It is estimated that only 2,000 people continue to speak the Lakota language, down from 6,000 since 2005. Yet one growing organization is doing its part to keep their heritage alive.

That point, according to Ullrich, is key.

“Over the years we’ve grown in a number of ways,” said Jan Ullrich, linguistic director of LLC. “We not only train teachers in methodology, but offer those classes to non-teachers, anyone learning to teach them how to be active learners and self-teachers.”

The program attracts more than 100 participants every year, quite a jump from an initial group of 18 language teacher participants when it started.

The three-week program is offered to three groups of people: fluent Lakota speakers who come to learn how to build their language skills, language teachers brushing up on methodology courses, and second-language learners who come to learn how to speak Lakota.

The Lakota Language Consortium will host its 10th annual Lakota Summer Institute from June 6 to June 24 at Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, N.D. More.

See: Rapid City Journal

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