Reading and writing the Lakota language = Lak̇ot̄a iyap̄i un̳ wowap̄i nahan̳ yawap̄i

ISBN: 9780874805727
ISBN: 0874805724
ISBN: 0874805716
ISBN: 9780874805710
Physical Description: xiv, 226 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
Publisher: Salt Lake City : University of Utah Press, ©1999.

Book

Reading and writing the Lakota language = Lak̇ot̄a iyap̄i un̳ wowap̄i nahan̳ yawap̄i / Albert White Hat Sr. ; edited by Jael Kampfe ; [foreword by Vine Deloria Jr.].

White Hat, Albert. (Author). Kampfe, Jael. (Added Author).

Summary:

Based on extensive research and pedagogy on the Rosebud Reservation, this elementary grammar of Lakota, one of three languages spoken by the Sioux nation, is the first written by a native Lakota speaker. It presents the Sicangu dialect using an orthography developed by Lakota in 1982 and which is now supplanting older systems provided by linguists and missionaries. This new approach represents a powerful act of self-determination for Indian education. Though Reading and writing the Lakota language is thorough in its inclusion of conjugation, syntax, and sentence structure, it emphasizes vocabulary and pronunciation. Author Albert White Hat Sr. presents Lakota philosophy as it applies to specific grammar lessons. These examples offer new information and interpretations of Lakota spirituality and society, even to scholars who specialize in Plains cultures. Moreover, he documents the impact of the acculturation process on language, showing how Lakota evolved as a result of non-Indian influences. Beyond language instruction, readers will value the book for its cultural insights, humorous stories, and its entertaining tone.