Lakota Language: The Endurance of Cultural Identity

The Endurance of Cultural Identity exhibit provides a deeper understanding of the Lakota language. Viewers will learn about the background of the language, how Lakota came to be on the brink of being lost, and language revitalization methods. The exhibit also provides some Lakota words for colors, foods, numbers, animals, and, most importantly, formal introductions and kinship terms to greet our thiwáhe (family).

Lakota is the language traditionally spoken by the Oceti Sakowin people (commonly called Sioux) whose ancestral lands include South Dakota. Over the years, the decrease in the use of the language has been astonishing. In the past decade only 14 percent of indigenous peoples living in North Dakota and South Dakota spoke Lakota. After a census, it has been estimated that the number of Lakota speakers has dropped 25 percent in the last eight years.