Land-based Learning Project

A clarion call to action, incorporating powerful stories of struggles and successes, that points the way for all who seek to preserve indigenous languages.Across North America, dedicated language warriors are powering an upswell, a resurgence, a revitalization of indigenous languages and cultures. Through deliberate suppression and cultural destruction, the five hundred languages spoken on the continent before contact have dwindled to about 150. Their ongoing survival depends on immediate, energetic interventions.Anton Treuer has been at the forefront of the battle to revitalize Ojibwe for many years. In this impassioned argument, he discusses the interrelationship between language and culture, the problems of language loss, strategies and tactics for resisting, and the inspiring stories of successful language warriors. He recounts his own sometimes hilarious struggle to learn Ojibwe as an adult, and he depicts the astonishing success of the language program at Lac Courte Oreilles, where a hundred children now speak Ojibwe as their first language.This is a manifesto, a rumination, and a rallying cry for the preservation of priceless languages and cultures.

Wodakota Wicoie refers to Dakota values words. Harold Blacksmith, a First Language Dakota speaker, shares his perspective based on personal experience and growing up in an immersive Dakota culture.

The FPCC Land-based Learning Project welcomes Harold Blacksmith, a Sioux Valley Dakota from Manitoba, Canada, to learn about his role and perspectives on Land, Language, and Culture.

Special guest, Migizi Pensoneau, joins Elijah Hopkins in a discussion about how stories connect us to the land. 

Elijah Hopkins and Jeremy Red Eagle discuss horseback riding in relationship to traditional archery and hunting. 

Jeremy Red Eagle, Sierra Atkinson, and Elijah Hopkins discuss the value of learning and relearning our traditions in a modern world. Land-based learning provides us with the opportunity to evolve our culture while maintaining the value systems of our Dakota and Nakoda people. The land has always changed and evolved, we must evolve with it.

Jeremy Red Eagle, Sierra Atkinson, and Elijah Hopkins discuss the importance of approaching food soverignty through a strength-based perspective. Sharing and bartering systems are a sustainable way to connect with the land and community.

Jeremy Red Eagle and Elijah Hopkins further discuss the importance of preperation as it relates to connecting oneself to the land. Preparation is essential to healthy living. The discussion helps providing additional perspectives and meaning to "ohinni winyeya manke" or "I'm always ready" type of mentality.

Jeremy Red Eagle and Elijah Hopkins discuss the importance of sustainable harvesting practices. 

The main topic of discussion is how artwork is connected to the land. What is art, and how is it relevant in Land-based Learning? 

Jeremy Red Eagle and Elijah Hopkins discuss why hunting is integral to our health and wellness.

Elijah Hopkins interviews three Elders from Little Eagle, SD, on the Standing Rock Reservation - Ron Eagle Chasing, Bryan Swift Cloud, and Terry Martinez. The elders share stories about food and hunting in the Lakota Language.

Elijah Hopkins and Jeremy Red Eagle facilitated a discussion on their perspectives on land-based learning and why it's important. The discussion covers cultural identity from a Tribal perspective and the impact our relationship with the land has on our overall health.