1878 Dakota Language New Testament Bible Dakota Wowapi Wakan Kin American Bible Society Rare Indigenous Language Scripture

RARE 1878 edition of the Dakota (Sioux) language New Testament.
Translated from the original Greek by Stephen R. Riggs, one of the most influential linguists and missionaries working among the Dakota people. Printed by the American Bible Society, New York.

This is an authentic 19th-century Indigenous language Bible, not a modern reprint.

Item Details

• Title: Dakota Wowapi Wakan Kin — The New Testament in the Dakota Language

• Translator: Stephen R. Riggs, A.M.

• Publisher: American Bible Society

• Year: 1878

• Format: 12mo

• Language: Dakota (Eastern Dakota / Santee dialect)

• Pages: Complete

• Binding: Original embossed black cloth boards

Please see above photos carefully for exact condition.

Historical Significance

The Dakota Bible & Stephen R. Riggs

This translation was created by Stephen Return Riggs (1812–1883), a missionary and pioneering linguist who spent over 40 years working with Dakota-speaking communities. Riggs produced the first major Dakota grammar and dictionary, and his Bible translation became one of the foundational texts of written Dakota.

The 1878 edition offered here is part of the American Bible Society’s effort to print Indigenous-language Scriptures in small quantities for tribal communities, missionaries, and schools. Due to heavy use and limited runs, relatively few copies survive today in intact condition.

This book was published just two years after the battle of Little Big Horn. This is where Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer had his last stand. Although the Dakota people as a whole were not involved in this battle, some would have been. The Dakota people are also known as the Eastern Sioux.

Historical Context: Dakota People in the 19th Century

This Bible was printed during a turbulent period following the Dakota War of 1862, forced relocations, and the reservation era. Despite immense pressure to suppress Indigenous languages, Dakota speakers continued to read, write, and teach their language.

Books like this served not only religious purposes but also became important records of the Dakota language at a time when literacy in Native languages was rare but deeply meaningful. Surviving examples provide valuable insight into 19th-century Dakota orthography, pronunciation, and cultural preservation.

This copy represents an enduring piece of Dakota heritage and the long effort to maintain the language despite government policies aimed at erasing Native identity.

Why This Edition Is Collectible

• Scarce 19th-century Indigenous language imprint

• Early, standardized written Dakota

• Connected to a landmark translator and linguist

• Original American Bible Society binding

• Highly desirable to collectors of Native American history, biblical translation, or linguistics

Perfect For

• Collectors of rare Bibles

• Indigenous language researchers

• Scholars of Dakota history

• Museum or tribal archives

• Anyone preserving early Native American literature