News & Recent Events

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!