Albert White Hat Sr., a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, has been a Lakota language instructor for 25 years. He recently spoke of his efforts at United Tribes Technical College in North Dakota.

"Language is a living being. We (use it to) communicate with other nations, the coyote nation, the eagle and bear," White Hat said, The Bismarck Tribune reported.

White Hat said Lakota values are instilled in the Lakota language. He said the phrase "mitakuye oyasin" means "our creator became us." He explained how this means how people are related to "all creation."

White Hat is the director of the Lakota language program at Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud reservation.

Get the Story:
Lakota: a language with its own spiritual meanings (The Bismarck Tribune 5/12)

Relevant Links:
Sinte Gleska University - http://www.sinte.edu