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LLC Announces New Executive Director & Board Chair on 20th Anniversary Milestone

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LLC Announces New Executive Director & Board Chair on 20th Anniversary Milestone

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Lakota Language Consortium | February 1, 2024

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The Lakota Language Consortium (LLC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce a transition in leadership on its 20th anniversary. We welcome Alex FireThunder as Executive Director and Tipiziwin Tolman as the Board Chair. Ben Black Bear Jr. will continue to serve as the Board Vice Chair. LLC’s mission is to create innovative educational resources and opportunities to learn and use the Lakota language. 

The Board is happy to welcome Alex FireThunder (Oglála Lakȟóta) as the Executive Director of the LLC. A dedicated learner, Alex previously served as the Deputy Director and events instructor and holds a Masters Degree in Lakota Leadership and Tribal administration. He is a traditional singer, NAMMY winner and author of 5 upcoming Lakota language picture books to be released in 2024.

Tipiziwin Tolman (Sihasapa, Hunkpapȟa Lakȟota, Wičhiyena and Tizaptaŋna Dakȟota) has accepted the role of Board Chair. She has served as a board member since 2022, is a former Lakota immersion school teacher and language advocate. Tipiziwin is a Doctoral Student at Washington State University’s College of Education’s Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education PhD program and is finishing her Masters of Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria. She is the co-owner of “Haípažaža Pȟežúta” making hot process soaps & bath & body products using good medicines from plant relatives. 

Director of Indian Studies for St. Francis Mission, Ben Black Bear Jr. (Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta), continues to lend his 50 years of experience documenting and teaching the Lakota language. In the past, Ben has served his community for two terms as Vice President of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, as well as an early Director of the Lakota studies department at Siŋté Glešká University and former Executive Director of the RST Tribal Land Enterprise. We all enjoy his contributions to the New Lakota Dictionary and Grammar Handbook and his voice in many Lakota learning materials.

With this transition, we also announce that LLC’s former Executive Director and Board Chair, Wilhelm Meya, is no longer a board member or employed with the LLC. We want to express gratitude for Mr. Meya’s dedication and contributions to the organization over the years. 

We’ve continually reflected on the Elders who founded the LLC during this process. Their thoughtful vision and tireless efforts to document the language and find mediums to make it widely accessible show their dedication to our language and culture. This monumental change puts Lakota leadership at the forefront and honors the original vision. As language efforts progress, we will continue to update stakeholders, staff, and the community.

LLC Board Of Directors members are Tipiziwin Tolman, Ben Black Bear Jr. Rick Two Dogs, Travis Condon, Šišókaduta, Iris Eagle Chasing, and Jan Ullrich. 

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Biographies 

Ben Black Bear Jr. | Sičháŋǧu Lakȟóta | LLC Board Vice Chairman Since 2008

Ben is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and is the current Director of Indian Studies for the St. Francis Mission. He is the former Executive Director of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s Tribal Land Enterprise and Tribal Vice President. As a fluent native speaker of Lakota and early Director of the Lakota Language Department at Siŋté Glešká University, he has been involved with various aspects of the Lakota language teaching for five decades. He has set out to produce language materials to be used to document and teach the Lakota language and after five decades of work he has accomplished what he has intended to do.


Alex FireThunder | Oglála Lakȟóta | Executive Director and Board Member Since 2022

Alex is the Executive Director at Lakota Language Consortium. As an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Alex brings a wealth of experience to his role, holding a BSW in Social Work, MA in Lakota Leadership, and a Lakota Language Certificate from Oglala Lakota College. A seasoned educator, Alex taught Lakota for four years at Little Wound School and has been a vital part of the Lakota Language Consortium since 2017. A musician and NAMMY award-winning song composer, he founded Hóyeya, a platform for promoting Lakota language content. Alex believes in the transformative power of language in shaping a strong Lakota identity. The move from Deputy Director to Executive Director is a significant transition that allows him to make a broader impact for Lakota communities. 

Tipiziwin Tolman | Sihasapa, Hunkpapȟa Lakȟota, Wičhiyena and Tizaptaŋna Dakȟota | Board Member Since 2022

Tipiziwin is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Currently she is a Doctoral Student at Washington State University’s College of Education’s Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education PhD program and is finishing her Masters of Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria. Dedicating her life to addressing language and healthcare disparities she also serves as a research assistant supporting Nez Perce community language revitalization and on the National Academies of Medicine’s Culture of Health Program Advisory Committee. Tipiziwin is the co-owner of “Haípažaža Pȟežúta” making hot process soaps & bath & body products using good medicines from plant relatives Within her lived experience as an Indigenous scholar, Tribal Language Revitalization & Lakota Language Advocate and former Lakota Language immersion instructor, she is a living witness 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.

You can view biographies of all of our board members here

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LLC Provides Recordings To Be Stored in Tribal Archives

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LLC Provides Recordings To Be Stored in Tribal Archives

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Lakota Language Consortium | April 17, 2023

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Lakota Language Consortium Board of Directors and Staff are thrilled to share the donation of a variety of collections of past recordings with Sitting Bull College, Standing Rock Language And Culture Institute and the Oglala Lakota College Owoksape Tipi Archives. 

These recordings have allowed linguists and Lakota elder consultants to identify words that contributed to the creation of many materials that we all enjoy today. These recordings include narratives from Lakota speakers from Pine Ridge and Standing Rock reservations.

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation recordings were collected between 2004 and 2019 from 26 fluent Lakota Elders. The 28 recordings were donated to honor the legacy of former board member Johnson Holy Rock. This collection will be stored at the Oglala Lakota College Archive. 

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe recordings were collected between 2005 and 2019 with 8 wonderful and fluent Lakota Elders. The 12 recordings were donated to honor the legacy and language advocacy of Standing Rock elder and Board Member, the late Kevin Locke. 

Each collection was delivered on a USB drive with relevant meta-data, signed release forms, as well as a worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable license to the materials. This allows these organizations the rights to authorize the reproduction and publication of these materials for educational uses. 

Our hope is for these Tribal entities to share these collections as they see fit. 

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What is contained in these recordings?

These recordings are conversations between linguist Jan Ullrich and each speaker. The conversations are casual and include life experiences, narratives, and a window into the lives of each individual.

What makes THESE recordings so important?

Many of these conversations are from individuals that are no longer with us. Every opportunity to learn directly from our Elders is precious. The insight and knowledge is irreplaceable. These recordings hold just a glimpse of the knowledge, both cultural and linguistic, that each speaker had. Each recording in the archive is important and LLC is thrilled that these donations have been accepted, and are now a part of the important work that Tribal archivists do each day. We hope you’ll thank and support them for the work they do and the care they take with these precious cultural treasures.

Who “owns” the content in these recordings?

We’ve observed a lot of online debate about this issue. LLC believes that each and every person that works with the LLC has the right to share their lived experiences with anyone they see fit. LLC has been fortunate enough to be trusted with these brief moments. Each release form includes permission given by the speaker to use these recordings to make derivative materials from it.

What took so long?

Throughout LLC’s history, recordings were often shared with speakers, Tribal members, and families upon request. Tribal Colleges and education groups have also collected recordings with the same speakers oftentimes sharing the same information. For a long time there wasn’t anyone interested in these recordings. LLC had been in discussions with various institutions about how they wanted to receive these recordings into their archives beginning in 2019, and it was just a matter of them being ready, and LLC linguists having the time to master the recordings. After the loss of many Elders during COVID a social media campaign pushed the conversation forward in 2021, which helped move the process forward.

Who do I contact at the Tribe to learn more about these recordings?

Oglala Lakota College Library

Sitting Bull College Library

Why didn’t LLC release the recordings on their own website?

Being a non-profit we have a limited capacity to provide the proper customer service group that would allow us to manage individual requests for these recordings. Each Tribe has a different approach to archive, accessibility and can serve Tribal members in a way that we are not equipped to support long term. LLC believes that the Tribes should have these recordings and distribute as they see fit.

How does LLC profit from these recordings?

LLC does not profit from these recordings. LLC is a non-profit organization that does not engage in any money making endeavors. The materials created are sold at or slightly above the cost of producing them and any proceeds fund future projects within the organization.

How can I use these recordings to benefit my language journey?

It is always ideal to learn from Lakota Elders whenever possible, and these recordings are one more way to learn the language. We recommend you reach out to the folks mentioned above when they choose to make these accessible. There are a number of different ways a learner can use recordings such as these to further their learning. One is listen for words you know and are familiar with. Then listen for phrases that you know and are familiar with. Eventually you could attempt to transcribe. You could also identify words or phrases that you’re not familiar with. Use these to make flashcards and quiz yourself. Listen to the recordings with other language learners and help each other with comprehension and/or translations. The options are endless and we are excited that these opportunities will now be available.

Recently LLC has released the Wičháho Blihélya podcast in the language. This podcast is an example of current work being done in the community that allows Elders and First Language Speakers to communicate directly to the community, and is organized by theme/topic. Sharing data and giving access to resources has been core to LLC’s mission since the beginning of it’s inception.

Are there additional recordings?

Yes, the full list is accessible in the front of the print dictionary. This is the first in a series of donations LLC will be making in the future. LLC continues to work with these and other Tribes to donate recordings. If you are a representative of this Tribe that would be able to manage the archive, please reach out to info@lakhota.com.

Did LLC return the recordings to Delores Taken Alive’s Family?

Yes, in September of 2020 and again in September of 2021 LLC provided recordings of Delores Taken Alive to the Taken Alive family.

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Debut Of Largest Native American Dictionary: New Lakota Dictionary And App Bridge Gap Between Generations To Keep Lakota Language, Culture Alive

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Debut Of Largest Native American Dictionary: New Lakota Dictionary And App Bridge Gap Between Generations To Keep Lakota Language, Culture Alive

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New, 3rd Edition Contains 20,000 New Entries – 50% More Words and Phrases Than First Edition; More Than 400 Native Speakers Interviewed for Content

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Lakota Language Consortium | December 19, 2022

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The Lakota Language Consortium (LLC), a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Lakota language and culture, has announced the debut of the New Lakota Dictionary. LLC has also released an accompanying, updated, free app that enables Lakota speakers of all ages, and especially youth, to hear the language spoken.

The impetus for releasing the expanded dictionary now is the fact that Native American languages have experienced serious decline at extremely high rates. Lakota people and linguists, however, took action over 20 years ago to start documenting the language out of concern for further decline. Since the mid-1950s, Native Americans have experienced accelerated language loss. To exacerbate the issue, the last generation of first language speakers are largely now in their 70s and soon, younger generations won’t have access to their knowledge and wisdom.

“When it comes to preserving our language, the New Lakota Dictionary is a game-changer in so many ways,” says Alex FireThunder, Deputy Director of LLC. “It is an essential tool in how we can ensure our language is passed down from one generation to the next. The dictionary honors our ancestors and speakers and enables them to share our beautiful language with the next generation in a profound and enduring way.”

The New Lakota Dictionary was inspired by the early work of the first trained Lakota linguist, Ella Deloria, and was developed from the transcription of narratives and conversations with first language speakers. LLC used a rigorous method to corroborate words and phrases, resulting in a monumental “encyclopedia” not only of language but also of culture. Linguists used technology and software to accelerate this process and the creation of apps and other accessible tools.

“The New Lakota Dictionary exponentially expands the breadth and depth with which people can now express themselves in Lakota,” says Wil Meya, Executive Director of Lakota Language Consortium. “It demonstrates the power of technology, which enables us to fast forward the work – and art – of language preservation and revitalization The app itself holds enormous power to connect youth with their heritage and vibrant Native language.”

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