RPED - INED 211 - South Dakota Indian Education - Fall 2026

About this course INED 211 is an introduction to South Dakota's Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples and their systems of existence. You'll explore Indigenous values, family and community structures, oral traditions, treaties, and the federal policies that have shaped tribal communities. The course also looks at Indigenous teaching and learning methods and how to bring the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings into a classroom. By the end, you'll have a stronger foundation for teaching in South Dakota, plus three college credits.

What you'll cover The course is organized into three units: Educational Foundations and Perspectives, Indigenous Understandings and History, and Teaching the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings. You'll examine how background and family traditions shape learning, study Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota worldviews and history, and practice designing lessons and assessments that honor Indigenous ways of knowing.

Credits and cost - This course is worth three university credits through the University of South Dakota. RPED students pay a reduced rate of $40 per credit, compared to USD's standard rate of $330 per credit.

What to expect - This course is online and fully self-paced. There is no set meeting time and no fixed weekly schedule, so there is nothing to fall behind on. You complete the work when it fits your life. Most students find that a steady pace of about one module per week works well, but the flexibility is real.

Grading is mastery-based. Rather than accumulating points, you show that you've met clear success criteria for each unit. If something doesn't meet a criterion the first time, you get specific feedback and can revise until it does.

How to enroll - Enrolling takes two separate steps. Both are required.

• Step 1: Apply for USD dual credit. More info on USD enrollment at https://compass.bhssc.org/rped. 
• Step 2: Enroll in the Canvas course using this listing

Key dates

• Course starts: August 24, 2026
• Enrollment deadline: September 3, 2026
• Course ends: December 16, 2026

Questions? Contact Brady Licht at blicht@bhssc.org.