Očhéthi Šakówiŋ Iyápi Coalition

There are many different Ochethi Sakowin (Seven Council Fires)  language revitalization programs and departments that currently work together in an informal capacity to share information and resources (such as relevant research, funded grant applications, etc.). The collaboration is at times inconsistent, especially with employee turnover rates in the language revitalization field, and there is no formal organization that groups all of these entities together. The creation of a formal Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi (language) Coalition, will bring together the relevant entities to share relevant information, partner on projects, and collaborate with professional development opportunities. This solution would help the dozens of Ochethi Sakowin communities and their programs and departments to grow and improve their programming, programming which ultimately services thousands of Ochethi Sakowin youth and community members who are working to revitalize their languages.

An informal coalition already exists between many Ochethi Sakowin language revitalization programs, with partnerships that stretches back many years and many projects, but the strength of these collaborations varies from year to year due to a variety of factors. These programs are found across four different states, often in rural communities, with little to no physical contact between the programs. Also,in the field of language revitalization, there is often high employee turnover due to burnout from the overwhelming pressures of their work. This turnover affects collaboration between programs, as many partnerships are formed through individual connections - when a key employee leaves their role, they often take their connections with them leaving behind a profession void. This void and the large physical distances between communities leads to a lack of communication between the entities and relevant information, news, and research is no longer shared freely. With a formal coalition, membership would be at the program or department level and resource sharing would be consistent, despite physical distance or any changes in leadership or employment.

The Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition would bring together the various language revitalization programs and departments across the region (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota) in a formal organization. Through this organization, we will collaborate on professional development opportunities (i.e. share in training, provide regional (online) conferences for leadership, teachers, or stakeholders), have regular check-ins between all the entities, share and update relevant resources (i.e. research/studies from the field and successfully funded grant projects), and forge long lasting partnerships between communities. This will allow the programs to grow and improve their programming, ultimately helping to revitalize our Ochethi Sakowin languages (Dakota and Lakota). This coalition will inc

The coalition will track its members through an online database of each program and personnel contact information. A website and online forum will be created for use by its members where contract information can be found and resources can be uploaded and shared freely and securely (password protected for sensitive information like grant applications).The coalition members will meet virtually throughout the year to stay involved and updated on each other’s progress.

Ochethi Sakowin language revitalization programs and departments can be found across reservations and communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota. As a member of the Standing Rock language revitalization community who has worked closely with many programs and individuals throughout these areas, I know the challenges that come with long-distance communication. Leaders and workers in this line of work often feel isolated and overwhelmed with projects and activities in their respective communities and do not often have the chance to reach out to one another to receive help and support. A coalition will help to remove the burden of isolation that many communities feel when engaging their communities through language revitalization. Our goals are all the same - to revitalize our Ochethi Sakown languages (which are all dialects of the same language). but we often work alone when we do not have to. This coalition, through the use of technology, can help to unite our communities and bring us closer together, despite the large physical distances between one another.

The Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition will directly help language and culture revitalization programs and departments to grow and improve their programming through collaboration with similar entities in their region or state that are working toward similar goals.

Language revitalization coalitions already exist across the United States, North America, and the world, some of which our coalition members may already hold membership. We will learn from these existing organizations to create a Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition that is grounded in our values and focused on our individual and unique needs.

This coalition, through the use of technology, can help to unite our communities and bring us closer together, despite the large physical distances between one another. The coalition will track its members through an online database of each program and personnel contact information. A website and online forum will be created for use by its members where contract information can be found and resources can be uploaded and shared freely and securely (password protected for sensitive information like grant applications).The coalition members will meet virtually throughout the year to stay involved and updated on each other’s progress. We will utilize existing technologies to achieve our goals of increased communication, utilizing technology such as website building platforms, databases, and virtual meeting applications. Though the use of these technologies is not new or innovative, they will be new in our context of collaboration.

Increased collaboration and availability of information will lead to improved language revitalization programming across the Ochethi Sakowin communities. Leaders in the field will no longer have to work alone when planning projects or writing grants, which result in less burnout and more successes. Long term our communities will grow closer through our shared struggles and shared goals.

Three people currently work on the Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition support team as contractors/part-time staff: Nacole Walker, Tipiziwin Tolman, and Peter Hill.

All three individuals are currently enrolled in the Masters of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization at the University of Victoria in Canada.

Nacole Walker is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is the director of the Standing Rock Language and Culture Institute. She has directed programs and managed various language revitalization projects in her community for many years. She has forged connects and partnerships with various Ochethi Sakowin language revitalization programs across the project region.

Tipiziwin Tolman is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is an educator with many years of service as an immersion school teacher and language activist. She has served as a consultant and leader of many language immersion projects.

Peter Hill has worked for many years to learn and teach the Lakota language. He has directed programs and managed various language revitalization projects in his community for many years. He helped to found the first Lakota language immersion school on the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation continues to grow the language immersion upwards.

This project will begin as a personal project, but will eventually become a integral part of each Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition program, many of which are funded by tribal funds or grant funds which allow for membership in such coalitions. Coalition projects and programming beyond this fellowship will be be funded through a cost-share between the various programs.

Initial work for the coalition will be provided by Nacole Walker, Tipiziwin Tolman, and Peter Hill as they complete their Masters in Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization.

The Ochethi Sakowin Iyapi Coalition team are currently pursuing Masters of Education degrees in Indigenous Language Revitalization and during this time, would like to share what they are learning with not only their respective communities and language revitalization programs, but with all Ochethi Sakowin language communities.