Dakota Language Bowl

Dakota Language Quiz Bowl

Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

10:00am

Mystic Lake Casino, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd NW, Prior Lake, MN 55372

Registration Cost: $200 per team

Please send payment to: 

Minnesota Indian Education Association(MIEA), PO Box 6786, Minneapolis, MN 55406

Fees and Registration need to be submitted by Friday March 13th, 2026!

To register your team(s) and for more information contact: ethan@minnesotaindianeducation.org

Oyáte Iápi Akíčhiyapi Wówapiska – Oyate Language Bowl Study Guide

Oyáte Iápi Akíčhiyapi Wóophe Kiŋ – The Language Bowl Rules

  1. The competition is open to students from Kindergarten to High School. No adults may enter the competition. 
  2. Teams must have a minimum of three participants on stage. Teams can have a max of four participants on stage. Each team can have a max of 6 team members. However, only a max of 4 can be on stage during the competition.
  3. A participant may not be on two teams in the same competition. Meaning a participant cannot be on two teams. 
  4. Two teams from the same organization may be entered into each category (ex: school, language table, etc.). However, an organization may not enter more than two teams.
  5. Teams must be checked in no later than 30 minutes before the start of their competition. The competition will begin with the reading of the competition rules, a quick review of game equipment, and an opening invocation. 
  6. Teams who are not present at competition time will have a grace period of 10 minutes before forfeiting.  Participants and teams who disperse do so at their own risk. The end of the lunch break will be announced ahead of time to give upcoming teams fair notice.
  7. The competition will consist of four rounds. The top three teams after the first three rounds will advance to the final and fourth round. 
  8. In round one the teams will be asked to translate an English word into Dakota from part one of the Study Guide. The teams will take turns saying their answers. Each team will be given 30 seconds to answer. The team that is answering must say their answer aloud. Team members must take turns giving the answers. If the answering team cannot response within 30 seconds, the other team will get a chance to answer. If they answer correctly, it is their turn again. If there is a tie, the teams will continue to play until one team wins.  
  9. In round two the teams will create their own statements. The statements must be longer than one word. Meaning it cannot just be a one-word sentence. The teams will say their answer aloud. The teams will take turns saying their answers. Each team will be given 20 seconds to create an answer. Team members must take turns giving the answers. Remember teams cannot repeat an answer given by another team. If there is a tie, the teams will continue to play until one team wins.
  10. In round three the teams will create their own questions. The questions must be longer than one word. Meaning it cannot just be a one-word question. The teams will say their answer aloud. The teams will take turns saying their answers. Each team will be given 20 seconds to create an answer. Team members must take turns giving the answers. Remember teams cannot repeat an answer given by another team. If there is a tie, the teams will continue to play until one team wins.
  11. In the final round the teams will be asked to translate an English sentence into Dakota. The answer will be said aloud. The teams will take turns saying their answers. Each team will be given 60 seconds to create an answer. Team members must take turns giving the answers. If there is a tie, the teams will continue to play until one team wins. 
  12. During any of the rounds, teams may not repeat another answer given by another team in the current round. For example: during round one a team may not repeat an answer another team gave. If they do the team will not score any points. 
  13. During any of the rounds, if the participant does not say the word loudly enough, the participant will be allowed to repeat it ONCE for clarification.
  14. After all the team gives their answer, the Judges state if the answer is good, and if the answer is incorrect the Judges will state why. 
  15. For each response, the teams can score up to one point.
  16. The judges will award points for correct pronunciation and grammar, which includes – word stress, guttural sounds, syntax or word order, and anything else deemed necessary by the judges to determine proper pronunciation or grammar. 
  17. If a team disagrees with the decision of the Judges, the coach may bring up the issue with the Language Bowl Committee in a constructive non-confrontational way. The Language Bowl Committee will listen to any and all complaints however, ALL JUDGES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
  18. The rounds will be run in 10-minute time periods. The moderator will call for periodic breaks. 
  19. All words for translation will be chosen by whoever is the Moderator at the time.  The Moderator will randomly choose words from the study guide. 
  20. If a team or participant tries to cheat by spying on another team they will be disqualified from the competition. 
  21. Coaches and spectators will refrain from giving hints or answers. Questions will be forfeited should this occur and a new question will be asked.
  22. Good sportsmanship will be displayed by all contestants, coaches and spectators. Teams should be gracious during competition, whether participating or watching, and at the end of the intervals the teams should be gracious to each other and exit the stage in a timely and orderly fashion. Also at the end of the competition all the teams should shake hands. 
  23. Negative behavior by any individual or group during the competition will automatically disqualify them from the competition, at the discretion of the Language Bowl committee. No drama or insults, either from students or adults. 

The Language Bowl Committee reserves the right to revise the rules at any time.

Please remember the Language Bowl Committee, the Judges, and the Moderator are doing the best job they can. They are human so they will make mistakes. The Language Bowl Committee recognizes that this is a competition so the teams want to win, but in the end when we speak the language everyone wins.