> they also strove to teach the audience something about the Lakota.
> I thought I heard them speak English between themselves, though. They
> also seemed to have English first names and surnames, if not English
> like "Smith", then sort of English translations of Lakota names
> ("Young Bear").
As you know, English is the dominate language spoken in the US.
The US government tried very hard to wipe out all things that were Indian
our languages and religious beliefs were chief among these. In order to
live our people had to learn the language of the whiteman. The whiteman
made enrollment records of our people. He recorded the names in his
language and not in ours. In his opinion our language was worthless. So
men with names like Nape Sica were recorded as Bad Hand and his children
were each given names like "christian names" like Frank, Henry, & Lucy.
These children then had "legal" names of Frank Bad Hand, Henery Bad Hand,
and Lucy Bad Hand. Worse yet if the soldier taking names could not spell
or understand Lakota well enough then he might just make up a name like
Mitchell, Miller, or Smith. Then the children had legal names of Frank
Mitchell, Henry Miller or Lucy Smith. For years the US Government issue
names were the only "legal" names Lakota people had and could use. Some
Lakota have legally changed their names back to Lakota spellings, but it
is rare. We live in a culture dominated by the English language, fo us it
is not the spelling or the language of the family name that means as much
as the history, honor and respect that that family name has earned over
the years before and after the coming of the whiteman. Also Lakota people
are given Lakota names. These names are sacred to the person, to the
family and to the tribe as a whole. Whether the individual chooses to
share this name is really a personal choice on his or her part.
> I have been reading available literature on the Lakota in particular
> and on Native Americans in general, but none of the sources answer
> directly these questions:
>
> To what an extent is Lakota language used among its native
> speakers (at home, in education and administration etc.)? Is English
> taking/taken its place? Why would people even today have names
> not in their their own language but in a language which supposedly is
> if not foreign, then at least just the second language for
> them?
Lakota is still a language that is very much alive. Our old
people kept it alive and in good shape for us. The whiteman's boarding
schools tried to take it away, but they failed. Lakota is spoken by a
good share of Lakota people, it is being taught in our schools. We still
have to do business with the State and Federal governments in English, but
on the reservations and in the surrounding towns frequently business
people who want to do business with Lakota people speak some Lakota with
thier English.
>
> I understand these questions are elementary from your point of view
> but I would be grateful for an answer.
I see this as a very good question and one that Lakota speakers
should consider. My daughters each have a Lakota middle name in their
legal names. They have also been given their Lakota names. I choose
their legal middle names based on my hope that they would grow up to
bring honor to their Lakota herritage and to their People.
Mitakuye Oyasin
Jay
------