West River Eagle

Cheyenne River High School students participate in the 2018 Lakota Language Summer Institute


Líla oíyokiphi uŋyúhapi! Wípazukha Wašte-Wi k’uŋ héhaŋ, okó yámni ópta, Dupree na C-EB TRIO Educational Talent Search, wayáwa khoškálaka na wikhóškalaka akéyamni (13), United Tribes College (UTTC) ektá, Thaspáŋ Ožú Othúŋwahe (Bismarck) ektá ípi na héčhiya LSI Lakota Language Summer Institute akhé el óphapi. (laksummerinst.com/lsin; www.facebook.com/lakhotiyapi)

Ektá waúŋspewičhakhiye eyá wawóptetušni, Alex Fire Thunder éna Corey Yellow Boy ečhéča, čha waúŋspewičhakhiyapi, čhaŋkhé wayáwa kiŋ takúku óta uŋspéič’ičhiyapi. Aŋpétu iyóhila, owáuŋspe núŋpa líla théhaŋ él óphapi. Ho čha owáphe šákpe heháŋyaŋ škáŋpi.

Nakúŋ agná htayétu čháŋna šna takúku wóimahahaya ečhúŋk’uŋpi. Mníšoše kiŋ mahél uŋnúŋwaŋpi na nakúŋ watóuŋphapi. Othúŋwahe él wičhítenaškaŋškaŋ waŋ awáŋyaŋg uŋyáŋkapi na nakúŋ Denny Gayton kičhí Kirkwood Omás’ophiye-ta uŋyáŋpi na takúku ophéuŋkič’ithuŋpi. Na nakúŋ tuwáwa Lakhól’iya wówičhuŋkiyakapi.  Ečhúŋhaŋ tóna hiyáyapi kiŋ óta ahítuŋwaŋpi na ithúŋpha waŋyáŋg naúŋžiŋpi. Na ehákehčiŋ, htayétu čháŋna šna wayáwa kiŋ iyúškiŋyaŋ thabškátapi s’a.

Líla iblúškiŋ ičhíŋ wayáwa kiŋ tóhaŋni íyakičhuŋnipi šni. Yuŋkháŋ tuwéke éyaš okó yámni ihúŋnikiya héči, Lakota Language High School credit waŋží Dupree High School etáŋhaŋ ičú kte. Owáyawa-ómakha waŋží ákhilečheča.

Wayáwa líglila oíyokiphi yuhápi, čha héčhe thokáta blokétu kiŋháŋ takómni akhé uŋyáŋpi kte.

For the eighth year, the Lakota Language Summer Institute (laksummerinst.com/lsin ; www.facebook.com/lakhotiyapi) met again during June, this time at United Tribes Technical Institute in Bismarck, ND. USD TRIO Educational Talent Search took 13 students from Dupree and C-EB to study and learn the language. Once again, the students did an amazing job, taking huge leaps and bounds toward fluency to the point where they are now able to respond to simple questions and commands and converse with one another in simple sentences. They were taught by some well-known Lakota language instructors such as Corey Yellow Boy from Pine Ridge and Alex Fire Thunder from Kyle. These teachers employ highly effective language teaching methods to revitalize the language. Methods involve listening, talking, playing, interacting, reading, and writing, so that students can use all of their senses in an actively engaged learning process. It is thrilling to watch some of our youth re-discover the language and start on their journey toward fluency.

After classes, they did fun activities: went swimming in the Missouri, rented boats, went to the movies, and had fun walking through the Kirkwood Mall with Denny Gayton, high school language teacher from Fort Yates. The students talked about things and people they saw in Lakota, making other people turn their heads to look at them with curiosity. In the evenings, the kids relaxed in the dorms or played basketball. They also connected with a German group of students by sending video chats back and forth, in the mutual hope of being able to visit each other’s countries and towns in the future.

All Dupree students completed all three weeks of LSI this year, which means that they will be able to receive one high school language credit, which is the equivalent of taking two semesters of Lakota Language. (C-EB students need to consult with their counselor and TRIO teacher on credit.) It also means that these students sat in six hours of intense language classes each day for 15 days! Thank you, students, for your tremendous commitment and thank you LSI for teaching them!

TRIO will do its best to make it possible for students to attend LSI every year to help them continue along this path toward proficiency in Lakota. I would like to close with the same words as last year: The next step for our communities is to create a real need for the language. We need to bring the language into the forefront again. Lakota needs to be turned into a necessary tool of communication and daily conversations, as it once was! Héčȟegla epȟíŋ kte.

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