Teaching the Dakota Language: From the Community to the Classroom
The Dakota language—like many Indigenous languages—was systematically stripped from Native people during the boarding school era from the 1880s through early 1900s. Native children were sent to these schools to be “civilized,” and were punished for speaking their Native language. For decades, fear and shame surrounded the use of Indigenous languages—feelings that still linger today.
While the Dakota language remains critically endangered, meaningful progress is being made to reclaim this core piece of Native identity and culture. The SMSC is investing significant time and resources to strengthen the language within the tribe and beyond.
Read more in issue 3 of Wiċoṡkaŋ, the magazine of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.
