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.
While South Dakota is a very rural and out-of-the-way state, we get a lot of visitors at St. Joseph’s Indian School who are passing through in the summer on their way to visit the Badlands, Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. There is also a great interest in Native American culture, and our Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center receives a few hundred visitors each day during the summer.
We’ve noticed many visitors from Europe but recently, a groups of six Spanish-speaking tour guides stopped in to look at our museum. There is a great interest in travelers from South America as well, and they plan to bring folks from there our way this summer.
I dusted off my rusty Spanish to welcome them and say a few basic things about campus, which made them feel more at home. A guide from Argentina studied with the Jesuits, and shared that his best teacher was Jorge Bergolio, now Pope Francis. I called Fr. Jose over to the museum since he is fluent in several languages and he spent more time helping them tour and become familiar with what we can offer visitors.
With a last name like Huffstetter, I definitely have some German ancestry, but my forebears came to this continent in 1736, before there even was a United States. I have picked up a few words of German over the years, but it is still very limited. We recently had a donor from Germany visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center – Anna, who spoke no English. Once I got past my basic greetings of welcome and hello, I relied on her daughter, Gabriele to translate as we toured the campus.
When Anna said that she had a great interest in Native American culture, even as a young girl, I remembered learning of the German author Karl May whose books about the American west captivated many generations of folks overseas. I recalled a phrase and asked:
Haben Sie Karl May gelesen? (Have you read Karl May?)
Gabriele started to translate what I asked, then stopped as she realized that I had actually asked the question in German. We all had a good laugh.
We visited one of the third grade classrooms to observe the students in a reading lesson. Anna hoped to get a picture or two and plenty of hands went up when I asked for volunteers. St. Joseph’s students are taught to be polite and greet visitors by introducing themselves (first names only). I told them that if they wanted to say “My name is (I am called)” They should say:
Ich Heisse . . . Fr. Steve
Foods and dishes were labeled in German to help students learn basic words.
Shaniece was the first to gently put out her hand and quietly say “Ich Heisse Shaniece.”
Jaren followed with a similar greeting, and several other kids offered their hand and greeting as well. It brought a smile to our visitors, and a nice lesson in cross cultural understanding and hospitality.
We will have four of our Lakota high school students visit our sister school in Handrup, Germany in June. To help prepare, Clare, Anita and Maija planned a German-themed meal in the Crane home. Dishes and foods were labeled in German, and each participant was given a sheet of simple but helpful phrases like bitte (please) and danke (thanks) to practice.
In the background, the TV ran a slide show of past German trips to encourage student interest. Maija gave quizzes about elements of German culture. Wyatt shared that he found an app for his phone that will help him with some basic translations. Anita’s combined creation of German Chocolate Cherry Black Forest Cake may not have been authentic, but it was certainly delicious! All in all, we had a fun and festive evening.
Last weekend, a group of us traveled to Dover, Delaware and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania (just outside Philadelphia) for donor appreciation luncheons. Eighth grader Deavontay and seventh grader Keaytan were the guests of honor as they shared with folks about their routines and adventures at St. Joseph’s Indian School. The boys were great travelers, and enjoyed meeting about 70 guests each day who journeyed to the luncheons. The donors were most kind and hospitable, filled with insightful questions and lots of enthusiasm and encouragement for the Native American youngsters.
One man was a cancer survivor. Upon learning I’m going on three years since surgery to remove cancer, he took off a green wristband he had made for himself and gave it to me.
The words engraved on it are “never give up.”
That’s a good message not just for me, but also for St. Joseph’s Lakota students as they pursue their dreams.
One of our first stops in Philadelphia was Independence Hall.Seeing artifacts of the past – like the Liberty Bell – helps history come alive!
Upon meeting me, many people say, “I know you from your pictures.” I heard that often on our trip, but in addition I had to laugh when one woman said to me afterwards, “you’re nothing like I pictured you; you’re lots of fun!”
I’m glad she found the afternoon lively. I really do love the mission at St. Joseph’s and am glad that joy comes out.
We flew into Philadelphia with the students gawking out the window at the widespread city below. When I asked them about places they wanted to see and experience, our first goal was to taste a genuine Philly Cheesesteak for lunch. The weather was perfect for walking to stretch after a long flight and explore a colorful South Philly neighborhood. We tried Pat’s King of Steaks and sat at a picnic table outside to enjoy a mouth-watering sandwich that hit the spot.
It was a beautiful day to enjoy a Philly Cheesesteak!
Downtown, we saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross’s home and Benjamin Franklin’s grave. My favorite was the portrait gallery in the Second Bank of the United States, with iconic paintings of famous Americans we recognized from history books. Actually seeing places and artifacts instead of just reading about them makes history come alive!
Sunday afternoon, we were able to spend some time at Valley Forge and learn of the hardships the Revolutionary patriots endured through some harsh winter months.
I’ve traveled a lot both before and since coming to St. Joseph’s, but I’d never been to Delaware before. The First State was my 48th, leaving only Hawaii and Alabama that I’ve yet to visit. St. Joseph’s is planning to visit Alabama a year from now. We have no Hawaii travel plans set, but if we ever go there, I’ve already had many people say they’ll volunteer to chaperone!
The Lakota students really got moving when the drummers performed “YMCA.”
St. Joseph’s Substance Abuse Prevention Committee (SAPC) sponsored our annual Spring Sobriety Celebration on the afternoon of April 26. Sheltered Reality, a choreographed drumming group, kicked off the celebration by entertaining our Native American students, their families and St. Joseph’s staff.
St. Joseph’s students, their families and staff get ready to begin the Sobriety Walk.
Sheltered Reality (SR) has dedicated itself to being a youth-oriented project since 1996. Youth members in SR use music and education to reach out to audiences, motivating them to advocate for those in need, especially children and families. SR shared their Steps of Success to teach personal empowerment and character building. The Steps are:
Take a Chance!
Be Willing to Do Whatever it Takes!
Never Give Up!
Believe in Yourself!
Be a Friend and Empower Others to Succeed!
SR demonstrated these steps by pulling students (and even a few staff members!) from the audience and teaching them various drumming routines. In just a short time, students and staff were taking what they learned and working with members of SR to perform some impressive music!
Selena, Daryl and Ashley lead the group back to St. Joseph’s Campus.
Following the SR performance, everyone took a stand against drugs by walking in our 18th Annual Sobriety Walk. We were blessed with a perfect spring day!
The Lakota students, their families and staff left St. Joseph’s Indian School and headed downtown Chamberlain, where they split into four groups, representing each of the Four Directions.
Sheltered Reality chose students and staff from the audience to drum a few numbers with them.
I have the privilege of sharing what’s been going on at St. Joseph’s Indian School over the last few days since Fr. Steve is away on a donor luncheon to Dover, Delaware and the northwest side of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, near King of Prussia and Valley Forge.
Last Wednesday, a severe weather drill was held for the whole State of South Dakota.
We work hard to keep the Lakota boys and girls safe. It’s important to be aware of what sounds would be used should an actual tornado be in the area. We also practice fire and lockdown drills with our Native American students to keep everyone prepared for any situation.
Friday was our 18th Annual Sobriety Walk and the weather was perfect. The program started with a presentation by Sheltered Reality, a group founded in 1996 to help young people. After their fine presentation, the students and staff made their walk through downtown Chamberlain urging everyone to say NO to drug and alcohol abuse.
Saturday was also busy as Chamberlain High School’s Native American Club sponsored their 6th Annual Powwow in the Chamberlain Armory. They had a good turnout with royalty and drum groups. The event began with 55 dancers and kept growing! Several St. Joseph’s students and staff took part. CONGRATULATIONS to St. Joseph’s high school students who are officers in the club and did a great job in organizing and running the event.
Sunday was also a beautiful day and gave everyone the chance to get outdoors after a long winter that did not seem to want to end. We had over 10 inches of snow in the last two and a half weeks, so warm, sunny days were a welcome change.
Fishermen were out in force on the Missouri River. There were so many boats in the water that it looked like airplanes in a holding pattern as they came off the water to load their boats.
Chamberlain was hosting a baseball game downtown and some of our older students were active in a softball game here on campus. The younger students had gotten their bikes out and were pedaling all over the campus. I think everyone is ready for warmer weather.
Over at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the new displays are in place. Thanks to the effort of Split Rock Studios, the overhaul of the displays in the museum and the addition of our historical and alumni center are now complete. We hope you’ll have the chance to visit and see all the changes!
Hope your weekend went well too. We keep you in our prayers and are very grateful for the generosity you show the Lakota children attending St. Joseph’s Indian School. May the Great Spirit bless you and yours this week and always. Pilamaya!
Here we are at the end of April, and May is almost upon on us. In South Dakota, we have been blessed this April with much needed moisture and we even had a snow day at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
The month of May brings many changes in weather, landscape and fashion (bye bye snow boots, gloves, hats… hello flip-flops and sunscreen)!
May also brings many changes to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and our new Historical Center, Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning).
Construction on the historical center began in October 2011 on St. Joseph’s campus.
New summer staff will begin, the finishing touches of the renovation are being completed in the museum and historical center, the dedication for the historical center is set for May 12, and our summer hours begin!
Beginning May 1, operating hours at the Akta Lakota Museum are:
Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Would you like a campus tour during your visit?
Campus Tours Options:
A self-guided audio tour to use in your car as you drive around campus
An mp3 player for a walking tour
Guided tours are at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. This is approximately a 1-mile walking tour, (transportation is available if needed).
A private guided tour for a different day or time is available by appointment only.
All options are free of charge.
To schedule a guided tour, or if you have any questions, please contact Charleen at muscd@stjo.org or call 800-798-3452. All tours begin at the Akta Lakota Museum. For the safety of the Lakota (Sioux) children who live on our campus, we ask that all visitors please check in at the reception area at the Akta Lakota Museum upon their arrival. Get directions.
Yesterday, I was off campus to attend a diocesan sponsored workshop on preaching. Most surveys on religion highlight the need for improved quality of preaching across denominational lines. I was inspired by hearing how others approach their homilies. One priest starts every preparation period with the prayer, “O God help me to love these people and give them the very best I can.”
In addition to prayer, a good preacher must also know the needs of their congregation, and what issues and concerns are closest to their hearts. The day reinforced the urgency and importance of sharing the good news of the gospel. While most of my homilies are geared toward the Lakota (Sioux) children at St. Joseph’s Indian School, that may even take on greater importance because they soak in all that we say (and especially all we do).
…
St. Joseph the Carpenter was skilled with tools of his trade. In preparation for the feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1), our religious education classes have embarked on a service project. They are building a tool shed. When it’s finished, they will donate it to the local crisis center in Chamberlain, which provides shelter for families suffering from domestic violence.
It’s interesting to watch how some kids dive right in and really enjoy such a hands on project, knowing that it will be doing a lot of good for others.
Anthony and Daryl stand in the framework of the soon-to-be shed for the local crisis center.
…
About 30 students of all ages recently gathered in our skating room. The occasion? The annual rib feed hosted by one of our long time houseparents, Steve! Each year around his birthday, Steve invites all the Native American students on campus for whom he has been a houseparent.
The menu is always the same – his mouthwatering BBQ ribs, corn on the cob, baked potato and topped off with his Butterfinger cake. It’s a delightful reunion and students share memories of their homes in their days with Steve. Often, houseparents will work with sibling groups over the years, and I noticed family members who are now spread out in different homes because of their ages sitting next to one another and enjoying some of the comforts of real family bonding.
‘Twas the day of the dance, when all across campus
Students were primping in anticipation
The hairstyles and clothes were donned with care
In hopes of meeting that someone special there
Last year, St. Joseph’s Indian School started the tradition of hosting a dance for our sixth, seventh and eighth grade Lakota students. We invite the Chamberlain public school students to campus to join with our students at the dance, which helps build community among them.
As part of St. Joseph’s strategic plan, we are being challenged to provide more opportunities to build relationships between our students and students from the local public school. We believe this will help them in many ways but specifically, once they reach high school, better relationships will make that transition smoother. Hosting community dances like this is a great way to help youth get to know one another. It also gives the students a chance to use their social skills and practice mastery in that area.
The Lakota students had a great time dancing the night away!
Watching the process during the dance is fun for me and very similar, I think, to everyone’s experience at junior high dances. At first, all the students stand to the side looking at each other shyly. They all seem to be hesitant to get out on the floor and strut their stuff.
Chris, a St. Joseph’s senior, and Andrea, a St. Joseph’s alumnae, served as DJ’s for the junior high dance.
After a couple of songs, however, a few of the girls get brave and start dancing. Before long, more and more are joining in on the floor. By the end of the night, everyone has gotten on the floor at least once. The students’ process of slowly warming up and finally dancing demonstrates growth in the area of independence.
As usual, when the lights came on at the end, there was a collective moan from the crowd wanting more music and more dancing!
Chris, one of our high school seniors, and alumnae Andrea provided the DJ service for the dance. They did a great job getting the students on the floor dancing and involved.
The admission fee to the dance was $2 or two cans of food at the door. We were able to collect 156 food items for the local food pantry and around $30 at the door to donate to a local charity. This speaks to the Lakota (Sioux) value of generosity and helping our community when we can.
All these lessons are very important and piece of what we try to teach our students every day at St. Joseph’s Indian School. These experiences give the students an opportunity to learn firsthand lessons that we hope stay with them for life.
Without your support and prayers, none of this would possible. Thanks to all that support our work. We couldn’t do it with you!
An unpredictable South Dakota spring brought lots of snow, but mild temperatures.
As St. Joseph’s Indian School starts to wind down for the year, several factors have come in to play this spring. It is unbelievable the amount of snow we have received in South Dakota for the month of April!! St. Joseph’s even missed a day of school due to the weather – that rarely happens since our Lakota students live on campus. The students truly enjoyed being outside to play in the snow as the temperature was in the low 30’s, which is relatively warm.
St. Joseph’s track team has been diligently practicing, either in the Recreation Center because of snow or outside when the weather is clear. Needless to say, with all the snow, our track meets have been canceled so far. We are hoping that the next one on Monday will take place as the temperatures are suppose to be in the 70s. Hurrah for the Glorious South Dakota Sunshine!!
Last week, I was involved with the Mr. Relay For Life Pageant that St. Joseph’s Relay For Life hosted at the Oacoma Community Center. The pageant was a spin-off of the Miss American Pageant, but with gentlemen of the community participating as contestants.
It was awesome to see the wonderful turnout from the community to support us in our endeavor to raise money for the fight against cancer! Of course, it really helped that our gentleman were such great sports with their choice of evening wear, talent and interview questions for the night’s competition. It was an evening enjoyed by many family and community members.
I would like to thank all of St. Joseph’s donors for your support and donations throughout the school year. You are a blessing to our school and the Native American students.
“Wealth and honor come from you O’Lord; you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
–Chronicles 29:12–
A mild April day is perfect for making a snow dinosaur!
On a slushy, icy morning this week, a garbage truck knocked over an electrical pole in downtown Chamberlain and knocked out power to St. Joseph’s whole campus just as school was beginning. Teachers had to scramble with their lesson plans, and go back to pre-technology activities like reading poetry and solving math problems with pencil and paper. The classrooms have enough windows and natural lighting to get by, but the littlest Lakota students were reluctant to go into the darkened bathrooms and were very relieved when the lights finally came on an hour later.
Over the weekend, the Hogebach Home (HS girls) made a trip to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I stopped by their home for supper to hear all about their adventures. For many, their favorite event was shopping. I’ve been to the Mall of America before and was overwhelmed by too many choices. But they loved the variety, and were even happy window shopping before making a choice. Most of the students in this home work part time jobs, so they had saved up money to buy some fashions not easily found in our small South Dakota town.
When our St. Joseph’s homes travel as a group, we ask them to include some educational or vocational activity during their time.
Erika, one of our seniors, has been accepted to an art school in the Twin Cities, and made a special visit to campus to receive more information and orientation. She and houseparent Robb were impressed and pleased by what they heard and saw.
Many of our students come from low-income families and often qualify for grants and financial aid. St. Joseph’s also helps with some scholarships. I tell our students that if they have the perseverance to stay in school and do well with their studies, we will help them find the funds to make it through.
