Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium 27

For 20 years now, there have been free Dakota language tables (community classes) offered in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. What started as a single community language class is now a readily available Dakota language learning experience available to anyone that wants to learn, whether they are Dakota or non-Indian. The past three years have seen dramatic growth in participation and in the percentage of learners who are Dakota, so it is a great time to reflect on what we've learned.

The primary goal of these language tables is to teach conversational Dakota that learners can use every day in their homes and communities, with the ultimate hope of creating new speakers and teachers. We will share some of the language journeys of learners who started at the language tables. These include learners who have pursued further language instruction at the University of Minnesota; parents who are using the language at home with their children and enrolling them in immersion programs; and teachers at various levels ranging from elementary school to university.

We will share successes from these language tables but also challenges. Some of these will be familiar to others who teach language in community settings, such as consistency and commitment from both learners and teachers. Others are more unique to our context, such as teaching these classes in an area where no first speakers of the Minnesota Dakota dialect reside.

We will also share resources for other community language teachers, including the scope and sequence for classes at the beginning and intermediate levels, sample lessons, games, and PowerPoint presentations used to teach through the medium of Dakota. And we look forward to attendees sharing their own experiences, strategies, materials, and best practices so we can continue to learn as well.