Dakota Language Classes

As a teacher of the language, she said she uses traditional lessons, but also songs and music as a way to share the Dakota language with youth.

Pratt believes it is important to share traditional Indigenous languages with youth as a way to keep those languages alive after the residential school system tried for decades to eradicate them.

“Our traditional Dakota language is considered sacred, so we try and continue and share that language,” Pratt said. “And everyone at the school is working very hard to support what I’m doing, so the whole school and the whole community is really behind this work.

“This is a Dakota nation, so everyone understands why this is so important, it is so important that our Dakota language continues on, and everyone understands that.”