The Government of Saskatchewan has added the Dakota language to its list of Indigenous language curriculum in the province.
The announcement was made Wednesday morning and the Dakota language will join Cree, Dene, Nakawe, Michif, and Nakoda as Indigenous languages available to learn in Saskatchewan schools.
“Providing Dakota language curriculum ensures more opportunities for First Nations and Métis languages to be learned and used by younger generations and supports revitalization of First Nations and Métis culture and heritage,” said Minister of Education Dustin Duncan in a media release.
The government says they will be working with Dakota nations on the development of the curriculum with the class available as Dakota 10,20,30.
“Our Dakota Language is in a perilous state, as we have very few fluent Dakota Oyate Language speakers left on Wahpeton Dakota Nation,” said Chief John Waditaka. “The new curriculum will support the revitalization of the Dakota Language, will provide an authentic Dakota Oyate worldview for the greater provincial student population and will open the doors for further authentic research of the Northern Dakota Peoples.”
The curriculum is expected to be developed this year with implementation planned for the beginning of the 2023 school year.
(PHOTO: A file photo of the Senator Allen Bird Memorial School on Montreal Lake Cree Nation.)