Dakota Language and Culture
The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center hosts programming and activities to preserve the Dakota culture and life-ways of the Ihanktowan People. The Dakota Language Immersion Program works to preserve the Dakota language and culture. Each summer for 6 weeks we hold a language immersion program for children ages 3 and up. Through the Dakota Language Immersion Program language materials such as CDs, language workbooks, and an interactive language web page have been developed. In addition, the Dakota Talk Radio weekly show Dakota Language Lessons with Diane Merrick has been archived and can be found on our web site.
The Dakota Cultural Preservation Project is an effort to document cultural heritage and preserve tribal history of the Ihanktowan people. NAWHERC staff members conduct ongoing interviews with elders of the Ihanktowan people and surrounding tribes to capture their memories and songs. NAWHERC is also in the process of digitizing old music, stories, interviews, and oral histories for posterity. The goal is to make this information available electronically to Ihanktowan Community College, the University of South Dakota, and other interested parties.
