Dakota is the language of the Dakota people, whose traditional homelands stretch across the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Although French and English colonists often used the name "Sioux" to describe the Dakota and related Nations, each has its own distinct name and identity. There are several varieties of Dakota, each spoken by a different oyate, or nation, of the Dakota people.
Created by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre in 2012, this course features the variety of Dakota spoken in Manitoba and other parts of south-central Canada. By learning Dakota, students gain a deeper understanding of the language and the communities that have carried it forward across generations.