Lakota Language Consortium, Inc.

The Lakota Language Consortium's goal is the complete revitalization of the Lakota language as a living, developing tongue. Our objectives are grassroots leadership (majority Lakota Board of Directors and engagement of fluent speakers as consultants); linguistic accuracy (engagement of linguists with Siouan specialization); a comprehensive pedagogical plan (sequenced textbooks and support materials, dictionary, grammar handbook, digital and mobile applications); professional teacher training and development (Lakota Summer Institute, Total Physical Response trainings); and committed school systems (more than 80 schools now use LLC materials and trainings).

Partnering with professional linguists and educators to implement a unified language revitalization plan, including a K-12 sequence of language textbooks with audio CDs, training support for language teachers to develop their skills for teaching Lakota as a second language, publication of the print and online New Lakota Dictionary, and the development of innovative multimedia platforms to bring valuable technology to the forefront of our efforts.

LLC is an organization with broad and committed support across Lakota communities, working together to bring the Lakota language back into common use. LLC is fundamentally a community-driven organization—over 300 Lakota language consultants have contributed to LLC materials over the last ten years. Lakota language consultants create much of our new content, including audio CD recordings, animation voiceover and narration, and many other documentation activities. The planning and review phases for developing all Consortium materials are done locally, among teachers and community language experts.

LLC has published Lakota Level 1-5 textbooks, audio CDs and flash cards; Lakota bi-lingual picture books; the Lakota Alphabet Strip; the Lakota Computer Keyboard and Fonts Bundle; language-learning posters, and the award-winning 23,000-entry New Lakota Dictionary (2nd Edition) that involved over 300 Lakota-Dakota speakers as consultants; and, together with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the 20 Lakota-dubbed episodes of the Berenstain Bears animated series which were broadcast on regional public television stations. New LLC Products include an electronic multimedia dictionary with 46,000 recorded audio files, so that learners can hear the words spoken. LLC has recently released Dictionary and Vocab Builder Apps for smart-phones and tablets, as well as specialized keyboard apps. Most notable, however, has been the effort to improve and standardize Lakota language teaching, particularly through the Lakota Summer Institute (LSI). LSI is now in its eleventh year, with over 170 attendees and 40 instructors teaching and learning best practices for Lakota language instruction annually. We are excited to build this curriculum with upcoming apps and multimedia materials, and we will continue to expand our continuing education programs in the coming years.