Category: Fr. Anthony

Changing Weather, Changing Activities

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

I hope everyone had a great week and lots of fun on Halloween.  The Lakota students capped off their celebration of Red Ribbon week — a time focused on reminding them of the danger of drugs — with some spooky fun, wearing costumes to school and trick-or-treating on campus. The students then gathered in the rec center for the Grand March and judging of costumes.  There were awards for scariest, funniest and most creative costume, along with awards for pumpkin carving and home decorations. Check out the fun on our Facebook album!

The Lakota children enjoyed decorating and dressing up for Halloween.
St. Joseph’s students capped off Red Ribbon Week with Halloween fun!

Our High School Academic Advisor, Tara, announced the members of the 2013 Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) Knowledge Bowl team. LNI is an annual event held before Christmas each year in Rapid City, South Dakota.  It gathers members of the Lakota nation from all over the state and surrounding areas to compete in a wide variety of events — basketball, archery, an art show, Native American hand  games, language contests and the Knowledge Bowl.  Our students, Erica, Ashley, Michael, Cody, Kyran, Liliana, Jacob and Angela will meet every Sunday night until the competition to practice. 

The CHS volleyball team – including some St. Joseph’s students – hosts Cheyenne-Eagle Butte on Tuesday in the state playoffs.  This will be a tough one to watch since I spent five years in Eagle Butte serving on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation; but since I’m now in Chamberlain, I have to say ‘Go Cubs!’ 

As the weather is changing and cooling down, St. Joseph’s students are spending more time indoors.  We recently held sign up for archery and wrestling. The younger students are also getting ready for Dancing Dolls and Dudes. 

With the end of the first quarter, we acknowledged our honor roll students in grades 1-8. Students received certificates and a special prize for A and B Honor Roll and for perfect attendance. 

Have a great week.  Know that you and your intentions are remembered in our prayers. Thank you for your generosity!

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

A little snow on the way?

Dear Benefactors,

It looks like our Indian Summer may be over in South Dakota – that dreaded word ‘snow’ is in the forecast.  It won’t be a lot, but it does remind us we are moving later into the year and our warm, sunny days will not be around for a while.  We saw some evidence of snow and slush yesterday up in Fort Pierre on my way to a board meeting in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.  We visited the abused women’s shelter and residential care center for Native American youth in that community, both sponsored by St. Joseph’s Indian School.  They are doing wonderful work as they reach out to the local community on a variety of fronts.

Several of the homes for St. Joseph’s older students got together and headed to Mitchell, South Dakota to go through a haunted house and pay a visit to McDonald’s as well.  They had a great time!  With our Halloween party and costume contest coming this Thursday, it may have given them some ideas for costumes.

Last Wednesday, I was invited by the local Kiwanis to be their guest speaker. I shared an update on recent happenings on campus, encouraging them to visit our new Alumni and Historical Center. I also filled them in on Fr. Steve’s new role as Provincial for the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

Our students worked with an artist in residence last week to create Christmas ornaments for the National Christmas tree in Washington, DC! Currently 48 ornaments are nearly ready to go. St. Joseph’s Indian School is the only school in South Dakota to take part in decorating the tree, so this was a very special opportunity indeed. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting project!

On the sports front, the Chamberlain High School football team has qualified for the State playoffs! The first game will be tonight. They are hosting Todd County, whom they recently beat. We hope they are able to repeat the victory.  Several St. Joseph students are contributing their talent and skills.  Go Cubs!

Sunday, our inter-city basketball league got started. This program gives St. Joseph’s Lakota students and local 6th, 7th and 8th graders the chance to play basketball on Sundays.  They play together on four teams and compete against each other every Sunday afternoon.  We see it as an important way for the students to meet each other now so that when they enter high school they’ll know each other a bit better.

The experience of playing together also helps them to be aware of each other’s talent, which is great in high school.  The upcoming boys’ varsity basketball team for Chamberlain High School should be a good team this year. Last year, the “C” team was undefeated; it had several St. Joseph’s players on the team, so we’re looking forward to an exciting year!

 

I hope each of you has a great week.  May God’s blessings be with you now and always.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Enjoying Fall Activities

Good afternoon tiyospaye – extended family,

The pheasant hunting season opened in South Dakota over this past weekend and it sounded like the hunters were out doing their best.  I heard several shots across the river as we finished Mass Sunday morning.

We are in a period of transition at St. Joseph’s Indian School now, as the fall sports wrap up and the students get ready for the indoor basketball season. Yesterday, the girls in fourth through eighth grades signed up for their basketball teams.

The boys will start having their inter-city league on Sundays.  This program blends students from Chamberlain with St. Joseph’s Lakota students on teams that are made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys.  It is a way for the students to make new friends before they meet up as classmates in high school.  The first game will be Sunday, October 27. The girls will have their inter-city season after the holidays.

Several of our seventh and eighth grade boys have joined the local Explorers Club in Chamberlain, which gives them the opportunity to be part of a service group. They do various community projects throughout the year to raise money – raking leaves, shoveling snow and a car wash, to name a few. Then, the boys decide as a group who or what cause would be a worthy recipient of the funds.  Last year they donated their money to several local people who were dealing with cancer.

They also remember to have some fun! The group has taken trips to a Minnesota Vikings football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

Students who are new to St. Joseph’s are taking part in a program called ‘co-pilot,’ which matches them with another student to help them belong, enjoy and develop relationships at St. Joseph’s. It parallels our big brothers/big sisters program.

From my office, I can see the students playing outside after school. Kids will be kids, and it warms my heart to see them play games like Red Rover, Red Rover and tetherball. With Halloween just around the corner, many students are also busy getting their costumes ready.

Hope you all have a great week.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Celebrating Native American Day, returning from a visit to Atlanta

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School,

The weather is a big topic of conversation on the South Dakota prairie lately.  Deep snow in the Black Hills caused havoc with ranchers’ cattle herds.  The melting snow joined with this weekend’s rain and wind caused flooding in some areas.

St. Joseph’s students celebrated Native American Day on October 14.
The Lakota children played a variety of traditional games to celebrate Native American Day.

We had hoped to have good weather to celebrate Native American Day on October 14.  Elsewhere, it is called Columbus Day, but in 1990, the late Gov. George Mickelson, signed legislation that changed the name and put the focus on promoting reconciliation between the Native Americans and other citizens of South Dakota.  We kicked the day off with a prayer service geared to reminding our students of their Lakota (Sioux) heritage and asking the Great Spirit’s guidance in the second quarter of the school year.

Over the weekend, Chamberlain hosted the 13th Annual River City Band Festival, welcoming high school bands from miles around.  It was cool and windy, but the band members did a great job.  After a parade through downtown, the field competition was held on the high school football field.  We were also honored to have South Dakota State University’s THE PRIDE marching band make an appearance.  St. Joseph’s students took part in the parade by carrying banners thanking local businesses for their sponsorship of the event.

St. Joseph’s students and staff are just returning from donor luncheons in the Atlanta, Georgia area over this past weekend.  Our Homecoming King, Cody, and classmate, Errol, were excited to share a few words of thanks with the donors.

– St. Joseph’s hosts donor events around the country where benefactors can meet the Lakota students.
Errol and Cody visited St. Joseph’s benefactors in Atlanta, Georgia.

Our next two luncheons are in Houston, Texas, on November 23-24 and Los Angeles, California, on January 18-19.   If you would like to attend, visit our website or call 1-800-584-9200.

I hope you all have a great week.  Be assured of our daily prayers for you and those dear to you, especially in our monthly novena of Masses offered from the 11-19 of each month.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Spared the snow and power outages

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,

As you may have heard from watching various weather reports over the last few days, western South Dakota was blasted with over 30” of snow! It is being called one of the worst storms in South Dakota history.  We received some heavy rain in the Chamberlain area on Friday and Saturday, but thankfully were spared the snow and power outages.   The rain wiped out the Chamberlain High School Homecoming Parade, but the game was still played, despite a torrential downpour.

You may recall that both the Homecoming King and Queen elected last week were close to many hearts at St. Joseph’s Indian School. King Cody is one of our high school students, and Queen Marilyn is the daughter of two staff members. In addition, several other St. Joseph’s high school students were selected to be part of the honor court.

The Lakota children joined Kevin Locke in a flute recital.
St. Joseph’s students performed with Kevin Locke at the South Dakota Indian Education Conference last week.

Last week, our community was also the site of South Dakota’s Indian Education Conference. Our Principal, Kathleen, and several teachers attended.  A group of St. Joseph’s students, along with Kevin Locke, gave a flute recital and did a great job.

Today, members of St. Joseph’s Parent Advisory Council met on campus. Parents and guardians of current students and some former students themselves, these folks generously give their time to help us improve our programs. They provide feedback from a parent’s point of view and help us better understand their children’s needs and hopes.

At today’s meeting, they were brought up-to-date about our new anti-bullying program, the latest criteria for admissions and insight into a wellness program for the Lakota children.  They also had the chance to visit Chamberlain High School to get an idea of what a day is like for our high school students.

We are grateful for these parents and guardians giving of their time to listen and give responses as to how we can keep making things better and safer for the Lakota boys and girls entrusted to our care.  The council meets twice per year and membership rotates, so there is a good mixture of parents and guardians involved from different Indian reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

P.S. During our recent powwow, we had slips of paper for guests to jot down prayer requests for our students and staff to remember in their evening prayers.  As I was going through them to pick out some intentions for October, I came across a slip that asked a question:

“Since the government gives the Indian nations money, what percentage does St. Joseph’s get for subsidies, if any?”

Thank you for the question! Federal money is given to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which then distributes the money to the various Native American groups; however, as St. Joseph’s is not affiliated with any tribe or reservation, we do not receive any money from the government.

St. Joseph’s does get some financial aid for the school lunch program and Title program, which provides specialists to help with the education of our students.   However, the bulk of St. Joseph’s financial resources come through YOU and your generosity!   Your kindness and support make all our programs possible.  Pilamaya—thank you!!

Cody is crowned Homecoming King!

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School,

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 high school student Cody is the Chamberlain High School Homecoming King for 2013.
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!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Everybody Powwow!!

WOW! What a weekend!

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:

  • How to make a dreamcatcher
  • Traditional Native American foods
  • A drum presentation

Each session filled quickly.  Many took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the new addition, the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) Historical and Alumni Center. 

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!

See more moments from the weekend on Flickr, Facebook and YouTube!

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

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.

St. Joseph’s Royalty were named Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday’s powwow.
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.

A visit from the Superior General

Greetings for St. Joseph’s Indian School!

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!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School

Lakota students take part in youth triathlon

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

What a weekend!

Activities were taking place all around the Chamberlain area this weekend, as well as on St. Joseph’s campus.

Many of St. Joseph’s Lakota students participate in powwow.
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.

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain