Tag: Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center

The Priests of the Sacred Heart – Founders of St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Benefactors,

What a wonderful weekend at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Friday, June 27, we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which is very special to our religious community. SCJ is Latin for sacerdotes cordis jesu (priests of the heart of Jesus).

We were honored to have St. Joseph’s former President, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, back among us for the day.

The members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart who minister here in South Dakota gathered for an adoration period in which we renewed our vows of commitment to the Congregation and the people of God.  It is always a wonderful time to join with fellowSCJs and share somecamaraderie and dinner together.

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center now includes an Alumni & Historical Center and a Medicine Wheel Garden.
The Medicine Wheel Garden is nestled between the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the banks of the Missouri River.

Wonderful as it was, we were a little sad too. On Sunday, Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, said good-bye to the parishes of St. Anthony in Pukwana and St. James in Chamberlain as he moves on to his new assignment.

The SCJ community has helped the Sioux Falls Diocese with local ministry over the last 25-30 years, but the Province was not able to replace Fr. Guy with another SCJ, so the communities gave the parishes back to the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Fr. Steve was here to extend the thanks of the Province for all the support and encouragement the parishes have given to the SCJ priests who have served over the years.

The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center’s Medicine Wheel Garden was chosen to be on the annual P.E.O (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Yard and Garden Tour this past Thursday.  We were honored to be chosen along with four other homes in the Chamberlain area.

Monday and Tuesday, I was in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, taking part in the Board meeting for Cheyenne River Indian Outreach. The SCJ’s operate a domestic violence shelter and youth residential program on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. In addition to a safe place, a thrift store also helps provide new or slightly used household items for victims needing to start over.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a visit South Dakota’s senior Senator, the Honorable Tim Johnson. The Senator is making a farewell tour of the state as he will not be running for re-election this year after serving three terms in the United States Senate.

The Lakota (Sioux) students participating in our summer program will welcome him and share about St. Joseph’s.  The

Chamberlain residents visited the Medicine Wheel Garden as part of a recent community tour.
The Medicine Wheel Garden was featured in Chamberlain’s recent local garden tour.

Senator has been helpful when our students visited Washington DC and has also taken an active interest in Native American issues during his years of service.  I’ll share with you how the visit went in next week’s blog!

We hope you all have a safe and memorable Independence Day! As you enjoy time with family and friends, remember the values our country stands for and continue to find ways to pass them along to future generations.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Never a dull moment at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Greetings from a weather-beaten state,

We have had tornadoes, hail and very heavy rain in South Dakota. Wessington Springs, which is about 60 miles northeast of us, was recently hit by a tornado that destroyed

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center on St. Joseph’s campus is free and open to the public.
The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center features historical displays and contemporary artwork by Lakota (Sioux) artists.

several houses and businesses. Areas just to our north had some weather activity that knocked down storage silos.

Thankfully, Chamberlain has been spared the very dangerous storms. Our prayers are with those who have not been so fortunate.

Already this summer, we have had lots of visitors at the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center browsing the museum, historical center a gift shop. It’s a pleasure to visit with them – some have been contributing to St. Joseph’s for many years and for some it is their first visit.

Those who have been here before are amazed at the changes that have taken place on campus, including now complete home renovations and the addition of the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) Historical & Alumni Center.

All these projects, as well as the programs and necessities we provide for the Lakota children, are accomplished through your generosity. We’re so grateful!

If you are coming through South Dakota this summer, please stop in! If you are traveling later in the summer, be sure to attend our annual powwow on September 13.

St. Joseph’s Alumni & Historical Center features historical displays and special features for alumni.
The Alumni & Historical Center was recently added to the Akta Lakota Museum.

Other than visitors, the campus has gone a bit silent as Rising Eagle Day Camp has come to an end. All together, 984 Native American children took part in the four-week program, all from the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support! You helped provide the resources needed to meet the needs of the summer day camp program and made these smiles possible!

With fewer children on campus, St. Joseph’s maintenance crews are making needed repairs in homes and classrooms.  New windows are being installed in the Benedictine Homes where our youngest students (grades 1-3) reside.

There is never a dull moment!

We hope you and yours will have a wonderful week and that God’s blessings may continue to be with you always.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Travels near and far begin at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon!

St. Joseph’s Indian School said a special prayer at Mass in honor of fathers everywhere.
Thanks and blessings to all the dads out there!

I hope all the dads out there had a wonderful Father’s Day! I pray our Heavenly Father will continue to bless, guide and strengthen you.  We kept you in prayer at our Mass on Sunday.

Our high school travelers are back from Germany and France. They had a wonderful time and were very grateful for the opportunity. Their host families and the people they interacted with were very polite, friendly and nice.  They had some difficulty communicating with locals due to the language barrier, but everyone managed.

The students agreed it was totally worth the commitment and effort they made to go; they have had many new experiences and great memories. They enjoyed the sights and learning about different cultures, but one student confessed she was not too excited about goat cheese… Good job giving it a try!

A formal presentation will be made to students and staff in October, when we have the opportunity to host the exchange students who will be coming over in the fall to visit St. Joseph’s Indian School and various sites in South Dakota.

 

St. Joseph’s Bookmobile visits numerous reservation communities each summer sharing books with those in need.
On their first day out, St. Joseph’s Bookmobile gave away over 700 books in five communities!

St. Joseph’s Bookmobile has hit the road! Over the next few weeks, they will deliver books to the Pine Ridge, Rosebud,

Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations. It is a way for St. Joseph’s to stay in touch with our students – past and present – and their families. The bookmobile stops at day cares, youth programs, playgrounds and parks to share books with anyone in the community.

Do you have books you’d like to donate? Print shipping labels here!

Day camp is still going strong! This week, our bus travels to Lower Brule to pick up participants. Back on campus, the children play kick ball and took hikes, did some swimming, toured the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and took a water safety course.  As part of Native American Studies, they learned about the Lakota flag song, hand games and made small drums.

We thank you for your generosity! Your kindness allows us to offer Rising Eagle Day Camp to children in need of nutritious meals and safe summer fun. We continue to keep you in our prayers and ask that God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity to the Lakota (Sioux) boys and girls.

Have a great week.  May God’s blessings continue to be with you!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Feels like Summer at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

A tipi stands outside the entrance of the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.
The Akta Lakota Museum’s tipi was erected last week for the summer.

Every summer, a tipi is set up outside the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, and it made its debut last week.  It’s a wonderful interactive piece that allows visitors to take pictures and see how the tipi served as a home for early life on the Great Plains. We are always grateful when people take advantage of the opportunity to visit and learn more about Lakota (Sioux) culture and history.  Hopefully, you will have a chance to visit soon.

Our second session of Rising Eagle Day Camp began today, serving Native American students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation.  The first two weeks of day camp, we brought children to campus from the Crow Creek Indian Reservation; that group finished Friday.

Over 520 students participated in the two-week program!  It has been interesting to see what the children have been making in their arts and crafts class and hear them talk about fun in the swimming pool.

Several of St. Joseph’s high school students are working as camp counselors and enjoying the interaction with the younger children. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be good role models and earn some extra spending money.  All of this is possible because of your generosity – thank you!

Lakota children from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation will attend day camp at St. Joseph’s for the next two weeks.
Today, the Rising Eagle Day Camp bus picked up students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation.

Mary Jane, our Alumni Coordinator, held a reunion on Saturday for past students and families. It was a great opportunity to catch up. Mary Jane also appreciated help in matching up faces and names from pictures taken over the years. Many found themselves in the collection of pictures, or their siblings or cousins.  Lots of stories were shared, reflecting on what St. Joseph’s was like in years past and how the priests, Brothers, Sisters and other staff touched students’ lives in a variety of ways. There were even old videos of graduations and talent shows to watch, which brought a few chuckles and fond memories.

One of the highlights of the day was a specialized campus tour to see all the changes that have taken place on campus in recent years. Alumni also had the opportunity to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the Alumni & Historical Center and the Medicine Wheel Garden, dedicated to all St. Joseph’s students.

It was a good first event. We hope the word will spread and future reunions will bring more alumni back to visit St. Joseph’s!

Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity to the Lakota boys and girls attending St. Joseph’s Indian School! You and your special intentions are remembered in our daily prayers.

Have a great week! Remember to drive carefully – more schools are out for the summer, which means more children outside, playing and crossing streets.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Visitors and day camp: June begins at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,

Twenty-three big RV Campers pulled into St. Joseph’s campus on Friday. The visitors stopped to tour the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.  They were part of an

Water safety is one of the many activities for Lakota children at day camp.
Everyone had fun learning about water safety.

Adventure Caravan group coming from places in Texas to California.  All together, 55 guests enjoyed a guided tour of the museum and viewed a film on the American Indians from the Great Plains.  They also visited our Alumni & Historical center, Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) that details the history of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The school year has ended, but I would like to share with you the winners of the Fr. Leo John Dehon Award.  Fr. Dehon founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJs). The award is given to the student who exemplifies generosity, compassion, initiative and mastery of skill in dealing with their fellow students.

Staff members can nominate a student each quarter.  The student who receives the most nominations over the course of the year is declared the overall winner.  This year there was a tie between Shawnna, Alyssa and Mariah!

Their prize was to have lunch with our school principal at a local restaurant and then have the opportunity to shadow at a local business next school year.  Alyssa has won previously and shadowed at the veterinary clinic, which is what Shawnna and Mariah have chosen for next year. Alyssa is thinking of spending her time at the police station.

The Lakota children learned to make birdfeeders with pinecones and peanut butter.
Day campers made birdfeeders with pinecones and peanut butter.

Our summer program, Rising Eagle Day Camp, is up and running.  The first two weeks, we serve Native American children from the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, north of Chamberlain on the east side of the Missouri River.  The first day saw the excited youngsters ready to come down for activities, swimming and nutritious meals. The following two weeks will see children coming from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation on the west side of the river. We can accommodate 60 participants each day – our bus is often full to capacity!

As we see so much activity going on at St. Joseph’s, it reminds us we do could not help in so many ways without your generosity.  Pilamaya – thank you – for your care and concern, which enable us to offer something positive to so many local children.

The Lakota children have breakfast, lunch and a snack every day before St. Joseph’s bus takes them back home.
We have breakfast, lunch and a yummy snack every day!

 

Have a great week!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

More hands-on learning for the Lakota (Sioux) students

St. Joseph’s eighth grade girls had another opportunity for hands-on learning last week when they attended a GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science) conference at

Claire is a St. Joseph's houseparent
Claire

South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, South Dakota.

 

As one professor pointed out, eighth grade is a critical time for girls in math—some of them are taking algebra and for the first time are struggling to “get it.” Later, they may start avoiding taking math and science classes based on the faulty belief that it is too hard, or they just can’t do it. Besides, girls don’t do math, right? HA!

 

GEMS was an opportunity for them to learn that not only are math and science accessible for girls, they can be a lot of fun! They had 15+ volunteer role models to show them how great it is to be a girl-geek in engineering. Both students and professors were on hand to show them around and guide them through four activities.

 

St. Joseph’s eighth grade girls programmed a robot to navigate an obstacle course as part of the GEMS workshop.
The girls were careful to start their robot in the same place each time to navigate the course.

Engineering is all about solving problems, so the girls were given several cool tasks to try out for themselves.

 

Problem #1: Control a Robot. Instead of using a remote control, the girls wrote the actual program to guide the robot through a maze drawn on a floor mat. Wow! Just like the Mars Rover! They wrote lines of code and then tested them out on the robot, tweaking distances and degrees of turns. All the while, their college mentors modeled how to solve problems. “You might want to shorten the turn there. Make sure you always set the robot down in the same spot.” The girls were fascinated, frustrated and elated.

 

Problem #2: Solve a Crime. Oh no! Somebody broke into the lab, broke a planter, stole some copper wiring, and spilled a suspicious white powder on the floor. Plus, they left

While learning about how buildings are constructed, the girls wore regulation Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE.
Personal Protection Equipment – it’s what all the cool girls are wearing!

behind their half-eaten chocolate bar. That’s just WRONG.

 

The girls got to use techniques like fingerprinting, dental casting, foot printing and chemical analysis to figure out whodunit.  I can’t wait until someone’s snacks go missing in Pinger Home, because I am sure the St. Joseph’s CSI team will be on the case. Stand back!

 

Problem #3: Build a New Laboratory. Well, the girls didn’t actually have to help construct a building. But they had a very enthusiastic tour guide explain to them all the different teams who have to work together to complete a complex structure (not unlike the crew who completed the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center renovation last fall). Plus they got to wear PPE – Personal Protection Equipment – goggles, hard hats and reflector vests. It’s what ALL the fashionable girl geeks and engineers are wearing!

 

Problem #4: Build a Bridge. This was their absolute favorite activity. It involved working in a team with a tour guide. They had to build a working 6-foot bridge with tinker toys, cardboard, string and two bricks. As one girl said:

At first, I saw the space between the two desks and I thought we could never do it. And then we just… started building. I really had to exercise my brain.

The importance of mentors became really clear.

I liked building the bridge because our guide stayed with us the whole time instead of rotating to other stations. She could tell we were really into it.

The Lakota girls worked in teams to build a bridge spanning 6 feet using only string, cardboard, two bricks and tinker toys.
Their favorite task was building a 6-foot bridge, working only with cardboard, two bricks, string and tinker toys.

 

The girls really enjoyed their trip to SDSU, even though it meant getting up at 5am (on a Saturday!) to make the 3-hour trek from St. Joseph’s Indian School to Brookings. I really hope their experience will help them the next time they get stuck in math class.

This may be hard, but I can do hard things. I can solve this problem.

Once again, I thank our generous donors and SDSU for giving our Native American girls such an awesome learning opportunity. Girls Rock!

Join the Lakota children, learn to make wasna!

St. Joseph’s first grade class has been studying the tatanka – bison/buffalo in Native American Studies class.  The students took this an opportunity to give,

LaRayne is St. Joseph's Native American Studies teacher.
LaRayne, St. Joseph’s Native American Studies teacher

share and educate others in our school community about what they learned.

After understanding that the tatanka can be referred to as a bison or a buffalo, the learning began and, hopefully, will never end.  Our objectives for this unit of curriculum are understanding the history of the animal, how their many body parts are used as well as the spiritual connection of the buffalo to our Lakota (Sioux) culture.

We read stories, manipulated bones, and inspected pieces of the hide, meat and pictures to understand this animal better.  The books Grandfather Buffalo and Buffalo Woman are two stories that are fun and exciting for the students.

The Lakota children can see a life-sized buffalo in one of the museum’s displays!
Sasha and Chante have a chance to see how big this mounted buffalo actually is.

We created our own buffalo by tearing small pieces of brown paper to look like the hair of the tatanka, and gluing the pieces on the shape of a buffalo.  We discuss where the bones come from in the buffalo skeleton as well as what they were used for.  It is fun to see the look on the students’ faces when they find out that the tail was used for ceremonial purposes as well as a fly swatter, or that hip bones were used for paintbrushes!

At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we are also blessed to be able to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, where we can see a life-sized buffalo mounted in a display.

To finish the learning unit, we made wasna, also called pemmican, to taste and share with some lucky teachers.  This year was the first year in my 12 years of teaching that ALL of the kids loved the taste of the mixture – they kept asking for more!

Wasna/Pemmican

You will need:

  • 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or other dried fruit (blueberries, chokecherries, etc.)
  • 1 cup ( 8 oz)  jerky or dried meat
  • Rock/mortar pestle or a modern day blender used to pound and combine ingredients

Place jerky into a blender and blend until shredded. Add dried fruit and blend again. Eat a small portion (1/8 of a cup) to get you through the day as a snack or as a spirit food.*

To make your own jerky:

Marinate thinly sliced raw meat for at least ½ to a full day before cooking or drying. Marinade can be any combination of oil and your favorite spices – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, etc. You must have enough to coat all the meat. Allow the marinade mixture to set into the meat for 6-8 hours. 

Bake in the oven on a low setting  (250 degrees) for at least 2 hours until it is no longer moist and takes on a dry texture. Time will depend on size of meat pieces.

Our Lakota (Sioux) people ate this as a meal when they traveled.  It kept you energized and feeling full for most of the day during the “tipi days.”

*spirit food is offered or eaten during some ceremonies or as an offering to the spirits on a “spirit plate.”

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is open to the public and is also a great learning tool for the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
LaRayne takes her Native American Studies classes to the Akta Lakota Museum for lessons.

Sacramental Preparation for the Lakota (Sioux) Boys and Girls

What a busy week it’s been at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Last Saturday, we held sacramental preparation for those Lakota (Sioux) students who have chosen to take this step with the support of their families. We have 21

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain, shares with the Lakota children during Sacramental Preparation.
Fr. Anthony visits with the students participating in Sacramental Preparation about vestments and the celebration of Liturgy.

preparing for all three Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation and five preparing for First Communion.

The students’ families were invited to come and take part as the children had different sessions learning about the gifts of the Spirit, bread making, the stoles they’ll wear at Baptism, and an explanation of the vestments worn and items used in the celebration of the Liturgy.

However, a snowstorm forced some changes in plans and only a few families were able to come.  The students will receive the Sacraments on April 27.  Please keep them in your prayers over these next few weeks.

On Sunday, the Knights of Columbus used St. Joseph’s rec center gym to host the statewide finals of their annual free throw contest.  Participants from all over South Dakota were able to come and shoot it out.  The atmosphere was tense and focused – you could have heard a pin drop as contestants took their turn.  St. Joseph’s own Keshaume placed fifth in his category!

Monday saw the local religious community have a day of recollection offered by Fr. Wayne Jenkins, SCJ, who is the archivist for the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJS). He gave us a reflection on the Last Supper and the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. He was excited to visit St. Joseph’s campus and see the new Alumni & Historical center that has been added to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.

Tonight, the Chamberlain High School Cubs will host Miller in a regional play-off basketball game.  The boys had a tough fight when they met this opponent during the year, so it should be an exciting contest.

The CHS Lady Cubs won a thriller last week when they beat Cheyenne Eagle Butte 55-53.  It went right down to the wire! The Cubs were almost knocked out by a former St. Joseph’s student, Jaylnn, who transferred to Cheyenne Eagle Butte – she had 14 points and was tough defensively.

The girls’ next game is Friday night when they play Winner, a team that was 19-1 during the regular season.

I hope you have a great week! May God bless and reward you for your generosity for the Lakota boys and girls!

 

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Outstanding Customer Service at the Akta Lakota Museum

Hi everyone!
As we gear up for the busy tourist season to start in May at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, I’m excited to share some good news!

Charleen is a key staff member at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.
Charleen, Historical Center Coordinator, welcomes guests to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.

Charleen, St. Joseph’s Indian School Historical Center Coordinator, was recognized by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board for her efforts in providing outstanding customer service! For her outstanding effort, she has been awarded the Governor’s Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Hospitality and Customer Service.

Way to go Charleen!

She is the key member of our frontline team at the museum. In most cases, she is the first person our visitors and donors meet when they visit St. Joseph’s campus. So many visitors have shared positive comments about her pleasant and helpful attitude. We are very pleased to have her as part of our organization!

Plan your visit to St. Joseph’s and the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center now!

God bless!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Akta Lakota Museum featured by South Dakota Tourism

Did you know that St. Joseph’s Indian School is home to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center?

St. Joseph’s Indian School holds a powwow annually for the Lakota children, their families and guests from around the world.
St. Joseph’s annual powwow will be held September 12-13, 2014.

Preserving and sharing the Lakota (Sioux) culture is a core part of our mission at St. Joseph’s. In addition to Native American Studies classes for our students and our annual powwow, the museum is located on campus for students and visitors alike to broaden their knowledge of the Lakota culture.

Read more in this blog post from South Dakota Tourism and plan your visit today!

Want to receive regular updates? Follow the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center on Twitter and Facebook!