St. Joseph's Indian School

This is what I love about at St. Joseph’s Indian School – Lowan wicasa (drum group)

Greetings!
My name is Jeshua and I am the Lakota language teacher at St. Joseph’s Indian School. This was my first year on staff. In addition to teaching language, I also help with our drum group.

Our lowan wicasa (drum group) is called the Chalk Hills Singers. We get our name from all the stories of St. Joseph’s early days when the children would hike in the hills north of campus and find the chalky rocks alongside the Missouri River. We practice twice per week with all types of styles and genres like powwow, traditional, sundance and round dance songs.

I’m really proud of how far the boys have come. I believe every singer can now take a lead (starting a song so everyone joins in). These students aren’t just learning how to drum; we incorporate meaning, what the drum represents to our Lakota (Sioux) people and how important it is to be a drum keeper or singer.

So far we have 13 male singers in grades 6-12, and three wicaglata win (the women who accompany the men at the drum). Females sing in support of the drummers, standing around them. They are usually close to the singers and must know the songs as well.

St. Joseph’s drum group, the Chalk Hills Singers, sing with their instructor Jeshua. — Jeshua and the boys sing at the drum during St. Joseph’s 2013 powwow celebration.

In Lakota tradition, women do not sit at the drum. We explain the etiquette of how singers conduct themselves around the drum and that it is a great honor to make people dance, cry and laugh with their voice and the drum.

We sing at every St. Joseph’s powwow, which is an awesome sight with our Native American students in regalia, singing loud and proud. This fall, we also had the chance to participate in a veterans’ powwow on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, which is my home reservation.

The boys witnessed a tokala (warrior) ceremony and had the chance to dance as well and pay respect to all veterans, which was a very memorable experience. All the other drums came up to shake our boys’ hands and give them props for being such a young and strong group of singers.

Recently, the sixth grade boys had the chance to participate in Inipi – purification lodge – and put their singing voices to use in what is also called the prayer lodge. For most of them, it was their first time participating in this ceremony.

It was awesome. They knew the songs to sing and showed great respect and attitude all the way to the end. We are going to have boys and girls inipi ceremony every month for different grades.

I believe their identity as Native Americans is very important. We try showing them this way of life at St. Joseph’s because some of them never get the opportunity.
That is what I love about St. Joseph Indian School: We can incorporate all types and diverse aspects to culture, religion and history for the students and staff.
Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity!

Warm spring weather in South Dakota? Not quite yet…

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School! Today is class picture day and all our students are putting on their best smile for the yearbook.

Fr. Anthony is St. Joseph’s Chaplain — Fr. Anthony with the Lakota children

The Lakota (Sioux) children are enjoying the first week of spring. Last week, a golf course in Mitchell, South Dakota (70 miles from Chamberlain) tempted Mother Nature by announcing the course was open. As the saying goes, ‘it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,’ and she brought a screeching halt to that endeavor by dropping 3.4 inches of snow on the Mitchell area!

Yesterday, we had a Penance service for our third, fourth and fifth graders along with the Stations of the Cross. We offer the Sacrament during the Lenten and Advent seasons specifically, as well as other times throughout the year and whenever we receive requests from students or staff.

As warmer weather begins to move in, the students are enjoying riding their bikes and scooters and shooting some hoops outside. This week, some of our Native American students will participate in a weeklong gymnastics camp hosted by the Chamberlain school district. Preparations are underway for St. Joseph’s track season, as well as the junior high softball league. The younger students will play T-ball.

Reuben, a St. Joseph’s senior, was named to the Big Dakota Conference Basketball Team. Way to go Reuben! — Reuben is one of St. Joseph’s seniors.

We are excited to share that two members of the Chamberlain High School boys’ basketball team, Skyler and Reuben, were selected for the Big Dakota Conference team. Reuben is one of St. Joseph’s seniors and Skyler is the son of a St. Joseph’s teacher! Congratulations to them both!

On Wednesday six of our students—Anthony, Helena, Nate, Camron, Rain and Alyssa — will be taking part in what is called the “Acalympics” in White River, South Dakota. It is a kind of Knowledge Bowl for grade school students. This will be our third year participating in the event.

We hope you have a great week! May the blessings of the Great Spirit be upon you, bringing you good health and much happiness. Thank you again for your kindness and concern for the Lakota boys and girls. We are grateful for the support and prayers you share with these precious children!
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School: Meet the High School Students Part 4

Hello there! I’m Maija, and I have the best job at St. Joseph’s Indian School! I work primarily with the Lakota (Sioux) students in high school and junior high. I

Maija works with St. Joseph's high school students — Maija

get to plan fun activities with the kids, train new houseparents, call applicants and more.

I had the pleasure of putting together a series of five blog posts that you’ll see over the next few weeks – one post from each of our high school homes! We got started with the Hogebach Home, followed by the Crane Home and the Giles Home last week.

St. Joseph’s high school students live on campus, but attend Chamberlain High School, so their schedule is a little different than our younger students.

I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into our world; the activities the kids are involved with, their hopes, and goals.

SHEEHY HOME

The Sheehy Home boys describe themselves as a family, period. They enjoy residing in their spacious home, especially when they have to be indoors due to the cold weather. They spend some of their free time watching WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and, as a side note, they say Randy Orton is the best! They also like playing video games when they’re not at St. Joseph’s rec center playing basketball.

St. Joseph’s high school students work hard to keep the academic trophies in their home – one for highest GPA and one for fewest missing assignments. — The boys in the Sheehy Home have earned bragging rights as the owners of St. Joseph’s High School Academic Trophies!

They are proud to be an active bunch of young men – just about all of them are involved with one of the Chamberlain High sports teams. This is not just a house full of “jocks” though. Sheehy Home has several boys who earned a spot on the Honor Roll and are still working hard keeping up with their grades.

This is a close-knit group. These guys have been together for many years, all working toward being positive leaders. No one has dropped from the high school program as they encourage each other to work hard, do well, and graduate.

Their hopes for the remainder of the school year are to have fun, get good grades, earn the academic trophy back and keep it!

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s and these awesome kids!

Have a great week,

Maija & the Sheehy boys

Helping the Lakota children heal with laughter and tears

On Monday at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we held our annual Healing Camp, Opiciye Okizi – A Good Place to Heal – for

Claire is a St. Joseph's houseparent — Claire

students who have lost a relative or someone close to them. Camp started in 2003 when a student lost her mom to cancer—she wanted her siblings and other students to have a place grieve, heal and grow.

Each year, students pair up with a volunteer staff “buddy” to spend a day healing with prayer, Lakota ceremony and art. This has been a powerful tool for building a supportive community where students can safely express their feelings. Some students ask to participate again, year after year.

This year was very special because our community included students’ family members. The camp was extended from one day to two – on-campus accommodations were used for families coming from far away. Building strong family connections is an important goal at St. Joseph’s, and having family join with students and staff was a wonderful blessing.

One of St. Joseph’s strengths is that we can draw on Lakota (Sioux) traditions as well as our Catholic faith to make sense out of life’s journey. In camp, we talked about the assurances of eternal life that our Christian faith teaches us. We used the Lakota ceremony Wiping of the Tears to signal of the end of mourning, and the support of others in moving forward. We said the Our Father. The Chalk Hill Singers Drum Group prayed to the four directions. We asked the Great Spirit for strength and guidance. Family members boosted little ones up onto their shoulders so that they could place prayer ties in a cedar tree.

Volunteers were present for students whose families couldn’t attend. I was paired up with a young man whom I recognized from being a substitute teacher in the school. We did not know each other well, and it was a bit awkward at first. He was very gracious, as only a 10 year old can be, in allowing me to help him.

Maybe my favorite part was releasing prayers into the river. It was like a message in a bottle for the ecological-minded. Instead of messages to loved ones going into a plastic bottle, they were written on water-soluble paper.

My buddy let me help him with this one. He liked coloring the paper in his mom’s favorite color, but didn’t know what to put on it. Finally, he dictated a message, which he let me write.

He misses her.

He is doing ok.

He has stuff going on inside that is kinda big.

We climbed down to the river’s edge, which was cool for the kids since they are NOT allowed to do that Without An Adult Present. The Missouri was ice free and calm—a bit of a miracle for this time of year.

It was clear enough to see the stones under the shallows. He gently floated his message out onto the water. It dissolved, word by word and we watched until there was just one piece – “Mom” in big letters, floating in the center. Then that drifted away too.

My buddy’s favorite exercise was The Laughter. As soon as April said we were going to do a laughter game, he turned to me excitedly and said, “I know this one! It is the best!!”

All of us participants got in a line, about 22 of us in all, and counted off. We had to laugh as many times as our place in line dictated. We were in the middle, so we had to laugh about 14 times. It helped that my buddy poked me in the ribs a few times. And someone tooted. That was really funny.

So many times we forget the healing power of laughter, but it is so essential to grieving. Sometimes you just need to take a break and laugh!!

There are so many different ways to grieve, and no one way fits every one. One of the prevailing themes of Healing Camp was acceptance. Wherever you are in your healing process is okay. Do you feel like crying? That’s fine. Go ahead. Are you having a good day today and want to smile? That’s fine too. Do you have questions? Ask. Do you need a hug? We’re right here for you.

With so many students experiencing so much loss, it is such a gift to be able to offer this healing time to them and their families. Thank you for keeping our students in your prayers, and thank you for your generous support, which makes activities like these possible.

Peace– Claire

Join the Lakota children, learn to make wasna!

St. Joseph’s first grade class has been studying the tatanka – bison/buffalo in Native American Studies class. The students took this an opportunity to give,

LaRayne is St. Joseph's Native American Studies teacher. — LaRayne, St. Joseph’s Native American Studies teacher

share and educate others in our school community about what they learned.

After understanding that the tatanka can be referred to as a bison or a buffalo, the learning began and, hopefully, will never end. Our objectives for this unit of curriculum are understanding the history of the animal, how their many body parts are used as well as the spiritual connection of the buffalo to our Lakota (Sioux) culture.

We read stories, manipulated bones, and inspected pieces of the hide, meat and pictures to understand this animal better. The books Grandfather Buffalo and Buffalo Woman are two stories that are fun and exciting for the students.

The Lakota children can see a life-sized buffalo in one of the museum’s displays! — Sasha and Chante have a chance to see how big this mounted buffalo actually is.

We created our own buffalo by tearing small pieces of brown paper to look like the hair of the tatanka, and gluing the pieces on the shape of a buffalo. We discuss where the bones come from in the buffalo skeleton as well as what they were used for. It is fun to see the look on the students’ faces when they find out that the tail was used for ceremonial purposes as well as a fly swatter, or that hip bones were used for paintbrushes!

At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we are also blessed to be able to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, where we can see a life-sized buffalo mounted in a display.

To finish the learning unit, we made wasna, also called pemmican, to taste and share with some lucky teachers. This year was the first year in my 12 years of teaching that ALL of the kids loved the taste of the mixture – they kept asking for more!

Wasna/Pemmican

You will need:

1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or other dried fruit (blueberries, chokecherries, etc.)
1 cup ( 8 oz) jerky or dried meat
Rock/mortar pestle or a modern day blender used to pound and combine ingredients

Place jerky into a blender and blend until shredded. Add dried fruit and blend again. Eat a small portion (1/8 of a cup) to get you through the day as a snack or as a spirit food.*

To make your own jerky:

Marinate thinly sliced raw meat for at least ½ to a full day before cooking or drying. Marinade can be any combination of oil and your favorite spices – salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, etc. You must have enough to coat all the meat. Allow the marinade mixture to set into the meat for 6-8 hours.

Bake in the oven on a low setting (250 degrees) for at least 2 hours until it is no longer moist and takes on a dry texture. Time will depend on size of meat pieces.

Our Lakota (Sioux) people ate this as a meal when they traveled. It kept you energized and feeling full for most of the day during the “tipi days.”

*spirit food is offered or eaten during some ceremonies or as an offering to the spirits on a “spirit plate.”

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is open to the public and is also a great learning tool for the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s Indian School! — LaRayne takes her Native American Studies classes to the Akta Lakota Museum for lessons.

Opiciye Okizi – A Good Place to Heal – for the Lakota children

We greet you from the banks of the Missouri River as the last few days of winter slip away in

South Dakota. It’s not going out quietly… we had some snow on Saturday evening and are facing a winter storm today!

Last week was fairly quiet at St. Joseph’s Indian School while our Lakota (Sioux) students in grades 1-8 were on spring break. They returned Sunday and this week kicks off the fourth quarter of the academic year! Wednesday we will have a prayer service honoring our patron, St. Joseph, and asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the students and teachers for the final quarter of the school year.

Monday, eight students took part in an Opiciye Okizi – A Good Place to Heal. This special program is a “healing camp” for students who have recently lost someone close to them. Each child was joined by a family member for the day.

During the camp, St. Joseph’s staff members facilitate activities designed to start conversations and help the children reflect on life and death and talk about how we can honor and pray for those whom the Great Spirit has called home. It gives the students a chance to ask questions, especially if they have had a hard time dealing with the loss. The day ended with a traditional ceremony called the ‘wiping of tears.’

We hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. Pilamaya – thank you – for making these programs possible for the

St. Joseph’s healing camp helps children work through the loss of people close to them. — Healing camp helps the Lakota children who have experienced the death a loved one cope with the loss in healthy ways.

children and families who need them. May God’s blessings continue to be with you to reward you for your generosity!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School: Meet the High School Students Part 3

Hello there! I’m Maija, and I have the best job at St. Joseph’s Indian School! I work primarily with the Lakota (Sioux) students in high school and junior high. I

get to plan fun activities with the kids, train new houseparents, call applicants and more.

St. Joseph’s high school students live on campus, but attend Chamberlain High School, so their schedule is a little different than our younger students.

I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into our world; the activities the kids are involved with, their hopes, and goals.

GILES HOME

The Giles home boys came up with some very creative descriptives for their home:

Spontaneous
Fantastic
Brilliant
Miraculous
Fun
Fabulous

The boys never give up on each other, get along well, and don’t hold grudges…for the most part.

The Giles Home’s overall GPA has improved and the boys are worked hard to end the second semester strong. In addition to improving their grades, several of the guys have applications in to local businesses and hope to have part-time jobs and steady income soon.

These young men have some impressive goals for the remainder of the school year. They all hope to pass second semester with good grades and have no F’s.

Dawson especially hopes to pass his driver’s test, get a car and help his grandma out.

Deavontay is most grateful for the houseparents’ persistence in helping them succeed. The boys all agree – their houseparents never give up on any of them and always show they care.

This was obvious while visiting the home; the camaraderie and banter between staff and students was light-hearted and entertaining.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s and these awesome kids!

Have a great week,

Maija & the Giles boys

The Lakota boys in the Giles Home went to Minnesota on their home trip. — The Giles Home boys and their houseparents during their home trip to Minnesota.

Congratulations are in order – St. Joseph’s Lakota girls meet their goal!

Good day from the staff and Lakota (Sioux) girls in the William Home (4^th and 5^th grade girls)!

Mike works with the Lakota girls in 4th and 5th grades — Mike, a St. Joseph’s houseparent

The year has gone by quickly; it is hard to believe, but we will be starting the final quarter next week when school resumes after spring break.

We have finished up our walking program for the year. Each morning, we got up early to go to the rec center and walk laps. As a home, staff and students walked a total of 21,460 laps this year. That is equal to 1,070 miles!

Now, hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can get outdoors and play in our free time. We have our home trip coming up soon and everyone is excited. A fun weekend away from campus towards the end of the year is always a great time to reflect on our school year and the relationships we have built. We are planning on going to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and visit the Butterfly House, the Washington Pavillion to take in some science exhibits and then the Sky Zone for some trampoline time.

Right now, I am working in the spring break home. Some of St. Joseph’s students stay on campus during breaks for a variety of reasons. There is always a place for them here. It is a relaxed time and the kids enjoy recreational and leisure activities.

The girls in St. Joseph’s William Home walked over 1,000 miles to meet their fitness goal! — The Lakota (Sioux) girls in the William Home got up early every morning to walk at the rec center and meet their goal.

Staff members can apply to work one of the shifts in the break home, or just take the time off – it is not mandatory for any staff to work in break homes. Many students in the spring break home are younger and I also have a couple girls from the William Home. It is nice to get to know younger students and spend some extra time with the kids I already know.

We hope you have all survived the winter months! I hate to say it, but I’m done with my shift today and headed out to hit some golf balls – our snow is gone and we’re supposed to get up to 60 degrees!

Blessings to all,

Mike and the William Home girls

Spring Break at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Things are kind of quiet right now as our elementary school students (grades 1-8) are on spring break. St. Joseph’s high school students attend Chamberlain

Fr. Anthony and the Lakota children. — Fr. Anthony spends time with St. Joseph’s students.

High School, and they are still in session.

When classes let out on Friday and spring break officially kicked off, I rode along to the Pine Ridge area in southwestern South Dakota to take some of the Lakota students home. We try to send two staff members in each van or mini bus, and it was very helpful to have an extra staff person this time! One of the student’s relatives was late getting to the pick-up spot in Martin, South Dakota. I was able to wait with her while the others continued on to Pine Ridge. As we drove back through the Rosebud Indian Reservation, it was nice to see some of the towns our students come from.

Three of our high school girls recently made a trip to the University of Minnesota in Morris (UM-M). Ashley is already accepted to the college and will take pre-veterinary classes; Amber and Michelle went along to support Ashley and check out the campus. The nice thing about UM-M is that, once a Native American student is accepted, tuition is paid in full. Of course, some expenses still remain, like books, room and board and incidentals, but tuition is a huge help.

Pam, who chaperoned the trip, works with the juniors and seniors to help them find college programs they might consider entering. She makes several of these trips with our students at this time of year.

We are disappointed to report the Chamberlain Cubs’ basketball season is over.

The Lady Cubs went up against the team from Winner last week … the team lived up to their town’s name and defeated the Lady Cubs to knock them out of further contention.

On Monday night, the boys took on Cheyenne-Eagle Butte to see who would be punching their ticket to the Boys’ State Basketball Championship. Chamberlain held its own until the third quarter and then ran into trouble with turnovers, fouls and poor shooting. The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves were able to win the game at the free throw line and will move on to Sioux Falls for the State A tournament.

Though we’ll be losing some good senior players, we are excited about next year. Those lost will be replaced by Junior Varsity players, and the Cubs’ JV squad has not lost a game in two years!

On Monday, I attended the Board Meeting at Cheyenne River Indian Outreach (CRIO) in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. St. Joseph’s and CRIO are both operated by the Priests of the Sacred Heart and work together in a variety of ways. CRIO operates a shelter on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation for those suffering from domestic violence (the only one of its kind for 100 miles in any direction), a thrift store and a residence for at-risk youth ages 10-17.

Just a few days ago, St. Joseph’s received a call for help from CRIO – their thrift store shelves were nearly bare. They would soon be unable to help meet the needs of the community in terms of clothing and household items.

Thanks to you, St. Joseph’s was able to send a load of clothing and other needed items to help re-stock the shelves.

Your faithful support makes a real difference to so many people in need. Pilamaya – thank you!

May God continue to bless and help you have a reflective and beneficial Lent. You are remembered in our prayers.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School: Meet the High School Students Part 2

Hello there! I’m Maija, and I have the best job at St. Joseph’s Indian School! I work primarily with the Lakota (Sioux) students in high school and junior high. I get to plan

fun activities with the kids, train new houseparents, call applicants and more.

I had the pleasure of putting together a series of five blog posts that you’ll see over the next few weeks – one post from each of our high school homes! We got started last week with the Hogebach Home.

St. Joseph’s high school students live on campus, but attend Chamberlain High School, so their schedule is a little different than our younger students.

I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into our world; the activities the kids are involved with, their hopes, and goals.

CRANE HOME:

The girls in Crane Home describe themselves as close friends who are like one big family of cooperative, energetic, funny, and AMAZING girls! They love doing things together, like hanging out, watching movies, and going on home trips. They feel blessed to be big and little sisters who will always stand up for each other.

New houseparents Bob and Angie, who joined our staff after many years in residential care elsewhere, say they have never seen a houseful of teenage girls get along so

The Lakota girls in the Crane Home love spending time together! — For their Valentine’s Dinner, the girls toasted their favorite beverage – pomegranate juice with diet Sprite!

well.

Ashley, a freshman, is proud of how well she is adjusting at Chamberlain High School. All the girls shared that they are making new friends, becoming more outgoing, are comfortable and able to be themselves at school.

The girls are celebrating having the least amount of missing assignments of the school year. Their goal is to earn the trophy again. The quarter ended March 7, so we’ll know soon if they were successful!

In St. Joseph’s High School program, there are two traveling trophies that circulate through the high school homes:

Highest average home GPA
Fewest missing assignments per home

These trophies are awarded at mid-term and at the end of every quarter, so the homes have eight chances each year to steal it away from the previous winners.

Some recent excitement for these young ladies was when the one-act play, “Afghan Women,” earned a superior rating at the South Dakota State One-Act Competition. Erica has been involved with the drama team at Chamberlain for three years now! She admits the practices are sometimes long and hard, but the performances are outstanding and worth the effort. She likes that the Crane Home has good drama, not bad drama.

Katie is happy to be chosen to attend the donor luncheon in Los Angeles and is very excited about being a participant in the upcoming student exchange in Handrup, Germany this summer. She would like to learn some basic German prior to leaving.

Nine Native American girls live in the Crane home at St. Joseph’s Indian School. — Leahanna, Katie, Danielle, Ashley, Kezrai, Erica, Martina and Lilly make up the Crane Home at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Each girl in the Crane Home has progressed academically and works hard at keeping up with their studies. The girls’ hope for the remainder of the school year is to stay as close as they are right now.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s and these awesome kids!

Have a great week,

Maija & the Crane girls