Dakota Grammar

by Stephen R. Riggs, James Owen Dorsey

Dakota Grammar: With Texts and Ethnography

"An important document for the study of Dakota culture and history." -- John D. Nichols

This work on the language, grammar, tales, history, and culture of the Dakota Indians is the result of many years of linguistic study and personal experience spent in Minnesota by Stephen R. Riggs, who arrived as a Presbyterian missionary in 1837. A noted scholar of Dakota literature with a great gift for languages, Riggs (1812-83) was the author or coauthor of numerous publications, including A Dakota Dictionary (Minnesota Historical Society Press). In Dakota Grammar, Riggs presents three interrelating aspects of language and culture, beginning with a detailed description of the Santee dialect of the Dakota language and its grammar. The text of traditional stories - as recounted in Dakota by native speakers Michael (Michel) Renville, David Grey Cloud, Walking Elk, and James Garvic - are each accompanied by full English translations. Riggs also provides an ethnographic overview of various aspects of Dakota culture and history that enhances the value of the book to all students of Dakota.

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