Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

Candid, a leading assessor of nonprofit organizations, recently announced that St. Joseph’s Indian School achieved the Platinum GuideStar Seal of Transparency for providing comprehensive information about the school’s programs, success measures and services. Platinum is the highest possible rating for a nonprofit organization.  For the past three years, the organization earned the Silver GuideStar Seal of Transparency. Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Indian School Goes Platinum with Candid/GuideStar”

Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Chairman Peter Lengkeek, in his Jan. 12, 2023, State of the Tribes Address to a joint session of the South Dakota State Senate and House of Representatives, called the experience a “humbling opportunity.” His words likewise summed up the feelings of St. Joseph’s Indian School students who participated in the day. Continue reading “State of the Tribes Address Is Humbling Opportunity for Students”

Mike Tyrell has served St. Joseph’s Indian School for 38 years in multiple roles leading up to his presidency of our organization. It might surprise you, but Mike didn’t come to St. Joseph’s with his wife, Kim, in 1985 with the intention of staying very long. They thought it would be a pit stop. A place to sow some good into the world before they settled down somewhere else.

However, God had other plans. Plans that Mike recently recounted by putting pen to paper. Continue reading “Our President Wrote a Book!”

Students at St. Joseph’s Indian School received lessons on the role of science and technology in image making from visiting artist Bob H. Miller. And there was nothing subtle about it. Miller is a lover of brilliant, saturated and bright colors.

His trick? The black light.  Continue reading “Making It ‘Brilliant’ is Part of the Art at St. Joseph’s Indian School”

One magical Saturday each December, staff at the school transform a conference room into Santa’s workshop, fellow employees become elves, and there is even a visit from Santa himself. Continue reading “To St. Joseph’s Indian School Students, Holiday Gift Giving is ‘Everything’”

It’s funny when things just work out …

Before the beginning of December, St. Joseph’s Indian School staff members were looking at the calendar and noticed something interesting: we had exactly 12 school days on the December calendar before students left for Winter Break. It’s hard to hear the phrase, “12 Days …” without your brain automatically filling in the blank with “of Christmas.”

And so, by this seemingly perfect chance of fate, that’s exactly the theme St. Joseph’s has embraced this December. Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Indian School Celebrates the ‘12 Days of Christmas’”

Recently, St. Joseph’s Indian School eighth-grade students and staff set out through the morning fog for the Crow Creek Department of Wildlife and Natural Resources.

Why? A Buffalo Harvest.  Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Indian School Students Experience Traditional Buffalo Harvest”

A new beginning was marked for freshman and sophomore students at St. Joseph’s Indian School as they embarked on the first-ever Wičhóni Wašte (Good Life) Retreat. After consulting with Mount Marty University and the University of Notre Dame regarding similar experiences those schools provide, St. Joseph’s developed the retreat day in response to student feedback. Continue reading “First Wičhóni Wašte Day Builds Connections for Students at St. Joseph’s Indian School”

The week of November 13 has been “busyness” as usual at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Rock Your Mocs Week began with Lakota Mass on Sunday.

Following the culturally infused liturgical celebration, staff distirbuted moccasins to “rock” throughout the week. Rock Your Mocs is a national annual event that creates a positive cultural experience, promotes unity and celebrates tribal individuality by wearing moccasins to honor ancestors and Indigenous people worldwide. It is the centerpiece of the celebration of Native American Month. Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Indian School Students ‘Rock Their Mocs’”

Shay, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a veteran’s hospital, was working a night shift when she heard an alarm sound. The alarm was to signal that a patient was in need of help, so she quickly went to assist.

Shay said, while the male patient who needed help is typically independent, he had just been moved into a different section of the hospital and hadn’t quite gotten situated yet. After she assisted him and was getting him settled, she noticed some mail sitting on a nearby wheelchair. Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Alumna and Veteran Share Serendipitous Moment in Chance Meeting”