Waníyetu (Winter)

Wičháho Blihélya - A Podcast in the Lakota Language

This episode was recorded in hopes that it would be the last time we discuss winter weather until far after the coming summer has passed. We spoke with elders who recalled that winter was the time for storytelling, and how these stories have lessons and teachings attached to them. We also heard true stories and memories of one of the worst blizzards in South Dakota history, the 1949 Blizzard. Akhé pȟeží tȟó uŋkálipi kte. We will walk upon green grass again!

Speakers in this episode include: Harriet Brings (Oglála), Edna Plenty Arrows (Oglála), Dellmarie DullKnife-Bradfield (Oglála), Florida Young Bull Bear (Ogála), 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.

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