Red Cloud High School’s Lakota language program displays its success

Students and teacher awarded prizes in Lakota speech contest

posted on November 23, 2011

High school students prepared for one month developing their speeches for the 2011 Oglala Lakota College Speech Contest for the Lakota Language. The contest took place November 16, 2011 at the college’s main building, Piya Wiconi, in Kyle, South Dakota.

Six students from Red Cloud took part in the competition among those from various reservation schools, and were allowed to give a four-minute speech to demonstrate their skill and knowledge of the Lakota Language.

• Colton Sierra (Sophomore)—Male Division—1st Place
• Kirkland Ross (Sophomore)—Male Division—2nd Place
• Harlen Standing Bear (Sophomore)—Male Division
• Savannah Jensen (Sophomore)—Female Divisions—1st Place
• Denae Yellow Boy (Senior)—Female Division—2nd Place
• Dana Stoldt (Junior)—Female Division

Philomine Lakota, Red Cloud High Schools Lakota Language Instructor, spontaneously entered the Community Division category, gave an eight-minute speech and won 1st Place in the division.

Red Cloud High School also took home an award for 2010-11 Highest Achieving High School in the Lakota Language at the Tusweca Conference in Rapid City, South Dakota, November 18-20, 2011. Last fall various high schools were given a Lakota Language pre-test and the post-test was administered last spring. Red Cloud had the highest achievement in the language for that year. The Lakota Language Consortium presented the award.

The Tusweca Tiospaye is a Native 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to the promotion and strengthening of the Lakota language.