A group of 12 from the Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska came to Flandreau on Wednesday, November 4th for a demonstration of their Dakota Language Immersion program. There were 7 students: Holli Keeble, Linda Whipple, Lorene Beaudette, Terry Remick, and Crystal Coffman, and 5 staff members: Wyatt Thomas- Director of the Dakota Center of Excellence Instructor, Mary Johnson - Media Specialist / Librarian, Redwing Thomas - Dakota Language, Ardis Badmaccosin - Dean of Academics, Richard Lundy - Chair of Native American Studies. Arrangements were made for Redwing Thomas, Mary Johnson to stay overnight at the casino motel. The FSST Dakota Language Preservation Committee met the group for dinner at 5:30 pm at the casino. Vice President Cyndi Weddell and Trustee II Gina Williams met with the group also. There were 27 people present for the evening meal at the casino, twelve from Santee and 14 from Flandreau (JB Weston, Andrew Weston, Sarah Weston, Everett Weston, Jim Bill Ross, Kendra Burshiem, Renata Schroeppel, Myrna and Dave Louis, Warlene Yellow Cloud, Kiya Beaulieu & Carol Robertson).
Wyatt Thomas briefed FSST as what to expect for the evening activity. The Santee Sioux Oyate students were asked to briefly tell about their experience taking the Dakota Language Immersion Class. Preserving the Dakota Language is the ultimate goal for language preservation for Flandreau Santee and the Santee Oyate of Nebraska.
At 7 pm the group went to Eastman Hall for a Dakota Language Immersion Demonstration by instructor Redwing Thomas and 7 students from Santee. Seven volunteers were selected from Flandreau to participate: Carol Robertson, Howard Allen, Devin Drapeau, Kendra Burshiem, Casey Burshiem and Bill Gilbert.
Forty-nine community members signed in and attended this event. They were asked to fill out a survey for Dakota Language Preservation to help the committee gather information from the community and for grant writing purposes. Twenty- eight completed surveys have come in to date. The response for the Immersion demonstration was positive and our Dakota speakers both young and elders really enjoyed the program and evening. We dismissed at 9:15 pm so that the students and 3 staff from Santee could travel back yet that evening.-Editor
Thursday morning, 8:00 am, November 5th, Carol Robertson, Vine Drapeau, Jim Bill Ross, Myrna & Dave Louis, JB Weston, and Renata Schroeppel met with Redwing Thomas & Mary Johnson and had a brief meeting over breakfast at Royal River Casino. Discussion topics: Grants-ANA, Endangered Language, media grants for archiving, community support, in-kind, matches for grants, deadlines for grants coming up, sharing & identifying Dakota language resources, partnerships, classes, college credits, funds needed to start a Dakota Language Immersion class, sending a student to the Nebraska Indian Community College at Santee, Nebraska tuition free, certifying and 2 -year associate of arts degree for Dakota language teachers. Nebraska Indian Community College offered free tuition if FSST sent a student to the community college. The student would have to follow the application process and sign a contract to successfully complete or pay back tuition.
The plan for the morning was to meet at 10 am at the Tribal Office and meet with council members for discussion on the Immersion Program. However, it was announced at the Wednesday night at Eastman Hall at the close of the meeting to attend our committee meetings and that Redwing and Mary would be meeting with the Dakota Language Preservation Committee Thursday morning. We had to make more room because there were 20 people in the meeting room, formerly the Economic Development offices. Council member present was Gina Williams, Trustee III and other council members were on travel or in other liaison meetings.
There is a strong interest in the Immersion Program for Dakota Language Preservation and getting a program set up at Flandreau. So basically, we had the same discussion that we had earlier with Redwing and Mary over breakfast. Tribal members and interested community members expressed a strong interest in the Immersion Program and are willing to participate and volunteer. Redwing and Mary explained their willingness to help Flandreau out with collaborating with Santee, setting up classes through the Nebraska Indian Community College here at Flandreau.
Galen Drapeau lives in Ward, SD and has been teaching Robin & Billie Rederth the Dakota Language every Tuesday and Thursday and they have sweats from time to time. Mr. Drapeau said he is willing to help out and if not paid or given a tank of gas, and if not, that is okay too. Bruce Allen said he wrote for a 3-M grant when he was Education Director for FSST and was awarded a grant to help with stipends and expenses for Dakota Language teachers. He would look for the grant and disk and give it to the FSST Education Department.
Redwing Thomas told JB Weston he may be able to come up to Flandreau on Fridays and start an Immersion Program for Dakota Language. This will have to be discussed more with the Committee members and FSST Executive Committee. The planning will be on-going and hopefully we will have good participation to justify writing a program grant application. -submitted by Carol Robertson. November 9, 2009
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