The traditional Lakota songbook Eháŋk’ehaŋ lakȟóta olówaŋ comes out of a legacy that began in Rose Bud, South Dakota at Sinte Gleska University in the 1970s, where Ben Black Bear Jr. and Dr. Ron Theisz hosted a traditional Lakota song and dance class. The class was created as a demonstration of the potential of the Lakota Studies Department in the early years of Sinte Gleska, and its success resulted in the course becoming a part of the curriculum and the production of the book of traditional songs. The goal of the bilingual text was to provide instruction about the various dance styles and songs that are essential parts of Lakota culture.