Lakota Language Study in South Dakota

Lowel Amiotte

Learn ABOUT
(deep listening, information)

  1. Prior to the boarding schools, Lakota (Dakota/Nakota) were the primary languages spoken in the homes. Why did parents decide that their children needed to know English to succeed?
  2. Where is Rockyford?
  3. In what ways did Lowell’s involvement with the BHSU Center of Indian Studies bringing the bilingual programs for native students into SD help to preserve the language?
  4. In the past, there wasn’t as much of an issue with the differences in dialects of the Lakota language. Why have the dialect differences become more of an issue in recent history?
  5. What makes it difficult for each reservation to teach their own languages to their children?
  6. What are ways to keep working at it and keep the language alive?
  7. Who was Albert Whitehat?
  8. How as the dictionary helped to keep the language preserved?

Learn FROM
(deep listening, transformation

  1. Was a language other than English ever spoken in your home? What do you remember about it?
  2. How does knowing multiple languages help people in life?
  3. Are there parts of your own history that have been preserved?
  4. Are there parts of your own history that have been lost?
  5. What do you notice in your own family as differences in the generations? Are certain things more important to one generation over another?
  6. How do you personally work to keep your family’s culture, language and history preserved?