Matthew Rama of Maȟpíya Lúta Owáyawa (formerly Red Cloud Indian School) describes how they are creating their own Lakota reading program using the Seedling platform. Their ambition is to develop 750 – 1000 interactive stories that their learners can access.
The Lakota language immersion reading program is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revitalizing and preserving the Lakota language, an indigenous language spoken by the Lakota people in North America. This program provides a unique and immersive learning experience for students of all ages, focusing on developing reading skills in Lakota. Through a combination of culturally relevant materials, interactive activities, and dedicated instructors, the program creates an environment where learners can engage deeply with the language and its rich cultural heritage. By fostering a love for reading in Lakota and instilling a sense of pride in their indigenous identity, this program not only strengthens the linguistic abilities of its participants but also contributes to the broader efforts of language revitalization within the Lakota community.
The Seedling platform enables educators in Maȟpíya Lúta Owáyawa create highly personalized stories for their students. The Lakota stories feature images and voices from within their local community. They have even been able to create stories that feature the students themselves which adds to the immediacy and relevance of the content.
Matt speaks about documenting the school basketball team’s progress through a key tournament and how their students love reading and listening to them. The Lakota reading program gives their language learners the opportunity to engage with content that is relevant to their daily lives.
You can find out more about the Lakota language revitalization work Seedling has been doing with Maȟpíya Lúta Owáyawa in this testimonial article.
The Seedling platform is compatible with most North American Indigenous Languages. we have worked with many communities in the United States and Canada. Contact us to book a demonstration.