Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG043318

The Lakota of the United States

The Lakota of the United States, numbering about 13,500 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Native American tribe and First Nations group who are part of the larger Sioux Nation, which also includes the Dakota and Nakota.

They are an indigenous people in the North American Indigenous people cluster of the North American Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak English.

Pray for the LakotaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Lakota people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Lakota

Fast facts

Country
United States
Population
13,500
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
North American Indigenous
Primary language
English (eng)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Northern America, Americas
Location
Montana; Nebraska: northwest corner; North Dakota: Bismark, Standing Rock reservation; South Dakota: Cheyenne River, Lower Brule reservation, Pine Ridge, Rapid City, Rosebud. Urban centers including Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle

Where they live

Gospel status

The Lakota are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Lakota

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

English

100% speak English

Gospel resources in English

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories available

Films

  • JESUS (English, North American Indigenous)

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Lakota

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

Lakota in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
LakotaCanada800No Longer Unreached

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.