Ray TakenAlive, a teacher at Standing Rock and co-founder of the Lakota Language Reclamation Project (LLRP), is dedicated to revitalizing the Lakota language within the community. He emphasizes reclaiming the language within individuals, families, homes, schools, and the broader community.
He said, "We've always believed in each other and believe that we're capable of anything that anyone else does. We can do too."
To engage the youth and reintroduce the language into their homes, Ray sought an appealing method. He realized the popularity of Marvel's Avengers franchise could captivate the younger generation's interest.
"How can we make our languages appealing to the students? The idea was Marvel's Avengers, the most popular franchise in the world."
The idea gained momentum through connections made during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Ray and friends collaborated with Mark Ruffalo, who played The Hulk in the film. After numerous meetings with Disney and Marvel executives, a casting call was held, and scripts were translated with the help of native elders. After three revisions, they remained true to the language.
Cyril Archambault, Executive Producer, LLRP and Grey Willow Studios said, "This was a huge project for us. It's meaningful and it's not about who is playing what, but how this will help our people."
The original movie actors voiced their roles in Lakota during the Avengers Assemble scene, with Ruffalo voicing all of The Hulk's lines in Lakota.
TakenAlive added, "The behind-the-scenes videos show them practicing hard, which sets an example for our kids to see the biggest stars working on their indigenous language."
This production provided valuable training for Grey Willow Music and Productions on the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.
Jodi Archambault was the Executive Producer of the Lakota Dub of the film. She said, "This isn't just for Lakota people. It's part of the heritage that South Dakota can be proud of. Lakota language has existed here since humans were here, and it's important to keep it alive for the future."
A free red-carpet premiere for "The Avengers" in Lakota will be held at the high school in McLaughlin, Corson County Friday May 31 at 6 p.m. Mountain Time. The movie will also be shown at the Nunpa Theater in Kyle on Saturday, June 8th, and will be available on Disney Plus starting June 14th.
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