We are proud to present our 3rd Annual 2025 Summer Indigenous Language Institute (SILI)!
This institute is made possible through collaboration with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Iyapi program and this will be their 19th annual Dakota Lakota Summer Institute (DLSI).
We are offering three weeks of Dakota/Lakota language courses in-person from June 2 – 20th at United Tribes Technical College. All courses are accredited through UTTC and can be taken for CEU or college credit
LOCATION
For the third year in a row, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Iyapi Program is partnering with United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) to host the event on their beautiful campus in Bismarck, North Dakota. All SILI courses will take place in the Science and Technology Building. Campus maps are available online here.
COURSES
The Summer Indigenous Language Institute is an annual opportunity to learn, speak, and live Indigenous language for up to three weeks. A variety of courses are available to meet people wherever they are in their language learning, whether they’re complete beginners, intermediate learners, fluent speakers, or anywhere in between. This summer we are focusing on Dakota/Lakota but we plan to offer other Indigenous language learning opportunities in the future.
All courses are three weeks in length. Most SILI students take two courses per week (one in the morning and the other in the afternoon), but some take just one. See below to explore this year’s offering. Please note that some courses have prerequisites. Please Check the course description to check your eligibility for that course.
IND 101 Indigenous Language I – Dakota / Lakota Focus
This course is designed for second-language learners of an Indigenous Language. Students will be immersed in the Indigenous language and culture with a focus on building conversational capacity, grammatical analysis, and cultural confidence while building their language learning skills. Instructional strategies include a wide variety of resources, including authentic and prepared materials, conversations, reference materials, and the knowledge and experiences students bring to the classroom.
This course is available for College Credit or Continuing Education Units (CEU).
IND 102 Indigenous Language II – Dakota / Lakota Focus
This course is designed for second language learners of an Indigenous Language who are at an intermediate level. Students will deepen their immersion in the Indigenous language and culture with a focus on building conversational capacity, grammatical analysis, and cultural confidence, all while strengthening their language learning skills. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply the vocabulary and structures that they have learned in class to engage independently in oral and written communication about increasingly complex topics. Note:
Prerequisite: IND 101 of Same Language Focus
This course is available for College Credit or Continuing Education Units (CEU).
Dakota/Lakota Speaking Lab
Class time is for talking! This is a unique learning experience for people of all ages. From day one, you will be talking about the world around you, about things you enjoy. No english, no linguistics, no reading and writing – just talking, repeating, and raising some hell!
This course is offered in both the morning and afternoon and should be taken in combination with IND 101 or IND 102.
This course is only available for Continuing Education Units (CEU).
Registration
Registration opens on Thursday, April 17th. Registration is now open!
Deadline to reply for College Credit is May 7!
To get started, complete the Pre-Registration form. You will be asked which course(s) you hope to attend each week. Repeat this step for all attendees in your group.
UTTC will reach out to you within two business days after submitting your Pre-Registration form with additional paperwork to complete your Registration.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the SILI Coordinator, Sunshine Carlow, at scarlow@uttc.edu.
College Credit & CEUs
College Credit
The following courses are available for College Credit:
- IND 101 Indigenous Language I – Dakota / Lakota Focus
- IND 102 Indigenous Language II – Dakota / Lakota Focus
(You must have successfully completed IND 101 to enroll in IND 102)
If you are interested in taking the IND DL 101 or IND DL 102 class for college credit, please complete a UTTC application found here. The deadline to apply for college credit is Monday, May 7th. Individuals seeking college credit for IND DL 101 or IND DL 102 will be charged applicable credit and course fees for each course. Credit and fee information can be found here.
Students must attend all three weeks of a course to earn college credit.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Alternatively, all courses (including the above) are available for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) instead of College Credit. There is no cost to the student for CEUs. We still recommend that CEU students attend for all three weeks, but they may alternatively attend for only one or two weeks. CEU students require the prior consent of the instructor if they intend to join the course later than the first week. The deadline to register for CEU Courses is Friday, May 23rd.
Lodging
Comfortable lodging is available in UTTC’s campus dormitories for only $20 per night! To get started on your lodging application,
email mplentychief@uttc.edu. Camping options are also available. Unfortunately, we cannot offer family housing.
Students must be 18 years or older to stay in campus housing without a chaperone.
Meals
Meals at the UTTC Dining Hall are provided free of charge to all registered SILI students. Other meals outside of this are “on your own.”
For more information about the UTTC Dining Hall, visit this link.
Hours of Operation
- Monday through Friday
Breakfast: 7 am to 8:30 am
Lunch: 11:45 am to 1:15 pm
Dinner: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays
Brunch: 10 am to 12 pm
Dinner: 4 pm to 5 pm
Early College: Dual Credit / Early Entry Information
High school students wanting to enroll in courses must be currently enrolled in partnering high schools in which a Memorandum of Understanding is in place and meet UTTC’s and their high school’s Early College requirements. To see the list of UTTC partnering high schools and Early College eligibility requirements, please visit the UTTC Early College webpage.
If the student meets Early College requirements they will need to complete the two processes below:
Enrollment Steps
- Complete the Early College: Dual Credit and Early Entry Application found at the bottom of the webpage at https://uttc.edu/admissions/enrollment/apply-to-uttc/
- When filling out the online application, the student will select the 2024-2025 anticipated academic enrollment year (question #2)
- They will then select summer for the anticipated academic enrollment term. (question #3) If the summer option is not available to select, the student will select the fall option.
- Complete the Admissions process. The following documents must be emailed to UTAdmissions@uttc.edu:
- Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (copy)
- High school transcript
- Signed student, parent/guardian, and high school administrator/designee consent form.
Contact Dr. Leah Hamann at lhamann@uttc.edu for the form. - FERPA Release of Information form – Contact Dr. Leah Hamann, UTTC Early College Coordinator for the form at lhamann@uttc.edu Please add the student’s high school counselor or designated academic advisor on the document and a secondary individual (if the student wishes) may be their parent/guardian.
** Dual Credit students MUST attend all three weeks of the course to earn credit.
Tuition/Fees
High school students enrolled as an Early College student (dual credit/early entry) for IND DL 101 or IND DL 102 will be charged applicable credit and course fees. Credit and fee information can be found here.
Dorm Chaperone Requirements
Early College students will need to have chaperones to stay in the UTTC dorms.
- One male chaperone for male student(s)
- One female chaperone for female student(s)
Please reach out to the Early College Coordinator, Dr. Leah Hamann, at lhamann@uttc.edu if you have any questions.
Contact Us
United Tribes Technical College
Sunshine Carlow
Indigenous Leadership Instructor, SILI Coordinator
scarlow@uttc.edu
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Iyapi Program
Nacole Walker
SRST Iyapi Director
nacole.walker@standingrock.org
