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.
St. Joseph’s Children Count mentor program is up and running strong again this school year! Currently, we have 43 Lakota (Sioux) students
The Lakota children enjoyed a beautiful day and a picnic in the park with their mentor matches.
matched with staff members. We’re working on a few more matches to add to the count!
Our first mentor gathering was held September 24. It was a beautiful fall day in South Dakota – perfect for a picnic at the park alongside the scenic Missouri River. The students and their mentors enjoyed a scavenger hunt, lawn games and even a watermelon seed spitting contest! Our dining hall staff provided a wonderful meal for everyone to enjoy and everyone had a wonderful time!
This school year, we are looking forward to highlighting a few of our mentor matches and sending this information to all staff on campus, and you! We will also be exploring some new mentor activities and will share our adventures in a future blog post!
Last Saturday was a beautiful fall South Dakota day – perfect for a football game! We loaded up 12 of St. Joseph’s seventh and eighth-grade football players and headed down the road to Brookings South Dakota, home of South Dakota State University’s Jackrabbits.
St. Joseph’s seventh and eighth-grade football players took in a college game at SDSU.
We left in the morning and arrived early for game time. We found great seats! The house was packed, as the Jacks took on the #1 rated North Dakota State Bison. The Bison are from Fargo, North Dakota. The crowd was intense, as there was about as many Bison fans in attendance as there were Jacks fans!
We have been taking the football boys on this trip for last several years. It isn’t just about watching football… that’s just the excuse we use to extend our classroom and provide real-life learning to the Lakota boys and girls.
With this trip, the boys get to experience a college atmosphere and see a college campus. Along with soaking up college, the boys get to practice skills we teach and role model for them every day – everything from basic social skills like starting a conversation to using good manners and being accountable for themselves and their actions. Extending our classroom into the world allows our students develop Mastery on these skills and gives them a sense of Independence, which are two of the primary components of the Circle of Courage.
After a hard battle, the Jacks were defeated 20-0. We left Brookings and stopped in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for supper. The boys were all starving and we found buffet that we knew would fill them up. This was another opportunity for the boys to practice their social skills. The boys ate their fill and finished off with ice cream before we hit the road back to St. Joseph’s.
We arrived back to campus just in time for bed. The boys got off the bus and thanked us for taking them to a football game, never suspecting we actually took them to a “classroom” so they could learn something.
The boys may have thanked us for taking them but they should thank the donors who make such trips possible. So, on behalf of the St. Joseph’s Indian School Jr. High Football team, thank you for your support!
Frank W., Residential Coordinator
The stands were packed as South Dakota State Jackrabbits took on their northern rivals – the North Dakota State Bison!
What a difference a week makes! Last week, we were coming down from a great powwow and lots of visitors. This week, things have calmed down and returned to normal. If you haven’t seen our powwow video yet, please check it out! Thank you again for coming and making it a wonderful weekend.
St. Joseph’s very own Cody was crowned Homecoming King 2013! Queen Marilyn also has ties to St. Joseph’s – both her parents work here! Congratulations to all!
Chamberlain High School kicked off their Homecoming Week last night with the coronation of Homecoming Royalty tonight. One of St. Joseph’s high school students, Cody, was crowned Homecoming King. We’re so proud!
I just got back from a meeting at our headquarters in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, where Canadian and American SCJs met with our Superior General who was finishing up his visit to North America. I had the chance to see Fr. Steve; he asked me to thank those who were at the powwow and took part in the prayer and honor dance for him.
Our German exchange students are on their way home. They visited South Dakota and made a presentation to our students regarding what life and school is like in Germany. For the past few years, 2-4 students and chaperones have visited Germany to share what life and school are like at St. Joseph’s.
We had some unexpected ‘guests’ on campus yesterday – some local cattle broke through a fence and showed up on St. Joseph’s football field! Our maintenance crew sprang into action to round them up and do some ‘pick up’ to get the field ready for tonight’s football game against Chamberlain.
I hope your week is filled with much joy and happiness. May God’s blessings continue to be yours!
The Great Spirit really blessed St. Joseph’s Indian School this past weekend with great weather for our 37th Annual Powwow. Many new friendships were made, and over 400 visitors were given the chance to see where their generous donations go and how they impact the lives of our Lakota (Sioux) students.
The festivities kicked off on Wednesday, with Fr. Steve returning for the weekend. The students and staff had an ‘official’ going away gathering that gave everyone time for tears, handshakes and sharing memories. Thursday morning, we were up bright and early to take part in the bus trip to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations.
Friday, the morning got started with breakfast at the Development Office. Tours were also included so visitors could see how the mailings go out and how the donations are handled when they come in.
Later, at the Rec Center, there were three different cultural presentations:
Visits to the school and classrooms, with the Lakota boys and girls acting as tour guides, took up the early afternoon prior to the crowning of St. Joseph’s royalty — Eagle Staff Bearer, Miss St. Joseph’s and Jr. Miss St. Joseph’s. The afternoon concluded with a demonstration of Hoop Dancing by Kevin Locke who told stories, taught us sign language and employed 28 hoops in his dance. The Friday evening banquet at Cedar Shores was jam packed with 375 guests. There was a drawing for a Lakota Star Quilt and a silent auction for a painting by Mr. Del Iron Cloud, a St. Joseph’s alumnus.
Saturday was absolutely awesome weather-wise with sunshine and gentle breezes. Early guests on campus that morning had the chance to visit several of St. Joseph’s homes prior to the Grand Entry at noon. All veterans were invited to take part as the colors were presented and then shared their name and branch of service.
We had a great turn out of youth dancers – 191 in all – and all the practice our students put in paid off. Twenty St. Joseph’s students claimed prize money, with five winning first place!
Everyone enjoyed a buffalo stew supper after the powwow.
The evening ended with an honor dance for Fr. Steve, which began with a blessing for him in his new assignment as Provincial of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in the United States.
There was a full house for Mass on Sunday morning, which began with some of St. Joseph’s dancers – wearing full regalia – leading us in as our drum group provided the entrance music. Many pictures were taken and then our guests were free to visit the museum again or begin their journey home.
As I shook hands with those leaving Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, many mentioned they are looking forward to coming again next year. Our students and staff hope they are able to return and that others, who were unable to come this year, might make it next year. St. Joseph’s 38th Annual Wacipi – Powwow – will be September 12-14, 2014. I hope you all can join us!
P.S. One thing that really impressed me was how many individuals or church groups brought donations of school supplies, clothing and other needed items. Several mentioned they have been doing this for years. Pilamaya —thank you.
Hope, Miss St. Joseph’s and Sasha, Jr. Miss St. Joseph’s, are pictured with Fr. Anthony and Ben, St. Joseph’s Eagle Staff Bearer.
I hear a drumbeat in the distance, and no it’s not because I am going crazy. It’s because St. Joseph’s powwow is just around the corner! I’ve been playing Native American music in the homes and the kids have been practicing. Many of the Lakota children have received their regalia and the anticipation is building up.
We are all very excited. Check out this video if you don’t believe me. : )
Aside from preparing for the powwow, we have kept ourselves busy with plenty of activities. One of the most memorable for us was going chokecherry picking. LaRayne (our Native American Studies teacher) got in touch with a local farmer who was very generous by sharing his crop.
Chokecherry picking was traditionally a female’s responsibility in the Lakota (Sioux) culture, so we took the girls along. Jachin (my husband) was a champ and drove us there. He’s the tallest, so he picked high up in the bushes where we couldn’t reach. Sometimes he would grab branches and pull them down for the girls to pick from.
It was a very hot but beautiful Monday after school. Upon arriving, we unloaded the bus and prayed together. After we were done picking, we enjoyed a picnic dinner. The girls also had fun spraying each other with water to cool down.
Occasionally, one of the girls would run up to me – drops of sweat on the forehead, sun in the hair, a big smile and flushed cheeks – just to show me how much was in her bag. They were all so proud of the amount they were able to gather! I was proud of them too. As we picked, I couldn’t help but think of all the women who picked Chokecherries under different circumstances long before us.
Picking chokecherries took a lot of energy and some of the girls fell asleep on the ride home. When we got home, we spent time cleaning and sorting. We felt tired but accomplished. Our fingers were lovely, purple, and wrinkly. Bedtime for the girls quickly approached, so I stayed up finishing on my own. It was a messy and long evening. I’m not exaggerating when I say the tips of my fingers were sore for a few days!
We froze the fruit and will use it to make wojapi, jam, and juice in the winter. The girls are looking forward to it and so am I! However, Jachin is a typical guy, so he is only looking forward to the eating part. We don’t blame him. Until the time comes, he’ll just have to daydream of fluffy fry-bread dipped in wojapi.
Overall, it was a great time of fellowship. I believe it was therapeutic for some of the girls who struggle with managing their emotions. The next day, the girls drew pictures and thank you cards for LaRayne and the farmer.
Here’s a video with highlights of our day:
Stay tuned for wojapi and fry bread recipes in future blogs!
St. Joseph’s recently hosted the Superior General of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Jose Ornelas, SCJ. He was accompanied by Fr. John van den Hengel, SCJ. Father Ornelas visited Canada and the United States to meet with all the SCJ priests and brothers and see our various ministries in action. St. Joseph’s Indian School was founded by the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1927.
Their visit began with a community meeting of the SCJs here in South Dakota. Fathers Jose and John then toured St. Joseph’s campus, visited the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, as well as the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi Historical and Alumni Center. They watched some of the Lakota (Sioux) students practice their dancing for the upcoming powwow, looked in on classrooms to see the students in action and helped with homework in several of the homes before having supper with our high school boys in Sheehy Home.
Tuesday, they visited the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations, where the SCJs began their ministry to the Native American people back in 1923. They met with members of the pastoral team and drove around the area to get a feel for the land and work being done.
We also kicked off the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program last week at St. Joseph’s. As part of the program, the Lakota students will meet each week and discuss the effects bullying can have on people. We want to encourage a positive environment for our students, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity. Teachers, house parents and staff will also take part, and students’ families will be involved as well.
The powwow is on the horizon! We find ourselves in a ticklish situation as we are praying for rain for those areas of the country that are suffering from drought or fires, yet we also want good weather here at St. Joseph’s so that our guests will have an enjoyable (and dry) experience as powwow activities unfold on September 20-22. One guest we look forward to welcoming is Father Steve!
Have a great week and may God’s blessings and strength continue to be with you. Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s!
The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time! You are gearing up for the school year by setting up your classroom, reorganizing your office, and finishing up on some lesson planning… you find yourself not panicking.
But just when you think you have everything done, you look around the corner and are greeted with another item to add to your “To Do List.”
This happened to me while I was getting ready for the Lakota boys and girls to return to St. Joseph’s Indian School. I felt I had everything ready for the school year and I was going to be ready to rock ‘n roll for the first week of classes!
But then, I was then greeted with another item on my “To Do List.” I left the first day of school feeling a little overwhelmed. My head was spinning and I was thinking, “Wow, there is just so much more I have to do!”
As I was walking to my car, I heard shouts from the playground. My students were asking if I could join them on the swings.
God quickly reminded by me what an amazing place St. Joseph’s is. The happy shouts of the children reminded me that, no matter how long my list was, the main reason that God has me at this school is to build relationships and touch the hearts of the Native American students who attend this wonderful place.
If you are ever feeling overwhelmed during the day and are wondering what in the world is going on, take a deep breath. Look around and be thankful for what God is doing in your life.
Good morning from South Dakota!
All I can say is ‘God bless whomever invented air conditioning!’
The Chamberlain area is facing some extremely hot weather. Saturday was in the mid-90s, but luckily we had a bit of a breeze to “cool” things down. Sunday was so hot that, when I crossed campus about 1:30 PM, not a single Lakota student was outside! I’m sure the swimming pool was full, and that several St. Joseph’s homes went to American Creek beach to cool off in the Missouri River. It was still over 100 as late as 6:30 PM, and it is supposed to be hot again today.
On Saturday morning, 60 or so youth between the ages of 7 to 15 took part in the 6th annual Chamberlain Youth Triathlon, which involved a swim, bike ride and run. St. Joseph’s Indian School was well represented, with at least one of our Native American students winning medals in each age category. The Raphael Home (1st-3rd grade boys) and Summerlee Home (4th & 5th grade girls) had most of their entrants bring home a medal. We’re so proud of everyone who participated!
The Development Office passed along a number of prayer requests they have received from you and those who have visited our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. I’ll divide these up and pass them along to our students so they can keep your requests in their home prayers each evening. You are always remembered at our Mass on Sunday as we ask God to bless and reward you for your generosity.
Stay cool and let’s keep the fire fighters who are dealing with all the forest fires in the West in our prayers, that the Lord will keep them safe and provide some beneficial weather to help them get the blazes under control.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Can I just say I love working on the weekend? I know most people would hate to come to work on the weekend, so I don’t want to make anyone jealous of my job. But really– I LOVE WORKING ON THE WEEKEND! This is because weekends are full of quality time. I find that, the more quality time we spend with the kids, the less conflict they have and the more positive their attitude is when they have to take care of their daily responsibilities.
This past weekend we were on duty in the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls) and got to bond with our sweet Lakota girlies. We had SO much fun! American Island Days was a little festival in Chamberlain at the American Creek Campground, which is just a few blocks from St. Joseph’s Indian School. We took advantage of all the events taking place. The best part is that they were FREE! With 12 kids, costs are always high when going out. It was such a blessing to have so much fun at no cost. The girls had a blast on the inflatables, zip line, and on the boat rides provided by the South Dakota National Guard.
It was interesting to see our girls’ little personalities. Leave any stereotypes at the door if you come to St. Joseph’s! Our kids are not all the same, that’s for sure. Although, one thing I have noticed since coming here is that many of them fear trying new things. In fact, research shows troubled or at-risk youth can be afraid of the unknown and the new.
Most of them had never been on a boat or had no idea what a zip line was. Jachin and I had our “encouragement switches” on the whole time. The girls needed lots of reassurance and were rather apprehensive. As we waited in line, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would back out at the last minute. I am delighted to tell you that all girls participated in the boat ride and all but two got on the zip line!
I’ve been doing some reading on positive risk taking. Studies also reveal that young people who take positive risks are more likely to avoid destructive behaviors than are those who do not. They are also more likely to describe themselves in positive terms and to say they often feel happy. This is why this weekend I was especially proud of our girls. I was really proud that they were able to step outside of their comfort zones to take positive risks.
Here’s a video and some pictures highlighting some of the fun we had:
At dinner, we always go around the table and we each share what the best part of our day was as well as the worst part. On that day, nearly all the girls said their best part was the zip line and the boat ride (what they were originally most afraid of). Go figure! They also loved when Jachin was wearing a velcro suit (seen on the video) and he made us laugh. I have to agree. I laughed obnoxiously hard.
P.S: the girls are so excited about our upcoming annual powwow! More on their dancing next time : )
Activities were taking place all around the Chamberlain area this weekend, as well as on St. Joseph’s campus.
More than 1,000 people attended the powwow on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation this weekend.
The high school students returned Sunday and are now taking part in an orientation to get them ready for the first day of school at Chamberlain High on Wednesday, August 21. We are excited that we’ll have 50 Lakota students in our program this year. High school sports practices have also begun.
The biggest event of the weekend was the powwow on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fort Thompson, South Dakota. They had a big turnout, with nearly 1,000 people on Saturday alone. Many dancers, singers and drum groups took part in the celebration. A good number of our Native American students come from the Crow Creek Reservation and they were happy to be able to spend time with family and friends.
St. Joseph’s upcoming 37th annual powwow is right around the corner! This week began with a planning meeting for the celebration, which is scheduled for September 21. We hope you’ll have the chance to visit St. Joseph’s Indian School for the event! You can look over our schedule at www.stjo.org/powwow.
Have a great week and enjoy the last remaining days of summer. May God’s blessings continue to be with you, and gift you with health and happiness.
