Minnesota high school adds a Dakota language course – Bemidji Pioneer

Red Wing, Minnesota – One of the things Barry Hand tries to communicate to his students is this: Language is power.

For the first time in years, students at Red Wing High School can take a class in the Dakota language. It is not a random selection. About 6.5% of the student body in the school district is Native American, and the city of Red Wing itself is located south of the Prairie Island Indian community.

For a people and language that have faced marginalization for years, this is a step towards rebuilding culture and its relationship to the wider community.

“I really think this class has had a real positive impact on our building,” said George Nemanish, Principal of Red Wing High School. “It has allowed our students to broaden their view of the different cultures within our society.”

Last week, Hand wrote a number of words on the board at the front of the room, titled “Everyday Expression.” Words like “usually” (Easna), “maybe” (Nacece), as well as the abbreviation “WTH”, were followed by their Dakota counterpart “Waƞeya”.

The hand pronounces “conscious,” and is recited by a choir of 30 students returning it to him in unison. Then repeat the process.

“You have to know how to express yourself in language,” Hand said to the class, “otherwise the language will not survive.” “We don’t have that saintly language. We have all the expressions in Dakota that you have in English.”

,
To read the original article from news.google.com, Click here

Private Internet Access gives you unparalleled access to thousands of next-gen servers in over 83 countries and each US state. Your VPN experience will always be fast, smooth, and reliable.