Building Our Infrastructure

Han mitakuyepi. Cante wasteya napeciyuzapi ye.Hello my relatives. I greet you all with a warm handshake.As Dakota Wicohan enters its 8th year in operation, we take this time to reflect, to appreciate the early developing years. Dakota Wicohan began with a dream of a few learners and has grown to a multi-generational circle of language activists, supporters, teachers, elders, speakers, learners and more recently, committed Dakota language Teacher Apprentices. As we work to preserve and renew our Dakota language, we realize that this is not just about language, this is not just about being able to speak or write Dakota, it is a journey of renewing what it means to be Dakota. For the very word Dakota, means to be allied, to be united and we know that the word O’Dakota means to be peaceful. And so the meanings of these words begin to take on more meaning to ourselves. We begin to learn our own history as Dakota people, our own painful journeys and the joy we have in joining hands to unshackle the remnants of oppression and especially to recognize the end to our own negative ways we do to keep ourselves and each other down. There are many ways that we recognize and respect that can be used as healing tools for ourselves, our families and community.Today, we ask that all of us recognize how we can join the movement, the language and life ways revitalization work and celebrate the ways in which we can be a part of the Dakota healing journey we are on. As one of our elders has so simply put it, “one of us pushes, one pulls, one’s the baker, another dances and without each of us doing what the Creator called us to do, makes more work for everyone …we each have roles and responsibilities”, or as mitunkansin called it, wowacinye.We give thanks to the Creator, to the treasures of the Dakota language and history for sharing, to our supporters and learners, to Dakota Oyate for the prayers and work we all believe in. No matter our growth, we remain committed to our philosophy, our values and basis for being Dakota…the renewing of relatives, making new relatives and honoring each other as relatives. Han, hecetu!Mitakuye Owasin,Utuhu Cistinna Win, Teresa Peterson