October 28, 2015, Wednesday - Documentary on Preserving the Lakota Language at Mill City Museum

Times: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Mill City Museum, 704 2nd Street South

Free

View a New Documentary on Preserving the Lakota Language

View an advanced screening of Rising Voices/Hothaŋiŋpi, a new documentary that tells the story of members of the Lakota community and outside linguists who are working together to save the Lakota language and restore it to its rightful place in Lakota, and American, culture. Told through the voices of a wide range of Lakota people who share their feelings about their language and the myriad challenges facing their community, the film also incorporates four short films created by Lakota filmmakers and artists. Each short film gives a perspective on how finding one’s authentic “language” connects a person to a deeper sense of culture. Rising Voices offers a snapshot into a day-to-day struggle of one of the biggest Native American nations, and illuminates the problem of ancestral language loss. 

The screening will include remarks by local leaders in language preservation, including Dakota language instructor Šišóka Dúta (Joe Bendickson). Beginning at 6:30 pm, enjoy music by Kevin Locke, a master hoop dancer and preeminent player of the indigenous North American flute, who composed, arranged and performed much of the music in Rising Voices/Hótȟaŋiŋpi. Kevin also served as musical adviser to the film production team. The screening will begin at 7 pm. 

The film is presented by Florentine Fills/Hott Productions in asssociation with the The Language Conservancy. The Language Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that works with Native American tribes to preserve their ancestral languages by providing educational materials, teacher trainings, dictionaries and other materials that assist in language revitalization. This project is funded by Vision Maker Media with major funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Administration for Native Americans, the Dakota Indian Foundation, the South Dakota Humanities Council, and the North Dakota Humanities Council. Rising Voices is presented and distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT) and will premiere on public television stations nationwide beginning November 1, 2015.