Hogs at St. Joseph’s Indian School

The hogs are on the road. Not the pork kind, but Harley Davidson motorcycles on their way to Sturgis, South Dakota. This is the busiest time of year on our highways, and you can hear the steady roar of the motors making their way west. We see a lot more motorcycles in our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center parking lot as members of our tiyospaye – extended family stop to say hello, and tourists stop to learn about the Native American history and culture of the area.

I received a video from the Indian Land Tenure foundation. They educate people about how Federal Legislative policy has affected tribal rights and land situations. The video gave a broad history about such laws as the Indian Removal Act, Tribal Termination and the Dawes Allotment Act which checkerboarded many of the Indian Reservations. I’ve learned about this part of history over the years, and this was a good overview.  If anyone is interested in learning more about treaty rights the website is www.iltf.org!

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

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. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School