Erin Griffin

Erin Griffin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dakota/Lakota/Nakota & American Indian Studies at South Dakota State University (SDSU), affiliated with the School of American and Global Studies. Her work focuses on revitalizing the Dakota language and culture through education, curriculum development, and community engagement. She holds a Ph.D. in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language Revitalization (University of Hawaii, Hilo, 2023), an M.A. in Sociocultural Anthropology (University of Oklahoma, 2009), and a B.A. in Anthropology (Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2005).

Research interests include Dakota language pedagogy, strengths-based cultural frameworks, Indigenous women’s leadership, and historical/cultural influences on language preservation. Her recent work develops the Dakota Wowicohan model to integrate language and cultural practices into education. She teaches Lakota language courses at all levels and has contributed to programs like the Voices of Our Ancestors initiative.

Her awards include the 2022 Bush Fellowship. Griffin has held roles such as Director of Dakota Studies at Sisseton Wahpeton College and program leadership positions at the American Indian College Fund. She emphasizes dialect diversity in teaching and advocates for accessible Indigenous language education through innovative curricula and community partnerships.