Language Instructor Meetings

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Dakota Iapi Teunhindapi Language Meeting
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Lee Baker Wiconzani Centre, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation
10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Download the PDF of this Meeting

Dakota Iapi Teunhindapi Language Meeting
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Lee Baker Wiconzani Centre, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation
10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Agenda:

1. Opening Prayer – Linda Eastman

2. Introductions:
¬ Barry Hook, Dakota Tipi, Principal
¬ Linda Eastman, Canupawakpa – Grade 1- 5, Jr. High, High School
¬ Rena Wajunta, Canupawakpa – N/K Teacher, ½ teacher Grade 7 - Reston
¬ Noella Eagle, Education Director,
¬ Elaine Hall-Pratt, Director of Programs - Sioux Valley Dakota Nation
¬ Alvina Ross – Sioux Valley Community Members – Language Advocate
¬ Arlene McKay – Early Years Dakota Language Instructor
¬

3. Dakota Iapi Teunhindapi Consortium Presentation – Noella Eastman & Elaine Hall-Pratt
¬ Washington DC presentation – National Alliance for Saving Endangered Languages
¬ The losing of the value of the Dakota Language – understanding the value to spirituality, sacredness of the language, listening at Gathering historically
¬ Dakota Language resolution – official language declaration
¬ Gathering through corporate sponsorship
¬ People have to network together – to make it easier to work together
¬ Speaking the language daily
¬ Quarterly meetings –
¬ Working on standards and rubrics
¬ Phrasolator – an instrument for language preservation
¬ Evening Classes – for the children
¬ Language fluency – is vital in the preservation for the language
¬ Decolonization – changing the attitudes
¬ 3 – 5 Phasolators – per community if we could get a female speaker
¬

4. MFNERC Presentation on Dakota Language Presentation Update – Ruth Norton
¬ No representation for this meeting

5. Language Rubrics & Standards
¬ Fluency – there has to be levels of fluency –
¬ Beyond basic concepts
¬ Think tank as to what should be done
¬ Sample models to be shared
¬ Maori Language Model – Adult Learners

6. Current State of each community school on Language & Resources
¬ Rena – colors, animals, birds, Number 1 – 31, Names of the Month, Days of the Week, Curriculum, Doris Pratt coloring books,
¬ Linda – Have her own classrooms, paint classroom in Dakota motif, Calendar, daily routine of numbers, calendar, and commands in phrases. Teacher role for students to teach phrases. Artists in the School – community based-artist come into the classrooms. Schedule made by the school – and restricting - prayer, say this prayer when they come into the classroom before classes begin – and another prayer when they leave.
¬ Barry Hook – Dakota Tipi – High School programs, hoping for a language program, be using Elders to teach the language, probably after school, Nursery School – numbers, colors, have them see if they could use them in the Dakota Language. No resources at the school
¬ Betsy Mazawasicuna – Birdtail Sioux - class number 1 – 16, 2 high school course, calendar, greetings, translate
o Paul Goble, Robert Munsch allowing all their books to be translated into Dakota
¬ Arlene – Nursery – teaches them both Dakota and English, Prayer, repetitive work, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. Basic commands, sit come, sit and listen, we are going over there,
o Grade 1 – 4 – Learn a prayer, what to teach at the school year in the beginning and what to teach at the end.
o Learn – everyday usage of the language
o Basic numbers, days of the week, months of the year,
o Seven Nature Laws – Wawokiye, etc. Teach one value for the week – waunsida – poster, how to show it when they got home, next day share their ideas
o 4 days for the language, and one day to do art
o Address by relative
o Word Games – Dakota Hang Man –
o Writing sentences

¬ Alvina: Worked at the Radio Station – Then she worked at Minneapolis for 4 year olds
¬ Granite Falls – 71 youth – taught both female and male –
¬ Prayer – started off with a prayer, conversational sentences, booklets, Language Immersion Training, make it fun,
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¬

LUNCH

7. Universal Model
o Curriculum Guide - rubrics

8. Funding
o Official Languages – Provincial funding as of this year $650 M over the next 5 years

9. Open Discussion
o Noella – Gift of their First Language
o Rena – happy to network and share resources and interested in knowing what other communities are doing/feeling of isolation but it is good to have a network system to call upon each other. Nursery Curriculum
o Linda – glad to be here – happy to share ideas as to what is happening in the classrooms/ teach the language – when they first start speaking you have to speak the Dakota language to them. Teaching young children the language as they catch on the fasted. Grade 1- 4 – 30 minutes, Grades 5 – 8 – 45 minutes and High School is for one hour. Nursery Curriculumigh School is for an hour
o Barry Hook – Happy to be here – Only three speakers left – Nursery Curriculum for next meeting
o Betsy – Happy to be here – Good to work with the language – make a go of it – use the language – vital component in their family –
o Arlene – Good to gather – we have our way to teaching students – good to share ideas and materials – It is very important to bring an idea and share it for every meeting
o Alvina – happy to be in the language meeting – radio station is her focus – communication system broader to reach our fellow reserves.
o Chat Line in Dakota – in all Dakota communities
o Instructors – for High School – Historical Trip – with the Grade 12 students – within the next two years
o Oswald – language – the spiritual side of the language – self- guidance of the Creator, the young people need to know – we cannot stop – process – wasicu language is taking over – why we are sick today as a Nation. Formulate in our own mind why our language is important.
o

10. Next Meeting

o August 20, 2008 – 10:00am – 3:00 pm

11. Closing Prayer