"Any effort to promote, share and preserve the language of South Dakota's native people is a good one.

That's why the Sioux Falls School District bringing back a standalone Lakota language high school class next year is so important.

Only about 10 percent of Native Americans can speak Lakota, and most of them are older than 50. Getting more youths to learn the language is critical to its survival.

A Lakota language class was available during the 2008-09 school year, but the teacher left and the class was dropped from the schedule. In the absence of a full class, the district made learning some Lakota a part of middle and high school Native American Connections program for the past two years."

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Editorial: District deserves praise for resurrecting Lakota class (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 9/21)