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We’re feeling pretty nostalgic at St. Joseph’s Indian School. The calendar year is coming to an end and we are filled with so much thankfulness and gratitude … because of you! Continue reading “A Look Back at 2019”

“What in the world are you doing?!” hollered the Speyer Home boys at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Danyel, a daughter of the boys’ houseparent, paused to look up at them — her hand halfway inside a turkey.

“We’re stuffing the turkey!” she responded.

“We’re what?!” the boys said. Continue reading “Cookin’ Up a Feast of Food and Friendship for Others”

Judy Horton frantically held the telephone in her hands. She’d just learned the items she and many others collected in Newfield, N.Y., and surrounding towns, were not going to be delivered to St. Joseph’s Indian School by the original driver as planned. Instead, she found herself with a mountain of wonderful donations, with no way to get them to Lakota (Sioux) students in Chamberlain, S.D.

“What am I going to do now?” she thought to herself. Continue reading “Bumps in the Road Couldn’t Detour a Donor’s Giving Heart”

Many oral-health illnesses such as tooth decay and gum disease are considered 100% preventable.

So, why do so many children and adults across South Dakota continue to suffer severe dental problems?

The answer is two-part, and both affect some of the students at St. Joseph’s Indian School and their families. Continue reading “Poverty and Geography: How St. Joseph’s conquers the two big issues facing proper dental care”

A listening heart, respect, community outreach and involvement, volunteerism, engagement, innovation, leadership – these are the attributes shared by two longtime St. Joseph’s Indian School employees that made them standouts to receive national awards at the Council on Residential Excellence Banquet in Little Rock, Ark. Continue reading “Two St. Joseph’s Employees Receive National Honors”

When you lose someone you love, sometimes the simplest of things will make you think of them – the rustling of the leaves, the melody of a certain song or the smell of freshly baked bread. These small details spark a pleasant memory.

At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we take great care in remembering the souls who have gone before us. When the loved ones of alumni, students or staff pass away, one of the ways they are remembered is with a special Lakota tradition. Continue reading “Departed Loved Ones Honored with Prayer Ties”

The following reflection was written by Frank, our 7-8^th grade Residential Coordinator.

Being part of the community was important to my grandmother, Emerald. In her late 60s early 70s, she would help deliver cookies to the “old people and shut-ins” around the rural area where she lived. One of the clubs she belonged to would get together, do a cookie exchange and then make plates to deliver. Continue reading “Staff Reflection: Lessons from Grandma”

To the Lakota, a šúŋkawakȟán — horse — is a relative. A four-legged friend and companion that provided transportation, friendship and pride. The horse is revered for its grace and bravery.

Today, many Lakota people still look to the horse to provide healing from trauma, anxiety, and mental and emotional distress, among others. Continue reading “How Horses are Helping St. Joseph’s Students Heal”

Nobody knew that when Kim, Mike and Jim Iron Heart graduated from St. Joseph’s Indian School in the late 1980s and early 1990s that the siblings would be back decades later to make an impact for future graduates.

But that’s exactly what happened. Continue reading “Former Students Return to Bless St. Joseph’s in a Big Way”

The St. Joseph’s Indian School campus is located in Chamberlain, S.D. Although near the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations – each within approximately 20 miles — the remaining seven South Dakota reservations are located much farther away.

Just how far is far? Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Makes Sure ‘Children Count’ with Mentorship Program”