Taking the Lakota Language into the Future

The Lakota Language Consortium team presented at Oglala Lakota College on May 3rd to discuss the history and development of the Lakota Dictionary.

Work on the dictionary began with the Lakota community’s devotion to revitalize the language for future generations. The project spanned many years and was a collaborative effort involving many local Oglala tribe elders. Many of these elders, including Johnson Holy Rock, contributed to the research and development of the Lakota Dictionary throughout their entire lives. Over the course of several years, 400 elders have shared their stories with us, recording personal stories, Lakota mythology, legend, and cultural teachings. These recordings were used as the foundation for documenting the Lakota Language and creating the Lakota dictionary.

A video of the presentation will be available soon on the Lakota Language Consortium Youtube channel!

LOWI School Update

The LOWI School, a Lakota Language Consortium supported school, recently finished up their first week of school at the beginning of May. The week was filled with day visitors from a local headstart program and getting the first kindergarten immersion class underway.

Additionally, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman, Harold Frazier, visited the school to give encouraging words to the young Lakota language learners.

We sat down with the LOWI School Principal, Manny Iron Hawk, and Administrative Assistant, Renee Iron Hawk, to discuss the school and it’s future.

What inspired the formation of the LOWI School?

Administrative Assistant Renee: To teach our very young to grow up around our Lakota being spoken fluently and help them become familiar with the language.

What is your mission as principal of the LOWI School? What is the mission of the LOWI school as a whole?

Principal Manny: As principal, my mission is to establish the school preserving and revitalizing our languages. The mission of the school is to strengthen, preserve and revitalize the language through immersion education.

What materials is the school using to educate the kids? How are these materials being used?

Administrative Assistant Renee: We are utilizing the alphabet strip and teaching tools. For example, the Lakota Language Consortium posters of face/body and utilizing weather days, etc.

How is the LOWI School involving parents into the process of learning Lakota?

Principal Manny: Parents, community and invested individuals are invited every Wednesday from 5-7 pm for Language Activities.

How do you feel the learning of an ancestral language will help the students as they grow?

Administrative Assistant Renee: They will feel more grounded in their identity and their confusion of who they are will be lessened.

What is the future for the LOWI School? What are the future goals for the school?

Principal Manny: The future is to expand our school to K-12, the finished model of the school, with all subject taught in Lakota. Now, there is K-3 recruitment and we’re working collaboratively with local schools and the communities.

The Lakota Language Consortium and Oglala Lakota College are hosting the Lakota Language Academy.

The Academy is currently underway! We’re excited to be a part of this incredible Lakota language learning experience!

The Lakota Language Consortium and the University of North Dakota will host LSI North.

LSI North is the full Summer Institute experience with the most courses. Live, eat, and study all in one place! The institute will offer 3 tracks with beginner and pre-intermediate levels in Communicative Lakota and Lakota Grammar.

Register

 here!

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