Cante’ Waste’ Nape Ciyuzapi Ksto/lo – I greet you with a warm and heartfelt handshake!
April works with St. Joseph’s students and families.
My name is April, and I am an enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. My Indian name is Nagi Wi, which means Spirit Woman. My given name at birth is April. My name was given to me by a nun who helped deliver me. My St. Joseph’s name is Unci, which means grandma – I feel so honored to be their grandma! I have been here at St. Joes for eight-and-a-half years and love working with the children and their families.
My new title is Family/Student Care Specialist. I have the opportunity to get to know our new students more by meeting with them individually throughout the year to establish a bond. During our time together, students come to my office and write letters, color or draw and take pictures, which we send home to their families. We also make calls to their families. We want students to look at St. Joseph’s Indian School as their second home, and we want them to feel comfortable. We understand they will get lonesome, and that’s okay. We want to work through that and continue to do the best we can to care for the whole child – mind, body, heart and spirit.
April helps the Lakota boys and girls with arts and crafts to send home to their families.
Sometimes, students go home for the weekend and see their pictures and letters hanging on the fridge at home. This makes them so happy! They come to my office and tell me, “Guess what Unci! My mom has my picture we sent!” To see that little sparkle in their eyes is so heart-warming!
I have a saying that was given to me, and I do my best to go by this everyday as I walk in a good way with the children: Believe in yourself and your feelings. Trust yourself to do what your heart is guiding you to do. Your intuition is powerful. Trust it.
LaRayne, St. Joseph’s Native American Studies teacher
I am honored to teach Native American Studies classes at St. Joseph’s Indian School. We recently had a Sunday Mass that incorporated Lakota elements, and it felt great! It’s that indescribable feeling when you are centered in the soul and have “wolakota.”
It was the Feast of Christ the King, the end of the liturgical year in the Catholic Church. It didn’t feel like and end, but a new beginning. The service began with the beat of the drum by our student drum group, the Chalk Hill Singers. Members of our powwow royalty and fellow housemates, dressed in full regalia, danced up the aisle honoring the path of the Staff carried by our Eagle Staff Bearer, Joe. My feet couldn’t help but to tap the earth when the sticks made music with sound of our rawhide drum and the voices of our boys. The shawls flowed, the bells and cones rung and it felt like smiles were swelling in the hearts of all present.
St. Joseph’s drum group, the Chalk Hills Singers, took part in the Lakota Mass.
A basket of prayers wrapped in red cloth, made by our students and staff, was carried and placed at the altar as an offering to honor those who have passed into the spirit world and those for whom we pray.
The opening prayer, the readings and the homily taught us about “Mitakuye Oyasin,” the belief that we are all related. In the reading, Mathew 25: Jesus said “Whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” This parallels our Lakota ceremony of the Hunka, or making of a relative. Once this sacred ceremony is done, you will have a bond to share all that you have. By treating all people just as you would Jesus or the Great Spirit, one will “do well because it is right.”
The best value a member of our tribes can possess is that of generosity. Sunday during Mass, the choir shared their musical talents by singing “Amazing Grace” in both Lakota and English. With the sounds of the students speaking the tongue of their ancestors from many years past, the congregation recited the Lord’s Prayer in Lakota. I could feel the confidence in the voices of the students praying loud and proud. Lots of compliments were shared and accepted after Mass from our staff and members of our community who came to join in our prayer.
After the Eucharistic Prayer, Father Anthony asked the Great Spirit to bless us with a great week and Thanksgiving holiday as the students traveled home to see family and friends. But, before the end, we sang birthday wishes to those celebrating this week in the Lakota version of “Happy Birthday.”
The service ended just as it began: The dancers (and those who couldn’t keep their feet from dancing to the beat of the drum) exited the sanctuary knowing that Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel bridges cultures spiritually in the lives of the families we serve at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
It was a quiet weekend on St. Joseph’s campus. It seemed that a quarter of the students were gone by early Wednesday morning last week for Thanksgiving break. We transport students who come from a distance, so our mini-buses took off early for the journey to key towns in all corners of the state to drop off students and meet families.
The Rosebud and Yankton Tribes send buses to help get students from their areas home, and we are grateful for the teamwork.
Six of the Lakota students stayed in the break home with staff to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the long weekend.
Our local wildlife seemed to know it was going to be less hectic on campus for a few days. One morning, I walked into a group of about 20 wild turkeys! They were probably
Before leaving for Thanksgiving break, the Lakota students made decorations to take to their families.
looking for a safe hiding place from the hunters who were still looking for their Thanksgiving dinner…
We’ve also had several deer crossing campus to get a drink of water out of the Missouri River. I have not seen any pheasants around, but they may be in hiding since the hunting season is still open.
On Friday evening after Thanksgiving the annual Chamberlain Parade of Lights kicked off the Christmas season. It began with a community chili supper and was followed by a parade through the business district. The theme this year was “Cowboy Christmas.” The weather cooperated and everyone enjoyed seeing the lights on the floats and waving to Santa as he rolled through town.
All day today, we are holding a special Healing Camp for students who have lost a family member over the last several months. Some of the students’ families are coming to participate in a series of activities, prayer and remembrance. This is a special day set aside to help the students deal with the loss of a loved one now walking the Holy Road. The program also gives the student the opportunity to begin to let go of the hurt and understand they are not alone.
Please keep the team, the students and the families taking part in your prayers that God will bring healing and peace.
This coming weekend will be busy. On Saturday, teams from Miller, Lower Brule and Pierre will be on campus to take part in the annual St. Joseph’s Eighth Grade Basketball Tournament. Mass will be held Saturday evening and, Sunday afternoon, we will enjoy watching some of our students participate in the ‘Dancing Dolls and Dudes’ performance. It will be another of those ‘meet yourself coming and going’ weekends, but lots of fun!
Today was a tasty day at St. Joseph’s! We held our annual Sweet Sampler Challenge, which invites staff to bring a favorite holiday treat to share with everyone. We also request the recipe and calorie count. We are trying to encourage healthy eating, especially during the holidays when there are so many yummy temptations.
I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving! We are grateful for your support of the Lakota boys and girls attending St. Joseph’s Indian School. As we move into the Advent Season, may we not be distracted by all the external preparation for Christmas that we forget the real reason for the season. May God’s blessings be with all of you through the month of December and coming New Year!
I was recently blessed to be able to take in this gathering of people from around South Dakota who share a common goal: we want to build a
LaRayne, St. Joseph’s Native American Studies teacher
“Bright Future in Our Schools.”
I learned so much during two days of meetings, meals and mingling! The sessions were interactive with technology, discussions and hands on activities and ideas to help teachers, administrators, vendors, community business leaders, students and parents from all walks of life.
I had several favorite sessions. One entailed hearing ideas from a teacher in our state who gets her students to write while they think they are in an art class. This same presenter shared her passion to teach because, in this generation, she was not taught about the indigenous people who were living on this land before her ancestors came across the ocean. What
All St. Joseph’s students take Native American Studies as part of our regular curriculum and have the opportunity to participate in powwow and other cultural activities.
she is doing can be done by any teacher in any state to help students to learn by indigenous practices and to really care about their own education.
Another favorite group was a program we are using called “Wolakota Project.” This program allows teachers from any school, including St. Joseph’s, to access video interviews on a website. This curriculum will be incorporated into our 1st -3rd grade classrooms, helping adults and students to understand cultural stories, ways and sensitivities to Oceti Sakowin Oyate (Seven Council Fires Nation).
Other sessions I soaked up will help not only with my daily classes but also with the planning and execution of our seventh grade cultural trip, which will be here again before we know it!
I was able to mingle with fellow allies through wonderful meals of buffalo stew and lots of wakalapi (coffee). Creating a network of people with whom to share ideas is always a strong part of the summit. I listened to school board members, parents, community leaders, Tribal leaders, higher education officers, students, professors and family members of students share their ideas, worries, solutions and works as well as personal motivation that keep us all loving what we do every day.
Sharing the culture of our people from the Seven Council Fires is what I have done for the past 12 years here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. It is motivating for me to see that the work we are striving for together is going to help fulfill not only my part in the mission here at St. Joseph’s, but also to build a “Bright Future in Our Schools” for all students.
Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start and your taste buds are ready for turkey and pumpkin pie.
Students gathered in family groups to make table decorations to take home for Thanksgiving.
Last Wednesday, St. Joseph’s students took part in the National Family Week Project. They gathered in family groups (siblings, cousins) so they could make up table decorations to take home for Thanksgiving.
One was a turkey and the other was a big pumpkin which had a slot in it that contained space for small pieces of paper. Students used paper ‘seeds’ to write things they are grateful for. Everyone enjoyed dinner together, followed by some fun playing bingo.
Also last week, we had 19 students from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota on campus for two days. The group was made up of young men and women planning a teaching career. They got some firsthand experience in the classroom and it was a great learning experience for everyone.
Last Wednesday, St. Joseph’s students took part in the National Family Week Project.
After basketball games at home tonight for the fourth, fifth and sixth grade Lady Braves, we will have fall sports awards at the rec center tomorrow. Cross country, volleyball and football players will receive their honors for Most Improved, Best Team Player and Coach’s Choice. Congratulations to everyone involved!
On Sunday, we held a Lakota Mass on campus. Deacon Bud is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band in North Dakota, serves on St. Joseph’s Board of Directors and helps out at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain; for Mass, he led us in the Lord Have Mercy in Lakota. LaRayne, one of our Native American Studies teachers and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, led us in reciting the Our Father in Lakota and Happy Birthday to those celebrating their birthdays this week.
Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity for the care and education of the Lakota (Sioux) students. May your holiday be filled with many blessings and safe travels!
St. Joseph’s Indian School recently hosted students Marie and Luci, and their chaperone Blandine from
Claire
Chateauxroux, France. Cultural exchanges like this are exciting, since it gives our Lakota (Sioux) students a chance to see a world that is different from their own. Since I speak a little French, I accompanied our visitors on several occasions. Though they needed very little help with translation, some of our customs seemed unusual to them.
In Native American Studies class, Blandine shared a book about the Berry region of France, and the students listened with interest. They had questions about holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving –which the French don’t celebrate. (No trick or treats? No pumpkin pie? Say what?) Our students wanted to know how long French school days were, and what French people liked to eat, and whether there were buffalo in France. In Art class they got to try the French craft of scoubidou (braiding plastic thread into lanyards).
St. Joseph’s visitors from France enjoyed time with the sixth graders.
In turn, it was fun to show off some of the finer examples of Lakota culture that are incorporated into our curriculum—the reading of the Our Father in Lakota every morning, and the singing of the Lakota Flag Song. Our French visitors got to see some regalia and watch some dancing. I was proud of our students when they demonstrated traditional greetings and phrases in Lakota.
Then our visitors wanted to see the Indian Reservations where many of our students live. This was a bit uncomfortable at times. On one hand, it was important for them to see where the kids come from and why they need to be at St. Joseph’s Indian School. On the other hand, I felt protective and a little bit defensive.
Driving past some of the burned-out houses was awkward. When I looked through the eyes of our visitors, I saw homes in disrepair, gang graffiti, trash and scary Halloween decorations (which didn’t really help matters any).
Many students resent a blighted picture being painted of their homes, and I can understand this. I wanted to explain that this may be where people live but is certainly not all of who they are. I wanted to bridge the gap between the beautiful cultural lessons of the classroom and the ugly landscape of the Rez, but I couldn’t. There was too much history here, and too much despair. My pitiful French wasn’t up to the task of expressing it. I was grateful for the compassion on the eyes of our guests.
Some parts of the reservations are quite beautiful, with sweeping views of the hills and river valley. We visited Big Bend, a place where the river makes a tight loop, leaving a spit of land only a few miles across. There we toured an earth lodge – a reproduction of a typical Mandan home – like those that would have been found on this site a few centuries ago. Then we hiked up the hills to a high point where we could see for miles around.
Maybe the best part of having visitors was the gift of being able to stop and see the work of St. Joseph’s with fresh eyes.
I saw the contrast between the plight on the reservations and the calming structure of our homes and school. I saw the strong, positive connections between staff and students. Since our visitors were also benefactors, I was also keenly aware of what sacrifices they made in order to be able to provide these good things to our students.
At their school in France, students gave up one meal during Lent and ate only rice. The money they saved they sent to St. Joseph’s Indian School as a gift.
I want to thank them, and all our benefactors, for making our school possible.
The big winter storm coming moving across the upper Midwest is hitting South Dakota today. Chamberlain is just on the fringe of the storm but we have snow, cold winds and some slush. We are expecting cold temperatures all week.
The Explorers learned the proper way to fold a flag at one of their recent meetings.
The Explorers, a local service group, have been out raking leaves but they may have to switch over to shoveling snow! In addition to community service projects, the boys learn useful life lessons. At one of their recent meetings they learned how to properly fold the flag in preparation for Veterans Day tomorrow.
Our kitchen crew will honor all the veterans on St. Joseph’s staff by inviting them to a free lunch on November 11. This is a small way of saying pilamaya – thank you – to those who protect our country and the freedom we enjoy every day.
Since November starts off with the Feast of All Saints and All Souls, we have put up a Remembrance Tree in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Students and staff were asked to submit names of their loved ones who have passed on that could be put on the tree. It will stay up during November as a reminder to us of those walking their journey back to the Heavenly Father.
Tomorrow, we’ll be starting the Novena of Masses for all our benefactors’ special intentions.
Recently, a new program was introduced to the Lakota boys and girls entitled “I See You.” The purpose is to encourage positive actions all over campus. Staff have been given dog tags inscribed with a positive act such as Hope, Belonging, Independence, Sacrifice, Accepting and Loved, which are written in English and Lakota (Sioux).
Our Remembrance Tree will be in the chapel for the month of November.
When staff members see a student showing one of these positive things, they give the tag to the student to let them know their positive act was witnessed. The students then have the opportunity to pass on the tag when they see a fellow student or staff member doing the act mentioned on their tag. The program’s purpose is to encourage everyone to have a positive attitude and good interaction with one another.
Wishing you a great week, and may you experience God’s blessings in a variety of ways. Pilamaya – thank you – for your support and encouragement of everything we do at St. Joseph’s!
I’m not bragging, but I have a GREAT job. I work with talented, interesting people who are ‘hook, line, and sinker’ committed to our mission at St. Joseph’s Indian School
Geri, St. Joseph’s Major Gifts Director
andI get to routinely visit with our donors: over the phone, in their homes, at donor events, over e-mail and through the mail. It’s wonderful being in communication with our donors and, by far, the best part of my job.
As a supervisor, I have administrative responsibilities including preparing reports, responding to e-mail messages and reviewing results. So, on any given day, I have a variety of tasks on my ‘to do list’ with the ability to tackle them in the order I prefer (generally speaking).
Without consciously choosing to reach out to our donors first, I always do! I find that nothing is as uplifting and satisfying as checking in with our supporters, answering questions or sharing updates on how their giving is making a difference for Native American children!
Staff at St. Joseph’s Donor Care Center are waiting to visit with you!
Maybe you’ve recently been contacted by us? Perhaps it was for the first time? I hope you enjoyed the conversation and feel like your support is important to us. We aren’t just ‘going through the motions’ when we reach out to you….we enjoy it as much, or more, than you do!
As we move into the holidays, a favorite time of the year for many of us, donor interaction doubles and maybe even triples….it truly IS the best time of the year!
Each of us has a story about our connection to St. Joseph’s Indian School. For those of us who work here, our story
St. Joseph’s staff members love visiting with donors at powwow, donor luncheons and on home visits.
might start with the day we were first hired. For our supporters, the stories are as varied as our supporters themselves. They may have learned about St. Joseph’s from their parents or grandparents. Or, they may have no recollection of how they were introduced to St. Joseph’s – they just know that it was years and years ago. Regardless, there’s a connection and commitment to our mission of serving Lakota (Sioux) students.
We’d love to hear from you and learn about your connection to St. Joseph’s Indian School! Don’t ever feel like you need to wait to hear from us. The only thing better than reaching out to donors is hearing from them! Feel free to give us a call at 1-800-341-2235 or send us an e-mail at saintjosephs@stjo.org. We’d love to hear from you!
A cowboy and a Smurf were some of the many characters on campus Friday.
Hope everyone survived Halloween. We had ghosts, goblins, princesses, ninja warriors and other various costumed students swarming the campus on Friday afternoon. They collected a few treats prior to the Grand March at 4:15 PM in the rec center. There, we had contests for the Funniest, Scariest and the Most Creative outfits. Prizes were also given out to the homes for the best Halloween decorations and to those who had carved or decorated pumpkins.
As Chamberlain High School just finished their first quarter, it was time to give out some awards. St. Joseph’s five high school homes compete for best grade point average and the home with the highest score gets a nice traveling trophy to keep until the next quarter. Crane Home had a 2.46 average, Giles a 2.52, Carola a 2.54, Sheehy a 2.87 and Hogebach was the winner with a 3.29.
We also want to congratulate Angela, one of our seniors, as she has a 4.17 GPA – way to go Angela!
To encourage the students to not fall behind in their class assignments, we also have a trophy for the home with the least missing assignments. The winner this time was Crane Home with ZERO missing assignments. It was also the first time that a home which is predominately freshmen won the award. We’re so proud of everyone’s hard work!
Shawn, a St. Joseph’s senior, established two new school records in his last Cubs football game!
Also in high school news, the Chamberlain football team is done after making it into the play-offs. Their last game of the season was against Crow Creek and Shawn, a St. Joseph’s senior, established two new school records! He gained 280 yards on 26 carries and scored 6 touchdowns in the 65-12 victory. The Cubs then beat Todd County 42-16 in the first round of the play-offs. Madison, the number one seed for the state in their classification, ended the Cubs’ season. Congratulations on a great run!
Football may be over, but the basketball seasons are picking up speed! Inter-city basketball has been going for two weeks and all the young men involved seem to be having fun on the court.
Yesterday our Lady Braves kicked off their basketball season. Our fifth and sixth grade teams hosted PILC (Pierre Indian Leaning Center) and earned a pair of victories. On Thursday the seventh and eighth grade teams will also host PILC while the fourth and fifth grade teams journey up the road to take on Crow Creek for their first away game. Go Braves!
St. Joseph’s Indian School received some good news last week that we have passed inspection and were re-certified by the Council on Accreditation out of New York. We are honored to have achieved certification so quickly. It is a great compliment to our students and staff, along with the support and encouragement YOU give us. Pilamaya – thank you!
Hope you have a great rest of the week!
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Do you know that you help provide so much more than a standard education to the Lakota boys and girls?
Pam, St. Joseph’s Personal Living Skills teacher.
St. Joseph’s eighth graders have been working hard developing the skills needed to maintain a personal checking account. First, they learned about checking account basics and then actually write checks, make deposits, keep records, and reconcile the monthly statement. Special banking services such as pre-authorized payments, wire transfers, mobile banking, making loan payments and ATM transactions are also incorporated.
This not only teaches our students an important aspect of money management, but also develops good habits for the future.
At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we are privileged to work with our students not just during the school day, but after hours as well. When they are not in school, our houseparents care for the children in their campus homes 24 hours per day.
St. Joseph’s eighth graders are working hard developing the skills needed to maintain a personal checking account.
That means that, even when school is out, students are learning important life skills – social skills, caring for themselves and their homes, and more!
