At this writing, Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe episodes posted at www.lakotabears.com have been viewed more than 20,000 times. Now the DVD is published and shipping and you can invite the Bears into your home. LLC launched the DVDs at Prairie Edge Bookstore in Rapid City, SD on November 19 with a DVD-signing event. Voice actors Manny Iron Hawk, Ken and Bernadine Little Thunder, Naomi Last Horse, Dainna Red Owl, Peter Hill, and Ben and Sandra Black Bear were on hand to meet fans and autograph the DVD set. We are very proud of our actors, and seeing them so honored by fans of all ages is a huge pleasure.
The launch event also got a preview of the Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe Teachers’ & Caregivers’ Guide, a 230-page volume that is now available for digital download and will be ready for hard-copy purchase on Dec. 12th. The DVD comes with a 12-page booklet that gets viewers started discussing the episodes and the Lakota language. The Teachers’ & Caregivers’ Guide is a more comprehensive study tool, with transcriptions of each episode, a vocabulary list, and discussion questions in Lakota. Just imagine reading through the scripts at home, acting out the Bears’ adventures in Lakota!
The Guide was produced with a grant from the First Nations’ Native Youth and Culture Fund, and was written by Peter Hill (who played “Skuzz” in Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe ) with help from Ben Black Bear and LLC Linguistic Director Jan Ullrich.
Both the Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe DVD and Teachers’ and Caregivers’ Guide can be ordered at the LLC bookstore. They make great Christmas gifts! They are also available from select retailers such as Prairie Edge Bookstore in Rapid City, SD. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, as co-producers of the entire project, will also distribute DVDs.
Moving forward, Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe will be broadcast next on local cable providers in South Dakota, including KOLC in Pine Ridge (Golden West Telecommunications Company), and the Cheyenne River tribe’s network, CRST Telecom in Eagle Butte.
Also look for the Bears at the Lakota National Invitational in Rapid City, December 17-19. There will be screenings, visits with the cast and a merchandise table where you can pick up DVDs as holiday gifts. |
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