Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future.

Inspired at their courage

A Native American girl knitting. — Abbi loves her new hobby: knitting.

I sometimes hold the mistaken belief that I am teaching something. A few weeks ago, I sat down on the couch with a ball of yarn and my knitting needles, trying to make a cable knit scarf. Within minutes, several girls were sitting with me watching.

“Oooooh! Can you teach me to knit?”

We spent that evening, and many evenings after, sitting in the living room with donated yarn and needles, working on the basics. Knitting usually involves two kinds of stitches—either wrapping the yarn towards or away. Moving back and forth – between towards and away – creates patterns that are both beautiful and elastic. We spent our time focusing on just one direction, repeating it over and over again. The girls were surprised at how fast I could stitch, and I had to remind them that I had many years of practice. They settled in happily with their projects, slowly working their needles.

It turns out that I had a lot to learn from these girls. They had no trouble at all asking for help. Our knitting times were punctuated with,

“Help! I think I messed up! Did I do this right? Can you help me fix this?”

They weren’t always sure what “right” looked like. Often enough, they hadn’t actually made a mistake. We’d look together, count the stitches, examine the loops, and make a few tugs. Then they were right back to work. In order to master a skill, sometimes you have to rely on someone more skillful than yourself to show you the way.

They were also much better at handling unraveling. If they made a big mistake or got tangled up or things fell apart, they happily came back to me with empty needles and a skein and said,

“Can you start me over again?” And again? And again?

Lakota (Sioux) child knitting in a rocking chair. — Dakota, and the girls did a great job!

Because sometimes the process is much more important than the product. Sometimes we really don’t need to get something “done,” we just need to do it. No need to get attached to an outcome. No need to freak out when that cable pattern gets turned inside out and it can’t be fixed and you have to give up and undo 6 hours of work (ahem). Unraveling is not the end of the world.

And sometimes we don’t need to “do” something as much as we need to be with someone while we’re doing it. If we’re sitting in the living room together – stitching and unraveling, moving towards and away, mastering and forgetting and re-mastering – then the real skill is one of belonging.

In these past few weeks I have learned so much from these girls. They set an example of how to recover from a mistake with grace. Whether on the basketball court, on the playground or in the knitting circle, they demonstrate the power of admitting a mistake and setting it right. They trust their houseparents to hold them accountable, help them course-correct, and then celebrate their success when they get it right. I’ve been inspired at their courage in the face of so much unraveling.

Perhaps the girls will come away from this experience with a scarf or a new hobby. I’m hoping that their time knitting will provide them with a sense of Mastery and Belonging. Learning, after all, will show up in rather unexpected places.

Claire, courtesy of Pinger Home

Beginning the season of Lent

Our high school students went downtown to church this evening, but all the rest of our Native American students and a good number of staff gathered in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel this morning for mass to begin the season of Lent. The first graders are the ones with the most giggles as ashes smear their foreheads and sprinkle down on their nose. But I sense a seriousness too, about wanting to become a better person. The dark crosses on foreheads were noticeable around campus all day.

My prayer is that I can have more discipline in all the areas of life that will help me to understand and follow God’s will. I get more serious about my growth in the Lord’s ways during this season. Lent is meant to inspire us to overcome sinful and selfish ways and to become more like God. That starts by picking up the daily crosses we are asked to embrace.

I always pick something concrete to give up. This year it is desserts and computer games. I play games a lot more than I watch TV, and with the extra time can spend more time in prayer or doing things for others.

I also try to focus on improving an attitude or a virtue. I get many requests each day from every corner of the campus. Sometimes it feels like a burden rather than an opportunity to serve. I’m reminded of Mother Theresa’s attitude of trying to treat each request as direct from God, and find a way to say yes to whatever was asked of her. I hope to be more generous in responding to what is asked of me.

What did you give up for lent?

Mark 9:37

This morning’s gospel focused me on the main purpose of the ministry at St. Joseph’s Indian School:

“Whoever welcomes a child such as this for my sake welcomes me,” (Mark 9:37).

I’m reminded that even with meetings and paperwork, I owe the students here some quality time every day.

After yesterday’s wet sleet, today’s sunshine and 40 degrees felt warm, and the children on the playground were full of life and energy. Looking back, I was able to catch a glimpse of God in the children’s laughter and activity.

When she saw me striding onto the playground, 4^th grader Trinity ran up to me, grinned broadly and greeted me with a big hug. She talked about representing St. Joseph’s Indian School in the upcoming regional spelling bee, which will be held Saturday. I quizzed her on a few words and reminded her to say the word before she started and when she finished.

Harold, Jashon and Richard were surprised when I reached out and intercepted the football coming toward me, and threw back a tight spiral in the direction from where it came. I spent a lot of time playing sandlot ball when I was growing up. Little encounters like those mean a lot, and remind me what I’m here for.

I ran up to Central Receiving during break and found Glenda and Cathy opening and sorting all the boxes that came in today. Donors sent us clothing, shampoo, books and educational computer programming that we’ll put to good use.

After that, it was back to budgets and meeting with our facilities supervisor to decide what projects we can afford to do in the coming year, and also what must be put on hold. Besides cost, we have to also figure in which projects our workers will have time to do. What they do, they do well, and I’m grateful for their ongoing efforts to keep the campus well attended to.

Projects around St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus

The facilities crew continues to keep busy with their projects around campus. During Christmas break we were able to employ a few college kids that helped the grounds crew trim up some trees around St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus. Who would have ever thought we would be trimming trees in December in South Dakota? That is something that doesn’t happen very often!

The renovation work on the Stevens and Mathias Homes is going smoothly. Right now our carpenters, electricians and plumbers are working every day to make it possible to meet our completion date. We are hoping for the homes to be completed this summer and ready to move into at the start of the 2012 – 2013 school year.

The Stevens Home is in the painting stages. The painting crew has finished the main floor of the Stevens Home and has begun working on the remaining painting, which should be finished by the end of next week. The carpenters are also in the Stevens Home installing door frames throughout, and floor tile is being laid on the main floor. The kitchen cabinets and counter tops for both homes arrived last week, so they are on site ready to be installed. The Mathias Home will be completely sheet rocked this week and the taping will begin. The duct work is also being completed this week on the Mathias Home.

Even though the renovation is keeping our facilities crews extremely busy, they also have the day-to-day maintenance that occurs around campus. These gentlemen do a great job managing their work and making sure everything on campus is in tip-top condition.

Until next time!

The Facilities Staff

Supporting community events

Today was Jennifer’s farewell. She has been a houseparent at St. Joseph’s Indian School for eight years. When her husband Chris decided to go back to school this past fall to become an electrician, we knew it was just a matter of time before Jennifer found other work closer to home, which she did. We are glad for her generous service to our students. In addition to the houseparent roll, Jennifer also helped with our admissions and record keeping.

After school Monday, we had an open house in the Rec Center, with refreshments and a large farewell card made of poster board. Each student and co-worker wrote a few words of remembrance as they said their goodbyes. Thanks for all the children’s lives you helped and cared for!

Tonight the Chamberlain High School Band and Show Choir performed to the backdrop of a lasagna supper. The big band jazz pieces got my toes tapping under the table. The junior high group rocked out with a 50’s number with the girls wearing poodle skirts and the boys with greased back hair and black leather jackets. The show choir performed a group of five songs that all had to do with falling in love, including a crowd-pleasing “Kiss the Girl” Reggae number, complete with dreadlocks and knit caps.

Although we’ve had students in past years involved in the show choir, none of our current students are in this year’s ensemble. Several of our staff have children who sang or played instruments, however. One of the people at my table admired that I show up to be supportive at so many community events. With other commitments, I don’t get to do that enough, but try especially to support youth activities in the community.

Serving those who have been hurt

Friday I was in Eagle Butte for a Cheyenne River Indian Outreach (Sacred Heart Center) Board meeting. The adolescent program seems stable, and is gaining the confidence of tribal and state placement agencies so it has been running close to capacity. Some youth in need of services have had to be put on a waiting list until a bed opens up, or referred on to other programs. The question we started discussing was keeping the program running as it is, or working at licensing for a greater number of children to meet the need. The tough issue is training and retaining enough reliable staff to keep up a good quality of service. The needs are great, and I applaud the Center’s mission of working to eradicate violence and serve those who have been hurt.

I traveled up and back with Fr. Joe, who is pastor of six parishes on the two reservations the SCJs serve. Personnel is an issue for him as well. The two religious sisters who have worked for many years among the people are both being called back to their community. It may be hard to find replacements, in which case the Pastoral team will have to work closely with the parishes to encourage local leadership to come forward to a greater degree.

Saturday morning I met with a young couple I’ve enjoyed working with for marriage preparation, and spent a couple of hours answering letters. With the previous days’ travel and meetings, I took the afternoon off for some rest and relaxation.

President’s Day weekend is an extra long one for our high school students, who were free of classes on Friday, and again on Monday. Many of them are checked out for the weekend with family. The Sheehy boys are on their annual ski trip to the Black Hills, and the Hogebach girls went to Sioux Falls on a shopping expedition. With so many away, we had a noticeably smaller crowd in church.

Today after mass, I visited the Rooney Home (6^th-8^th grade boys). I try to have a meal in each of the homes at least once a quarter, to be in touch with what students and houseparents are up to. Today’s visit meant I completed a round of all 18 homes, and will start the rotation all over again. What I noticed about the Rooney boys was that they have hearty appetites. Brunch consisted of waffles, sausage, eggs and hash browns. In some of the homes the kids eat and run. This group ate and talked and ate some more and told a few stories and ate some more . . . luckily they have a little more for food in their budget than the 1^st– 3^rd graders do!

Our local SCJ group gathers at least once a month, and this afternoon we met to go over budgets for the year. At the evening meal, it was our turn to eat and talk and tell stories. With everyone finished with church for the weekend, there was no hurry to rush off, but rather a leisurely time together for catching up and fellowship. Living as part of a religious order, that mutual support is not just appreciated, but necessary to keep a vocation healthy and alive.

Responsibilities and opportunities

Four of our Carola Home boys and two boys from the Sheehy Home played for the very successful JV Chamberlain basketball team this year (their ending record was 14-1). Our guys have truly enjoyed earning their success through hard work and practice. They have learned valuable skills not only on the court but also off. They have discovered the importance of teamwork, dedication, time management and keeping up with their class work. The coaches have a strict policy of school work before playing time in the games. For most, it only took one game of sitting on the bench and not getting to play before they realized the importance of keeping their assignments caught up. They have learned how to manage practices, games, school work, friends, home life, as well as, finding time to rest. With the basketball season nearing an end, our boys are already looking forward to track and baseball.

This year we have three boys who have earned their driving privileges. This is a new thing for our home. They boys have taken drivers education, drove, with very nervous houseparents:), passed their driving test at the local DMV and then passed the “dreaded” driving test and safety speech from our safety and security man Mr. Clark. The boys were given a 1993 Ford Taurus wagon to drive and take care of. It has been around the block more than once, but our guys drive it with a smile on their face. I smile as I watch them drive away remembering my first car and how I still remember the color and smell. They know that if they take care of it they will be able to drive a nicer car next year. The boys are allowed a set number of miles each week. This will get them to and from school and to and from practices. They can pay for additional miles if they work. This past Sunday I couldn’t help but laugh when one of the boys asked me to drive him to the store because he was tired of driving. I would like thank all of our donors who make these experiences possible through their generous support. Each new privilege brings new responsibilities and opportunities to teach life lessons.

Pray for us as we continue to encourage our American Indian students to become the men God wants them to be.

Mike

Healing camp for our Lakota students

Today we held our annual healing camp for students who are grieving the loss of a loved one, especially those who have lost someone dear to them over the past year. Fourteen staff members volunteered to spend the day with 15 students (two sisters shared one counselor) in a variety of activities that help them express feelings and memories.

Lakota boy singing while playing the drum. — Harlee loves singing!

We began the day with our drum group – The Chalk Hills Singers – singing a prayer song. We now have a dozen boys crowded around the drum! Next year Mark, the advisor, is considering starting a second drum group because of all the interest. There are also three girls who came forward. Traditionally, they don’t drum, but stand around the circle and add their lovely voices to the song.

To begin healing camp, I shared the scripture from John’s gospel about Martha and Mary’s reaction to the death of their brother Lazarus. One ran out to meet Jesus, while the other stayed at home. Each of us handles grief differently; some may need the company and support of others, but others may need down time to be alone. I wanted to give students the freedom to feel whatever they would feel during the day, and know that was okay.

One of my favorite activities was when everyone gathered in the Akta Lakota Museum classroom for a guided imagery about a conversation they would have with the loved one they were missing. As students and staff shared, they each had a glow-in-the-dark pendant, which they snapped to activate. The room gradually lit up, and the sharing produced both tears and happy memories. We ended with a circle of hugs and handshakes all around, then went outside to tie a memorial prayer tie in one of our trees on campus.

Other activities included writing a letter to the deceased and placing it on a fire with the smoke rising to the heavens, some fun time in the gym and rec center, Q and A about death and heaven, and one-on-one walks with the staff buddy.

Fr. Anthony led the group in a closing prayer service, with a lighting of votive candles and a prayer in memory of the beloved deceased. Many of our students have suffered significant losses in their young lives, and this is one way we’ve found to help lead them through such difficult days.

Life’s ups and downs

Gerald Krueger biting through metal! — Gerald "Heavy Duty" Krueger visited St. Joseph's Indian School.

Gerald “Heavy Duty” Krueger is a former pro wrestler who is now a certified addictions counselor. At the end of the school day he gave our students a presentation in the school gym. Our Native American students were impressed by his feats of strength, like ripping decks of cards and car license plates in half. He took a frying pan and rolled it up like a burrito!

More important, however, was the message he tried to leave to them about being strong means not bullying and trying to treat others right. Picking on other kids, especially with cruel words, leaves long lasting scars and painful memories. He also ran with a crowd in his younger days where drugs and violence were common, and urged our kids to steer clear of those. He also connected with our students who don’t have a strong male role model in their life, reminding them that we don’t always understand the struggles of men who become absent fathers. He spoke out forcefully against suicide, and urged kids to get help when they feel overwhelmed.

As our students left the rec center, I saw several who had collected the torn up playing cards, or pieces of ripped up metal. Hopefully they will also remember the message Heavy Duty tried to communicate as they go through life’s ups and downs.

Preparing for the Sacraments

Greetings from Richard!

The Lakota students continue their journey toward making their Sacraments in April. We have 26 students scheduled to make their sacraments, ranging from second grade to high school.

On Saturday, February 25, St. Joseph’s Indian School will be hosting a day retreat for the students who are in the RCIC program and their families. In the past, many families have attended this event and it has always been meaningful to all who have participated. During the day, we discuss the various sacraments the students will be receiving and students and families work on different projects together.

Students and their families decorate the Baptismal stoles they will wear when they are baptized. We also do a guided meditation on the Last Supper and a game to help the students learn about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in celebration of their Confirmation. The families will also do individual banners in commemoration of the students’ First Holy Communion.

The day culminates with Mass, during which we hold the Rite of Election where the students sign their names in the book acknowledging their willingness to become Catholics. I ask you to remember the students and their families in your prayers on February 25.