Welcome back to Wičháho Blihélya - a podcast in the Lakota language! We are excited to kick off Season 2 with our first episode featuring one of the last fluent Lakota speakers from Wood Mountain (Ȟé-Čháŋ), the only Lakota speaking community in Canada, Hartland Goodtrack. We met Hartland last fall at the Thuswéčha Lakota/Dakota/Nakoda Language Summit in Rapid City.

We are so grateful that he took the time to speak with us and allow us to record him for the podcast. In this episode, he talks about growing up, being raised by his grandparents, and speaking Lakota. However, today he is one of the last living fluent speakers from his community. We can learn from his story to value and cherish the speakers in our communities and to continue working to ensure that our language continues on for generations to come.

This episode features speakers Hartland Goodtrack (Húŋkpapȟa), Robert Two Crow (Oglála), and Alex FireThunder (Oglála).

Wičháho Blihélya means, “with energetic voices” in Lakota. This podcast is intended to serve four major purposes: language preservation via documentation of the Lakota language as it is spoken by Native speakers and Elders, language revitalization via providing interesting and engaging content for language learners to listen to in low-anxiety environments and for teachers to use in classrooms, language reclamation in finding innovative ways to insert the language into more spaces including digitally on social media, and finally language maintenance by providing Lakota speakers with a talk show to listen to in their first language. This podcast was made possible by the Lakota Language Consortium. We’d also like to thank G. F. Buche Co. for their sponsorship and contribution.

Support the show
Follow us on social media: Lakota Language Consortium.

This podcast is a free resource to share the language. If you’d like to support our efforts in providing monetary gifts for the speakers on this podcast, you can donate here - https://lakhota.org/donate/

Thanks to the LLC team that worked on this episode:
Alex FireThunder, Robert Two Crow, Shania Black Bear-Searby, and Jamie Marquez-Bratcher.

A special wóphila to Shania Black Bear-Searby for our amazing podcast artwork and to Talon Ducheneaux at the Oglala Lakota Artspace and Wičháȟpi Olówaŋ Recording Studios for providing the intro and outro music.

#WichahoBlihelya #LakotaLanguagePodcast #LakotaLanguageConsortium

In this final episode of Season 1, we discuss the memories around Christmas and the various customs that have been introduced to our Lakota people via churches. We also discuss how resilient and innovative our people were to carry traditional Lakota concepts into these practices. For example, the word, “Wóšpipi,” means berrypicking, however the Christmas custom of receiving treats and presents under a tree is also described by this word. Similarly, Santa Clause was assigned the Lakota name, “Wazíya,” who existed in old traditional Lakota tales prior to contact with Christian missionaries.

We’d like to extend our wishes for happy holidays to all and we look forward to delivering Season 2 of Wičháho Blihélya in 2024!

Speakers in this episode include: Wilber Witt (Oglála), Dave “Dawí” American Horse (Oglála), Theresa Mendoza (Oglála), Alvon Little Whiteman (Oglála), Imogene Roy (Oglála), Ben Black Bear Jr. (Sičháŋǧu), Robert Two Crow (Oglála), and Alex FireThunder (Oglála). 

Wičháho Blihélya means, “with energetic voices” in Lakota. This podcast is intended to serve three major purposes: language preservation via documentation of the Lakota language as it is spoken by Native speakers and elders, language revitalization via providing interesting and engaging content for language learners to listen to in low-anxiety environments and for teachers to use in classrooms, and finally language maintenance by providing Lakota speakers with a talk show to listen to in their first language. This podcast was made possible by Hóyeya and The Lakota Language Consortium. 

Support the show

Follow us on social media: Lakota Language Consortium and Hóyeya.

This podcast is a free resource to share the language. If you’d like to support our efforts in providing monetary gifts for the speakers on this podcast you can donate here - https://lakhota.org/donate/

Thanks to the LLC team that worked on this episode: 

Alex FireThunder, Robert Two Crow, Shania Black Bear-Searby, Jamie Marquez-Bratcher, Jan Ullrich, and Marek Kupiec.

A special wóphila to Shania Black Bear-Searby for our amazing podcast artwork.

#WichahoBlihelya #LakotaLanguagePodcast #LakotaLanguageConsortium

As we gear up for the coming winter, many of our families are preparing by gathering foods, preserving, hunting, and stocking up on supplies. In this episode we visit with various speakers about their experiences hunting. From the proud feelings of getting your first kill, to funny mistakes made, and eerie stories of Deer Woman, we get just a glimpse into the life and experiences of a modern Lakota hunter.

Speakers in this episode include: Bill Baylee One Horn (Oglála), Ben Black Bear Jr (Sičháŋǧu), Alex White Plume (Oglála), Wilber Witt (Oglála), Jerry Yellow Hawk (Cheyenne River), Robert Two Crow (Oglála), and Alex FireThunder (Oglála). 

Wičháho Blihélya means, “with energetic voices” in Lakota. This podcast is intended to serve three major purposes: language preservation via documentation of the Lakota language as it is spoken by Native speakers and elders, language revitalization via providing interesting and engaging content for language learners to listen to in low-anxiety environments and for teachers to use in classrooms, and finally language maintenance by providing Lakota speakers with a talk show to listen to in their first language. This podcast was made possible by Hóyeya and the Lakota Language Consortium. 

Support the show
Follow us on social media: Lakota Language Consortium and Hóyeya.

This podcast is a free resource to share the language. If you’d like to support our efforts in providing monetary gifts for the speakers on this podcast you can donate here - https://lakhota.org/donate/

Thanks to the LLC team that worked on this episode: 
Alex FireThunder, Robert Two Crow, Shania Black Bear-Searby, Jamie Marquez-Bratcher, Jan Ullrich, and Marek Kupiec.

A special wóphila to Shania Black Bear-Searby for our amazing podcast artwork.
#WichahoBlihelya #LakotaLanguagePodcast #LakotaLanguageConsortium