The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota passed a resolution in 1993 to mandate the teaching of Lakota language and culture at schools on the reservation.

The law has posed some challenges. Young tribal members are easily influenced by other cultures, said Emanuel Red Bear, a Lakota language instructor. And elders with traditional knowledge are slowly passing away.

But Red Bear and others educators are working hard to pass the language onto the next generation. They will be teaching at a Lakota immersion camp on the reservation for the second time this summer.

Get the Story:
Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture (AP 4/11)