Nakona, also known as Nakota or Nakoda, is the traditional language of the Assiniboine people and is spoken primarily on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana. A member of the Siouan language family, Nakona is closely related to Dakota and Lakota. Like many Indigenous languages across North America, Nakona endured generations of suppression through federal assimilation policies and boarding schools that discouraged Native children from speaking their ancestral language. As a result, the number of fluent speakers declined dramatically, placing the language at risk of being lost.
Today, Nakona’s survival is a testament to the dedication of Assiniboine elders, families, teachers, and language advocates who refused to let their language disappear. Through community classes, college courses, language apprenticeships, and digital learning initiatives, a new generation of learners is reclaiming the words, stories, and cultural knowledge carried by the language. Educators such as Crystal Redgrave and the team at Nakona University continue to expand access to language resources, helping transform a language once facing near extinction into one with growing opportunities for learning and revitalization. Their work ensures that Nakona remains a living language and an enduring connection to Assiniboine identity, history, and culture.