The Lakota language of the Great Sioux Nation is the most widespread indigenous dialect in South Dakota.

But the language is on the verge of extinction.

Now the first Lakota immersion school with all classes taught in Lakota is being built on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Pine Ridge Reservation

The project is getting a boost from a German benefactor.
Charles Michael Ray of South Dakota Public Radio has the story.

One of the newest buildings on the Pine Ridge Reservation sits in a cattle pasture in the tiny town of Oglala. The modest structure is the dream of Leonard Little Finger. He's among a dwindling number of elders who still speak the Lakota language.

"Any language where there are not enough speakers it's going to die. And so we are in a essentially in a crisis situation. I do agree to that."

To stem this crisis Little Finger came up with a plan to build a Lakota language elementary school - but after ten years of trying he couldn't raise enough money and was about give up. Then he met the man who would become the school's main benefactor.

"Peter was very instrumental in allowing us to fulfill the vision and the dream."

Peter is German rock star Peter Maffay. He's had 15 number one albums in Germany in the last 30 years. When Maffay heard about the history of Indian boarding schools he decided to support Little Finger's dream.

"We were completely shocked - that in a country like the United States - in one of the, if not the biggest democracy in this world - that young kids were forbidden to speak their own mother language in the open. It is easy to understand for everybody that people who don't speak their own language loose their tradition and religion and philosophy... they cut their own roots."

Maffay's support comes through his new CD, "Encounters: an alliance for children." It features musicians from 14 countries - including Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan. Profits from the CD go to benefit childrens' programs in those countries. On the last track, you can hear Maffay leading the chorus in a song he wrote titled "Children of the World."

"One heart, one love, one soul, one life sings hand in hand with our love for children of the world. Children of the world."

Maffay's connection to the children of Pine Ridge is shared by other Germans. Busloads of German tourists visit the reservation every summer, and Germans often volunteer to work on the rez. Christina Voormann has been volunteering on Pine Ridge for about eight years, working to improve health care and housing through her own non-profit group, the Lakota Village Fund.

"There is a very, very deep relationship between German speaking countries and Native Americans."

She says the German fascination with Native Americans stems from two things - the wild west shows that toured Germany from the late 1800's to the second world war, and a series of immensely popular children's books by author Karl May that featured a Native American hero named Winnetou.

"In Germany - children were playing Cowboys and Indians - all of the children wanted to be the Native American."

This love of Native American culture brought Voormann to Pine Ridge and in fact she helped connect Peter Maffay with Leonard Little Finger. So far Maffay's CD has brought in $150,000 for Little Finger's school. On the CD, Little Finger offers a prayer in Lakota.

"Grandfather, Creator, we pray for help for children around the world who are sick. Creator, you have given us this language to communicate with you. But we have reached a day when the language is being forgotten. Therefore we pray for your help, Grandfather, Creator, we trust in you to give us strength, understanding and wisdom so that the language will continue in good health into the future."

The Lakota language school on the Pine Ridge Reservation is set to open next fall. Peter Maffay plans to be on hand for the ceremony. He says he might even play a few songs.

For The World I'm Charles Michael Ray in Rapid City, South Dakota.