Oceti Sakowin Language Minor

Program Coordinator/Contact

Erin Griffin, Assistant Professor
School of American and Global Studies
Lincoln Hall 229, Box 2212
605-688-5101

Program Information

The Oceti Sakowin language, consisting of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota dialects, is the official Indigenous language of South Dakota and is spoken by 38 tribal nations across the region. In this minor, students learn to effectively speak, read, and write in the Oceti Sakowin language, with courses consisting of conversation, grammar, reading comprehension, culture and literature. Students also develop skills important to civic engagement, including translation, transcription, working with fluent speakers and historical materials, language planning, teaching methods, and building domains for the use of Oceti Sakowin language as a medium of communication. The minor complements a wide range of majors in agriculture, communication, education, health sciences, and social sciences.