Dakota Language Program

When I started becoming conversational in Daḳota, my dad asked me, "How would you say carburetor? Gas tank? Steering wheel? Screwdriver? " etc.

He told me while growing up at Mni Waḳaƞ, "There was this family that lived near us. They didn't really speak English, they only talked Daḳota. I'd go by their place and the men were always working on cars so I'dhelp them. They had Daḳota names for all the car parts and the tools they used." That blew my mind.

Over time, I started to get many of these words and share them with him. I thought it would be interesting to put an auto manual together in Daḳota or teach auto shop in Daḳota.

-C̣aƞtemaza de miye do

Designed for our very own OLC automotive program.

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Every Wednesday in September! Register now 🙂

Ho mitakuyepi!

How do we bring our Daḳota language back to a healthy level of speakers?

We raise a generation of Daḳota speakers.

If you'd like to be part of that movement, The Daḳota Language Nest at The University of Minnesota is looking for a lead teacher and others to work in helping to raise new speakers.

Here is the job posting.

The Dakota Language Nest Preschool Teacher position is now posted on the UMN jobs website under Job Opening ID 374067. To apply for the Teacher position, visit our careers site. (In case you want to send the posting to anyone)

https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/374067

Daḳota iapi uƞspennic'ic̣iya yac̣iƞ he?

Do you want to learn to speak Daḳota?

Here are the classes offered for this fall.

All classes are online.

For more information, call 612-624-1338

A 3 day (in person) Daḳota Language camp. 🙂

The Lakota Verb by Matthew Uses Knife

Another resource for learning verb conjunction and inflection. This along with 550 Daḳota Verbs can help learners look at the patterns in how verbs change depending on who is doing the action or having it done to them.

I ordered this from Prairie Edge in Mni Dúzahaŋ oṭuŋwe (Rapid City).

The author states that they have created a new orthography (writing system). The use of final consonant 'n' is referring to nasalizing the vowel it follows. Where most would write ṡni (or šni or shni) the author writes it as shnin.

This is not a review, just announcing a resource.

Price is $72.

"We're going to the store. Do you need anything? "

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Learning language though our songs, no registration needed, EVERYONE welcome and encouraged to come. Begins tomorrow! (03-10-26)

Some learners of Daḳota iapi appreciate the color coding of the conjugations which tells us who is doing the action or having it done to them.

ni (red) - it is happening to you or someone is doing it to you

ya, d (blue) - you are doing it or you are doing it to someone