A New Dakota language app helps bridge a gap. The free app, called Dakhód Iápi Wičhóie Wówapi, was unveiled last month at an event at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, Minnesota. It contains over 28,000 words in Dakota and includes a Dakota language keyboard and audio recordings of first language speakers — both men and women — saying the words so users can learn how they are pronounced. It’s a vital resource not just for preserving the language, but also for learning vocab on the fly. There’s no Google Translate or other online dictionary for Dakota.
Indigenous language council, citing broad work, seeks name change and other updates. What’s in a name? For the council given the responsibility of safeguarding Alaska’s Indigenous languages, a name change could reflect a broader purpose. Under legislation pending in the Alaska state House, House Bill 26, the Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council would be renamed to something more general: the Alaska Native Language Council. It might seem a simple change, but it’s meaningful, said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, one of two legislators who are non-voting members of the council. The shortened name “better reflects the broad and vital work the council does,” Story said during a hearing this week of the House Tribal Affairs Special Committee.
Those are your headlines at this hour. I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
