume 2, Children’s Songs Volume 1, Textbook 1 Audio

If you are new to using streaming audio applications we can offer assistance, just reply to this email and our team can help! Our email address is news@lakhota.org.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

Register Now!
Lakota Language Weekend – Rapid City

LLC is thrilled to announce an in-person Lakota Language Weekend in Rapid City during LNI! Join us on December 18th & 19th in Rapid City, SD for a Lakota Language Weekend. We are offering beginner and intermediate tracks. 

Lakota Language Weekends are a truly unique opportunity to meet other learners and explore conversational topics. For those that have attended these events in the past, this is a great way to build connections with other Lakȟótiyapi learners. If you are a beginner this is a supportive welcoming space to get started, the community is full of encouraging teachers and learners.

We will be at the 45th Annual Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) on December 15 – 17th. LLC will be in booths 21 & 22 on the North Concourse at the Monument Arena in Rapid City, SD. For more information on LNI Click Here.

Come by our booth to pick up holiday gifts for the family, language materials for yourself, and get an overview of our digital media for learning on your own. Our team members will be there to help walk you through how to access the digital learning media and answer any questions you may have as well. We hope to see you there!

Listen to Native Voices On Our YouTube Channel

Tipiziwin Tolman and Shania Black Bear-Searby sat down to discuss the Tusweca Language Summit hosted in October of this year. Tipiziwin tells us about her presentations at the summit titled, “Anything is better than nothing- Language Learning by Any and Every Means” and “Waníyetu Wówapi – Using Winter Counts to Learn Language and History”.

Tipiziwin Tolman is Wičhíyena Dakota and Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta from the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota. She is a representative of the Skunk, Pretends Eagle, and Yellow Lodge extended families of the Standing Rock people and the Young extended family from the Spirit Lake Dakota people. Tipiziwin is dedicated to bringing tribal language and culture to the forefront of conversations regarding public health disparities and social health determinants for indigenous communities and families. Within her scope as an Indigenous educator, Tribal Language Revitalization & Lakota Language Advocate and former immersion instructor, she bears witness to the reality that Tribal Language & Education rooted in Indigenous Pedagogy, are the key and leading social determinants of health for tribal members and tribal communities across the United States.

Tipiziwin is the co-owner of “Haípažaža Pȟežúta”(Medicine Soaps in the Lakota language) an online soap and body product store that promotes family, sustainability, and respectful indigenous reciprocity relationships with medicine plant relatives.

Click Here To Watch The Full Interview

Matȟóla Ločhíŋ-He 
New Picture Book Made By Lakota Students

Last month we announced a new picture book created by the Dupree High School Lakota Language Class of 2020 – 2021. Over 400 giveaway books have been sent out to Native educators from California, Colorado and throughout the Dakotas!

This book is a Cheyenne River Community project written by the students in the Lakota Language Class at Dupree High School. Illustrations by Tammy Granados.

If you want to build your vocabulary while learning Lakota, it is essential to learn conjugation. This is also one of the most challenging concepts to master, but we’ve got a guide to help! This Conjugation tool allows you to enter a verb and see all the options to explain your thoughts.

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

November is a time that the country celebrates Native American Heritage Month. This is a time to celebrate the Indigenous heritage and honor the ongoing contributions of Native people of this country. Every day is a day to respect and value the diverse Nations, Tribes, and Villages that constitute Native people.

As part of our celebration of Native American Heritage Month, we’ve discounted our entire book store by 25%. Visit our store at www.llcbookstore.com, and use code NAHM2021 at checkout to access the discount.

As always, if you are a member of a Lakota community and but would like to access tools at no cost send an email to customersupport@lakhota.org for assistance.

Recap of the Lakota Language Weekend in Denver, CO

The first Lakota Language Weekend (LLW) in person since 2019 was held in Denver Colorado November 6 & 7. These weekends are designed to provide a deep dive into the Lakota language. This two-day course offers students at varying levels the time and space to practice essential skills with other language learners at their level.

Event attendees were able to participate in a variety of language activities. Students started by introducing themselves to other members of the class in Lakota. Throughout the weekend they communicated in groups to identify animals, objects near and far, various foods, and talk about going to different places in town.

Lakota Language Weekends are a truly unique opportunity to meet other learners and explore conversational topics. This was the last event LLC is hosting this year. We will share future events in the newsletter and on social media.

Matȟóla Ločhíŋ-He
New Picture Book Made By Lakota Students

We are celebrating Native Youth with this new book by the Dupree High School Lakota Language Class of 2020 – 2021. This book is a community project written by the students in the Lakota Language Class at Dupree High School. Illustrations by Tammy Granados.
If you are a teacher, educator, homeschooler or administrator email customersupport@lakhota.org to request your free copies of this early reader picture book.

If you are a teacher, educator, homeschooler or administrator email customersupport@lakhota.org to request your free copies of this early reader picture book.

This book will be added to the book store before the end of the month. Stay tuned to social media for its release!

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

Come See Us At LNI!

We hope to see you at the 45th Annual Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) on December 15 – 17th. LLC will in booths 21 & 22 on the North Concourse at the Momentum Arena in Rapid City, SD.

Come by our booth to pick up holiday gifts for the family, language materials for yourself, and get an overview of our digital media for learning on your own. Our team members will be there to help walk you through how to access the digital learning media and answer any questions you may have as well. We hope to see you there!

This week the LLC will be participating in the Tusweca Tiospaye Language Summit in Rapid City, SD. The 10^th Annual Conference is ongoing from October 7 through 9. This year’s theme is “Uniting the Seven Council Fires to Save the Language.”

LLC will be making several presentations throughout the weekend and items from our bookstore will be available for purchase as well.

Due to the rise in COVID rates, we are following local COVID protocols and working closely with Tusweca Tiospaye’s staff to ensure a safe environment for the conference.

In late September Lakota country lost Elder and Native speaker Marie Randall, Sičháŋǧu Lakota at the age of 101. She was an Uŋči to many in Lakota Country where her legacy carries on.  She will be remembered for her advocacy for a variety of issues such as Tribal Sovereignty and language learning, education, and preservation. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Her strength and encouragement are here in her own voice. She shared this message with the LLC while reflecting on advice from her grandmother who passed when Mary Randall was a young girl.

“My grandmother would always say this: ‘You are Lakota. Always remember that. Whatever hinders you and you fall down and you hurt, just stand up.’ No, I am Lakota so I will be strong. And I will walk. And now I am in my 98th year. And I always remember those members of our family and I do my best to never forget the Lakota language.”

You can hear her words in Lakota in this video

Pispíza waŋ Wayáwa Iyáye (Prairie Dog Goes to School) is now available on our YouTube channel.  Pispíza meets different animals who join him on his way to school. Children will learn sentence structure, basic verbs of travel, plus animals and numbers.

Narrated by Marilyn Circle Eagle. Illustrations are by František Valer.

Rising Voices / Hótȟaŋiŋpi

Six years ago the documentary Rising Voices / Hótȟaŋiŋpi shared the work the Lakota Nation is doing to revitalize the Lakota language. This documentary shares the exhilarating effort of both Native and non-native people to showcase the culture and an unflinching look at language loss. 

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!

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Wíŋyaŋ waŋ Sandra Black Bear ečíyapi kiŋ hé, makȟá-wičhóni ékignake kiŋ líla ičháŋteuŋšičape ló.

Sandra was passionate about the Lakota language and its reawakening for future generations. She was an elder in the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and was heavily involved in the pursuit of revitalization and health for the language. Some of her many contributions include acting as “Uŋčí” in the Lakota language adaptation of the Berenstain Bears, participating in plays, teaching at numerous Lakota Summer Institutes, and extensive work on the Lakota Language Dictionary. Her passion for the language, her integrity, and her wisdom has guided many important moments, and the Lakota Language Consortium is grateful for having known her. We honor her legacy in earnest and will continue to move forward in the spirit of working positively and productively on the language that she loved. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

One of the first picture books created at LLC Tȟatkŋka an Wáta is now on our YouTube channel. Follow the buffalo’s adventure down the river as he meets and invites new friends to join him. This video is a great tool to help Lakota language learners hear and read the story. Narrated by Ben Black Bear a familiar voice from the Lakota Audio Series and NLD Dictionary. Illustrations are by František Valer. 

Owóksape Teacher Portal Training

Over this past month, we’ve worked with many teachers setting up their classrooms for the 2021 – 2022 school year with Owóksape. New updates have been released to help you see the progress of your Lakota language students, and manage the pacing of the curriculum.

Book your 1-on-1 consultation by emailing us at info@lakhota.org. We are able to provide an overview if you are new to using the Owóksape app in your classroom, youth program, or other learning environment. Our team can also help with your new classroom setup and provide a personalized walk-through of the tool.

Rising Voices / Hótȟaŋiŋpi

Six years ago the documentary Rising Voices / Hótȟaŋiŋpi shared the work the Lakota Nation is doing to revitalize the Lakota language. This documentary shares the exhilarating effort of both Native and non-native people to showcase the culture and an unflinching look at language loss. 

New Lakota Dictionary 3.0 for Desktop – Available Soon!