Dakota Plains Wahpeton Oyate

Students of Mahpiya Hdega School in Dakota Plains Wahpeton Nation, singing O Canada in Dakota at the Grand Opening of the Manitoba First Nations School System on October 11, 2017. 

“Dakod iapi kin wakan. Taku wakan kihan t’a okihisni. The Dakota language is sacred. When something is sacred, it cannot die.”

As a form of language revitalization, an effective way for children to learn is through song. Due to differences in language structure and word meanings, the Dakota version of O Canada reads much differently than the English version. But the melody remains the same, meaning anyone who hears it can recognize it as Canada’s national anthem.