Breathing Life Into Our Language: The First Cohort of Lakolya Waoniya Graduates
“Henry Quick Bear Sr. (Lakota Language Educator) and the learners of Lakolya Waoniya attend their honoring for completion of the program”
In 2021, Sicangu Co. launched the Lakolya Waoniya Lakota Language Revitalization Program, a bold and visionary step toward restoring the heartbeat of the Sicangu Oyate—our language. Meaning “Breathing Life into the Lakota Language,” Lakolya Waoniya was created to address the critical need for fluent Lakota speakers and cultural carriers in our community. After three years of dedication, the first cohort completed the program in January 2025, marking a historic moment for our Nation. This program demonstrates how language revitalization is about healing, identity, and sovereignty.
“Henry Quick Bear Sr, Alphonso Bad Hand, Royal Yellow Hawk, Dale Bad Hand, and James Iron Shell drumming and singing Lakota songs to honor the learners of Lakolya Waoniya.”
This was a paid, immersive opportunity designed to equip Sicangu Lakota community members with fluency in Lakota while grounding them in cultural life ways. Participants studied full time, engaged in ceremonies, and committed to lifelong learning. The program was led by passionate educators Henry Quick Bear Sr., Sarah Hart, and Christina Johnston, whose hard work and teachings will have lasting impacts. In January 2025, an honoring ceremony was held to celebrate the learners’ completion of the program. The participants celebrated with their community by offering personal reflections of the program, joining in traditional songs, and gathering together for a shared meal. We extend our deep gratitude to Royal Yellow Hawk, Alphonso Bad Hand, James Iron Shell and Dale Bad Hand, who sang to honor the graduates for their commitment. Wopila to the private funder who made this program possible, your support has created long-lasting change and will only continue to grow! The impact these Lakota language learners have made in only three years extends far beyond what can be measured. Our community has five more Lakota language speakers and teachers!
“The Lakolya Waoniya program being honored at the Wacipi grounds during Rosebud Fair”
Each graduate is now applying their language skills in powerful and community-centered ways.
Delmer Forgets Nothing Jr. now teaches Lakota at Sinte Gleska University and will soon be offering his own online learning sessions, serving a dire need for local community members as well as off reservation members who want to learn their Lakota language.
Colin Whirlwind Soldier, a Lakota language advocate and student at SGU, continues incorporating the language into his music as an artist & DJ and IT work with Sicangu Co. He also brought the language to the national stage by voicing Thor in the Lakota dub of The Avengers—an exciting way for youth and families to connect with the language in modern media.
Chauncina Poor Bear is now teaching Lakota in local after-school programs and works directly with youth to pass on language and ceremony, ensuring future generations grow up grounded in their identity.
Haylee Quick Bear is a high school coach at Todd County, where she integrates Lakota into sports culture, motivating youth with words of encouragement and identity.
Natalie Bordeaux has used her experience to overcome language insecurity and now shares Lakota through Facebook and TikTok videos, where her relatable, everyday lessons have reached thousands, building confidence and connection for others like her.
“The very first gathering of Lakolya Waoniya at the Bringing Back the Thunders event in 2021.”
This was the first program of its kind on Rosebud, and these graduates stood strong through trials, experiments, and growth. They are now teachers, mentors, and leaders. Henry Quick Bear Sr. is working to secure funding for a second cohort, aiming to reach five more learners and continue improving the curriculum based on this inaugural class. This language work is critical to the sovereignty and future of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate.
Why Lakota Language Revitalization Matters Now More Than Ever
The number of fluent Lakota language speakers on the Rosebud Reservation continues to decline at an alarming rate. Generations of cultural suppression, forced assimilation, and systemic erasure have taken a heavy toll, leaving only a small group of elders and dedicated learners who still carry the language fluently. This reality is a threat to the lifeways, values, and worldview embedded in the Lakota language. Without urgent and ongoing revitalization efforts, we risk losing not only how we speak, but how we understand who we are as Lakota people. Language is the heart of our sovereignty, and its survival is essential to the cultural strength and future of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate.
A recent list compiled by the Childcare Services & Lakota Language Preservation Project of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe shows just how few fluent speakers remain, further emphasizing the critical importance of programs like Lakolya Waoniya. We believe that adults can serve as the bridge, carrying the language from our elders to our youth, which is why adult Lakota language learning programs are essential. However, just like the early days of Lakota immersion schools, no formal curriculum existed when these efforts began. Everything had to be created from the ground up. Today, adult programs face that same hurdle, building frameworks and resources from scratch. Even with this program, it's important to note that the Lakota language is still at risk—which is why a much larger investment is needed to meet the urgency and scale of this crisis.
A New Space for Language and Cultural Immersion at Keya Wakpala Woicageyapi
The very first model home at Keya Wakpala was made possible through the generosity of the same private donor who strongly supports the Lakolya Waoniya Language Revitalization Program. On the Rosebud Reservation, accessible and dedicated infrastructure for immersive learning is difficult to come by. Many language learners have historically met in borrowed classrooms, community centers, or shared office spaces, often limiting the depth of cultural and linguistic immersion possible. This model home represents the entirety of what the Keya Wakpala community is all about. This community will encompass everything it means to be Lakota from our language, our ceremonies, our food systems, our kinship ways, learning from the land, and our healthy ways of life are intentionally designed into this community. This model home will serve as a home base for the next cohort of Lakota language learners, creating a safe and consistent space to grow in their fluency and cultural knowledge. This investment in infrastructure reflects the long-term commitment to making language revitalization a lived reality rooted in the community at Keya Wakpala.
