The Central Dakota Germans: Their History, Language, and Culture

Shirley Fischer Arends Ph.D. is the author of this newly released updated version of The Central Dakota Germans, Their History, Language, and Culture (originally published by Georgetown University Press in 1989). Born in North Dakota, Arends grew up in a German speaking home that included her grandmother, a well-known healer and personality who received a constant flow of visitors. She was fascinated by the stories the older pioneers told about their lives and their struggles on the western prairies as homesteaders. The book describes the cultural feat of these Dakota German pioneers who settled the American West, while keeping the identity and unity of their society intact. Dr. Arends presents the history, language, traditions and customs, secured through research and interviews while the culture fully existed. Beginning the project in 1961, it captured her heart and her research continues to this day with further books planned.. The long history of the Dakota Germans is a moving story. This book will delight anyone interested in cultural adaptations to new environments, folk life, religious practices and songs, original pioneer recipes, and folk medicine’s role in the struggle for survival.Dr. Arends gave the Central Dakota German dialect its first written form. She transcribed the dialect phonemically to show how it is spoken. She compared the dialect to Standard High German, and translated all the German in the book into English. Arends worked to preserve the dialect and the culture it supported, and to present the unique achievement of these German pioneers who came to Dakota Territory in the late 19th century. They are the source, inspiration, and content of this book.