Lakota Language Consortium Inc

What Lakota Language Consortium Inc does

Lakota Language Consortium Inc (LLC) is a Native-led nonprofit organization headquartered in Kyle, South Dakota, with a mailing address in Mandan, North Dakota, and a fully remote staff of 11-50. Founded in 2004, it is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and strengthening the Lakota language through educational resources, technology, publications, and community partnerships. Its core product is the five-level Speak Lakota! (Lakȟótiya Wóglaka Po!) textbook series — the first linguistically and pedagogically consistent Lakota curriculum — accompanied by The New Lakota Dictionary, companion audio CDs, teacher's guides, bilingual children's books, the Lakota Berenstain Bears DVD, and language-learning mobile applications developed with fluent speakers, educators, and linguists.

The company operates a self-serve direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through its own website at lakhota.org, selling textbooks ($39.99), teacher's guides ($19.99), audio CDs ($14.99), children's books ($9.99–$14.99), and DVDs ($9.99) as one-time purchases. Companion audio content is also distributed for free streaming on Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and iHeart Radio, functioning as a discovery funnel. The customer base is hybrid: schools and educational institutions purchasing classroom curricula (primary), families and individual learners buying children's books and self-study materials (primary), and tribal communities engaged in language revitalization programs (secondary). There are no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, no institutional investors, and no parent company.

LLC's competitive position rests on its cultural authority as a Native-led organization with direct participation from fluent Lakota speakers, and on the comprehensiveness of its curriculum ecosystem spanning preschool through adult self-study. The organization supplements product sales with teacher training, workshops, and community language initiatives. Geographic focus is the Great Plains and Lakota Country within the United States, with no indicated global footprint ambitions.

Name

Lakota Language Consortium Inc

Legal name

Lakota Language Consortium LLC

Website

https://lakhota.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lakota Language Consortium Inc is a Native-led nonprofit that develops Lakota language learning materials — including the five-level Speak Lakota! textbook series, audio CDs, children's books, a dictionary, and mobile apps — selling directly to schools, families, and tribal communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Learning Educational Publishing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

World Languages & Bilingual/ESL (K–12) Materials (EDAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classroom & Institutional Language Learning Platforms (Schools/Universities) (EDAFAOAI), Children’s Language Learning & Bilingual/ESL Trade (EDAGAIAG), Language Learning Content & Practice Tools (Workbooks, Flashcards, Conversation Prompts) (EDAMAFAO)

Keywords

• Language learning materials
• Indigenous language education
• Bilingual children's books
• Language curriculum development
• Native language preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Direct sales of educational materials including textbooks, teacher's guides, audio CDs, children's books, DVDs, and coloring books through their e-commerce storefront. Products are one-time purchases.
2. Streaming Content: Audio content available on music streaming platforms (Apple Music, Google Play Store, Spotify, iHeart Radio). Content is available for free streaming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Lakota Language Consortium develops, produces, and sells Lakota language educational materials, including the five-level Speak Lakota! textbook series with companion audio CDs and Teacher's Guides, bilingual and monolingual children's picture books, the Lakota Berenstain Bears DVD, the New Lakota Dictionary, and language-learning mobile applications. All products are created in collaboration with fluent Lakota speakers, educators, and linguists to support classroom instruction, self-study, and community language revitalization across age groups.

Product overview

Lakota Language Consortium offers a comprehensive language learning ecosystem centered around the Speak Lakota! five-level textbook series with companion Audio CDs and Teacher's Guides. The product portfolio also includes children's picture books (monolingual and bilingual), the Lakota Berenstain Bears DVD, the New Lakota Dictionary, and language-learning mobile applications. These products work together to serve learners from preschool through adult self-study, combining textbooks, audio resources, and digital materials to preserve and promote the Lakota language.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lakȟótiya Wóglaka Po! (Speak Lakota!): A five-part textbook series for learning Lakota language, covering Levels 1-5 with accompanying audio CDs, teacher's guides, and related materials.

Products and services

• Speak Lakota! Textbook Series A five-level textbook series (Levels 1-5) priced at $39.99 per level, developed by fluent Lakota speakers, educators, and linguists for teaching Lakota to elementary school students and adult learners. Each level includes integrated audio components and curriculum materials.
• Speak Lakota! Audio CDs Companion audio CDs for Levels 1-4 of the Speak Lakota! textbook series, priced at $14.99 each, featuring Lakota speakers providing pronunciation and dialogue exercises. Audio content is also available for free streaming on Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.
• Speak Lakota! Teacher's Guides Instructional guides for teachers accompanying Levels 3, 4, and 5 of the Speak Lakota! series, priced at $19.99 each, providing lesson plans, activity outlines, and student evaluation materials. The Level 5 Teacher's Guide is 85 pages.
• Children's Books Bilingual and monolingual Lakota picture books for children priced from $9.99 to $19.99, including titles such as Gnaškála – Froggy, Maká waŋ Waŋbláke! – I Saw a Skunk!, Mní kiŋ ówaŋča – Water is Everywhere!, Pȟatkáša Zuyá Iyáya Ké – Turtle Goes to War, Pispíza waŋ Wayáwa Iyáye – Prairie Dog Goes to School, Tȟašíyagnuŋpa na Siŋtéȟla – Meadowlark and the Rattlesnake, Tȟatȟáŋka na Wàta – The Buffalo and the Boat, Wačhí Awášteyalaka he – Do you like to dance?, Waúŋyutapi Iyéhaŋtu! – Time to Eat!, and the Lakȟól'iyapi Oówaptaya Owíyuŋ Wówapi – Lakota Alphabet Coloring Book.
• Lakota Berenstain Bears DVD A DVD volume of the Berenstain Bears animated series dubbed in Lakota language, priced at $9.99, including 20 episodes of 13.5 minutes each and a 12-page episode guide.
• New Lakota Dictionary A comprehensive Lakota language dictionary developed by the consortium for learners and speakers of all ages, supporting vocabulary lookup and reference needs.
• Language-Learning Mobile Applications Mobile applications developed by the consortium to make the Lakota language accessible to learners of all ages, complementing the textbook series and audio resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mango Languages: Language learning platform offering courses in less-commonly-taught languages including several indigenous and endangered languages — comparable in serving niche language learners, though delivered via subscription platform rather than nonprofit publishing.
• Endangered Language Fund: Nonprofit that supports endangered language documentation and revitalization through grants and projects — comparable mission focus on indigenous language preservation though primarily a grant-making organization.
• 7000 Languages: Nonprofit that partners with indigenous communities to create free online language courses, including for several Native American languages — comparable mission, target learner, and digital-first distribution approach.
• Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages: Nonprofit working on documentation and revitalization of endangered languages globally, with strong focus on indigenous language communities — directly comparable to LLC's revitalization mission.
• First Peoples' Cultural Council: Indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing First Nations languages through curriculum, resources, and community programs in North America — closely comparable mission, structure, and product mix to LLC's work with the Lakota language.
• The Language Conservancy: Nonprofit focused on endangered language documentation, revitalization, and educational materials for Native American and other indigenous languages — directly comparable content publishing and language preservation model.

Broad incumbents

• Transparent Language: Language learning provider offering courses in 100+ languages including indigenous and endangered ones (e.g., Cherokee, Cree, Ojibwe) — comparable in serving indigenous language learners, though delivered via a commercial platform rather than nonprofit publishing.
• Rosetta Stone: Large commercial language learning platform offering courses in dozens of languages — relevant as a broad incumbent in the same product category, though focused on widely-spoken languages rather than endangered indigenous ones.
• Duolingo: Largest consumer language learning platform globally, with growing coverage of indigenous languages including Hawaiian and Navajo — broad incumbent in language learning that increasingly overlaps with LLC's mission of indigenous language access.
• Babbel: Subscription language learning app targeting adult learners in 14+ major world languages — broad incumbent with comparable consumer-facing language learning business model, though focused on high-demand languages.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubemusic.apple.com/us/artist/lakota-language-consortium
• Xx.com/lakhotiyapi
• Facebookfacebook.com/lakhotiyapi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakota-language-consortium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lakota Language Consortium Inc