Visitors have been stopping at Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center all day to pick up their registration packets for our 35th annual powwow. The first person I saw when I went into the museum was Percy who comes all the way from Illinois and hasn’t missed a powwow in the seven years that I’ve been at St. Joseph’s Indian School. There were other folks who have been long time donors and have never been to the campus. As others talk about having wanted to come for many years, and have finally made it, their journey seems like a kind of pilgrimage. They picked up maps and schedules and are getting their plans in order for the next couple of days.
We started the morning by meeting with the auditors to get the preliminary financial report. The full report will go to the Board of Directors in October. We were again blessed with the financial support to be able to run the many quality programs we have available at St. Joseph’s Indian School and in our outreach programs.
Fr. Tom, my religious superior, is also out for his annual pastoral visitation. He will spend time with each SCJ in South Dakota, asking how we’re doing, and offering his support and encouragement. Besides the work at the school, he wanted to know about my health (still doing well) and the joys and challenges of religious life. He was superintendent at St. Joseph’s Indian School in the 70’s and 80’s and invested a lot of himself in this place.
In a slow, cold and dreary rain, three of our 7th and 8th grade cross-country runners competed against high school JV teams in the meet held at the Chamberlain golf course. I admire dedication even when the weather is nice for running. To see our students going hard in difficult conditions made the discomfort I felt minor by comparison.
I hope they learn that lesson in life too, to keep going even when times are hard.
Hmm … Seem Fr. Tom timed his visit for just the right time — Powwow Weekend! Great to know our St.Joseph’s students don’t let a little blah weather get them down!