St. Joseph's Indian School

The young girls twirled and stepped, their tracks guided by the musical heartbeat of the drum. As they moved, their jingle dresses shook — unleashing the sweet, musical sounds of prayer.

A spring wind blew and as it did, nature joined in and danced with the girls. Trees swayed and their branches clicked. Grasses whistled. River waves crashed. Leaves that endured the winter twisted in the breeze.

It was nature and mankind coming together for the purpose of prayer … prayer for health, healing and hope. Continue reading “Prayer for Healing: Girls Dance at St. Joseph’s Indian School for Wellbeing of Others”

Question:   What do you get when you place 13 teenage girls, six horses and various art supplies in a round pen with no cell phone access? Continue reading “When a Horse Becomes a Canvas”

A blank, rectangular piece of fabric was recently placed before each student at St. Joseph’s Indian School. It was accompanied with art supplies in all shades of the rainbow.

These were the ingredients for which the students would use to pray.

Confused? Continue reading “Prayers in the Wind: St. Joseph’s Students Make Prayer Flags”

On April 13, 2021, Child Services staff at St. Joseph’s Indian School braved the high winds and cold in order to take pictures for Child Abuse Awareness month. Staff wore blue shirts with the motto “Strengthening Families and Communities.” Below this were pictures of children playing, with the Lakota words Táku waŋláka čháŋ, tákeya yo/ye — See Something, Say Something. Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Recognizes Child Abuse Prevention Month”

“God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” — Genesis 1:10

If you’re familiar with the story of God’s creation of Earth and all its living things, you’ve probably heard that verse in some version again and again.

Perhaps you’ve heard it so many times that it doesn’t seem that special. But think about it Continue reading ““And the earth he has given to mankind.””

St. Joseph’s Indian School is a “2021 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. Continue reading “Thankful x5: St. Joseph’s Receives Top-Rated Charity Award … Again!”

St. Joseph’s Indian School recently awarded $84,350 in spring-semester scholarships to Native American students across the nation, bringing the total awards for the academic year to $176,050. This spring, the school provided 68 scholarships: 16 to alumni, 13 to family members of St. Joseph’s Indian School alumni and 39 to others enrolled in a federally recognized tribe and pursuing higher education. Continue reading “Sparking Careers for Native American Students through Scholarships”

Fitting with the hype of March Madness, the love of basketball has been high throughout March at St. Joseph’s Indian School. The Rec Center hosted two very cool events that have put the kids’ basketball skills to the test. Continue reading “Love of Basketball High at St. Joseph’s”

St. Joseph’s Indian School and the Aktá Lakota Museum both recently received awards from local and state entities for a job well done! Continue reading “‘Best Nonprofit’ and ‘Great Place’ Awards Received”

Recently, Pope Francis announced the liturgical year of 2021 as the “Year of St. Joseph.”

As this is the patron saint for our school, it feels like an extra blessing. So, we made a video describing what else the announcement means to St. Joseph’s Indian School and we want to share it with you. Continue reading “2021 Named the Year of St. Joseph”