We can finally say that spring has arrived and it's actually starting to look like it. In this episode we discuss birds, namely the meadowlark who returns in the springtime. We discuss various experiences seeing and hearing these birds speak Lakota, as well as some stories that talk about them as well. We would like to dedicate this episode to the late Kevin Locke who is remembered talking about meadowlarks every spring.

Speakers in this episode include: Florida Young Bull Bear - Jealous Of Him (Oglála), Gerald Yellow Hawk (Cheyenne River), Ben Black Bear Jr (Sičháŋǧu), Clifford Canku (Sisíthuŋwaŋ/Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ Dakhóta), Peter “Pahá” Hill, Robert Two Crow (Oglála), and Alex FireThunder (Oglála). We also hear a song titled, “Meadowlark”, played on the flute by the late Kevin Locke.

Wičháho Blihélya means, “with energetic voices” in Lakota. This podcast is intended to serve three major purposes: language preservation via documentation of the Lakota language as it is spoken by Native speakers and elders, language revitalization via providing interesting and engaging content for language learners to listen to in low-anxiety environments and for teachers to use in classrooms, and finally language maintenance by providing Lakota speakers with a talk show to listen to in their first language. This podcast was made possible by Hóyeya and the Lakota Language Consortium. 

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This podcast is a free resource to share the language. If you’d like to support our efforts in providing monetary gifts for the speakers on this podcast you can donate here - https://lakhota.org/donate/

Thanks to the LLC team that worked on this episode: 
Alex FireThunder, Robert Two Crow, Shania Black Bear-Searby, Jamie Marquez-Bratcher, Jan Ullrich, and Marek Kupiec.

A special wóphila to Shania Black Bear-Searby for our amazing podcast artwork.
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