School is not over yet…especially not without the end-of-the-year fun days at St. Joseph’s Indian School! Earlier this week, our sixth, seventh and eighth graders enjoyed a day away from textbooks and got to spend a day of fun with their
Older students enjoyed bowling in downtown Chamberlain.
classmates and teachers.
The Lakota students started the day off with Monte Carlo bowling at the Chamberlain Bowling Dome. We had lots of laughs and witnessed some amazing bowling talent. One student hit a split that a professional bowler would not be able to knock down! That accomplishment won her a $15 cash prize.
We gave 40 prizes away to students that hit a strike with a colored pin showing. The music and pizza made the morning even more memorable! The afternoon consisted of a movie at the State Theatre downtown. We watched “Crooked Arrows.” Students cheered for this feel-good sports thriller about Native Americans playing lacrosse and learning about loyalty to their tribal heritage.
Younger students played team games in the gym.
St. Joseph’s younger students enjoyed the morning with some bingo, team challenges, and inflatables. The inflatables will not be forgotten! The kids had a blast with Extreme Basketball, Jurassic Bouncer, Giant slide, and Jumbo Course inflatable. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
Students got quite a workout and were ready for lunch. We ended the afternoon with a trip to the State Theatre to see the movie, “Rise of the Guardians.” Students were excited about the movie; popcorn and a soda only added to the excitement.
The Lakota children got quite a workout playing on the inflatables!
The day was a great success and students finished their year out at St. Joseph’s with something to remember until we see them back when the new school year begins!
We’re hitting a much needed rainy spell in South Dakota. We’ve been in a drought, and the rains softly falling on the fields are a sign of hope. While we are extremely grateful, it has put a damper on some of our scheduled activities here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Last night, our student vs. faculty softball game was rained out. With an already crowded end of the year schedule, there are no free times left for a makeup date. We also had Field Day activities planned, though many of them were able to be moved indoors.
All St. Joseph’s students gathered in the Rec Center after school on Monday for the announcement of the spring sports awards. Trophies and medals were passed out for bowling, archery, track, softball and t-ball.
Thanks to the coaches and umpires who give so generously of their time! The way some of those kids clutched their trophies I could tell it meant a lot.
In school, we had “Step Up” day. Our Native American students spent time in the classroom they will be in next year and spent some time getting to their teacher and vice versa. Teachers reviewed some of the new materials or subjects the kids will tackle, and talking about rules and expectations.
Currently, we have one second grade class, which will be split into two as they reach third grade. The fourth graders who are moving to fifth physically move from the middle floor of the building to the top floor.
I asked them if that was going to be a big adjustment. Since they go to the top floor for library, they didn’t think it would be a big deal.
“The biggest difference,” their teacher Brock explained, “is that there are no longer bathrooms attached to the classrooms – you have to ask for a hall pass!”
I walked past the computer lab and peeked in on what the students were doing. Seventh grader Jay was playing a racing car game. When I was about to tease him and ask how that was educational, I looked closer and saw that it was actually a lesson from Nitro typing! The faster and more accurately he typed the words on the screen, the more power and speed his car had around the racetrack. There’s lots of ingenuity in the latest generation of learning games!
Sunday, five of our St. Joseph’s students and 65 of their Chamberlain High School classmates celebrated graduation as the Class of 2013. It seemed the whole community was packed into the armory.
Five St. Joseph’s students graduated with the Chamberlain High School Class of 2013.
The school choir and band performed some nice selections. The main event, however, was simply these youth proudly walking up the aisle accompanied by flashing cameras and rolling camcorders to mark this transitional time in their lives. We pray and hope for a wonderful future where their gifts and abilities can help meet the world’s needs.
We had some controversy with this year’s graduation. Chris, one of our St. Joseph’s seniors presented a petition to the school board to add a Lakota Honor song to the graduation ceremony to add a cultural element and to honor all the graduates.
Disappointingly, the school board turned it down. Community members from town and the nearby reservations held signs of protest across the street, gathered around a drum to respectfully played an Honor Song as their tribute to graduates filing out of the auditorium.
Afterwards, I attended some of the many receptions held all over town. Besides our St. Joseph’s students, several staff had children graduating, and I wanted to offer special congratulations to them.
Coleman’s parents have been houseparents on campus for many years. While Coleman didn’t attend St. Joseph’s Indian School, I watched him grow up with our kids in the Pinger Home. It truly felt like one of our own had reached this milestone.
I also knew some area graduates from the parishes I used to pastor. Kids I knew as first graders have now received diplomas and are preparing to go off and make their mark on the world.
When one has worked in residential care for a considerable amount of time, there comes an opportunity to see and hear about the growth of a child who was once in your care.
I’m Maija and I was recently blessed to experience such an opportunity here at St. Joseph’s Indian School when former student, Leighton, visited. He spoke with St. Joseph’s high school students during the Sons & Daughters of Tradition group.
Back in the 1990’s, I was a houseparent with Andy in the Speyer Home. Our home was filled with the energy and enthusiasm of twelve seventh and eighth grade Lakota (Sioux) boys! They filled our lives with joy, challenges, and sometimes angst! Leighton was one of those boys.
Leighton spoke to St. Joseph’s current students about his time here; how he learned about discipline, making good decisions, and being cared for by good people. He shared some stories of his enlistment in the Army – exactly thirteen days before the tragedy of 9/11.
He told them about being in Iraq and serving as a guard at the funeral for Saddam Hussein’s son. He recalled the time an explosive device meant for his convoy was run over by a bus instead… a bus that had cut in front of them just minutes before. He spoke of how we take so much for granted in the United States. Things like running water, electricity, freedom. He spoke with the students about the importance of staying in school, getting a good education, and serving their country.
The students had many questions for Leighton. They asked what sports he played while he was at St. Joseph’s, what his favorite memory was. They asked about the war and his job while he was in the Army, and about where he lives and his family.
When we wrapped up things for the evening, I couldn’t help but feel like a proud parent. It took courage for Leighton to open himself up to a group of high school students who are just waiting for the school year to end. It was apparent they felt a connection with him and appreciated his openness, sincerity, and honesty.
Leighton has had many ups and downs since the time he attended St. Joseph’s. He lost a sibling in a car accident, served his country, struggled with the after-effects of witnessing some horrific events during wartime and is the proud father of two small children.
He is finding himself and looking for an opportunity to do meaningful work and give back. Whatever he does, whatever direction he goes, he will always know he has the support of his family here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
St. Joseph’s fourth graders took their class trip to Pierre, South Dakota. Each year, Pierre puts on a South Dakota History Adventure with a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council. In the past, we have gone to the Casey Tibbs Museum and the Buffalo Interpretive Center operated by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. This year, the trip’s focus was on water.
After leaving St. Joseph’s Indian School and making the 85 mile trip to Pierre, we began our day on the river. We were the first boat ride on the Missouri for the day! It was a bit chilly, but fun. Our guide talked about tributaries, the change of the river since the 2011 flood, and pointed out different landscapes along the way. In years past, we have had it rain (and even spit snow) so sunshine was good, despite the chill. For a few of the Lakota boys and girls, it was their first boat ride, which always makes the day more special!
The day began with a boat ride. For some, it was their first!
From the boat, we did outdoor activities. Our class was split into two groups. My group got to look in water pulled from the river for bugs! The students used spoons and a tiny syringe. They found worms, a snail, and many other bugs on her list. They concluded that the water they pulled the samples from was not healthy water because the bugs that live there are the ones that can live in unhealthy water. The other group hiked along looking for things in nature that depend on water. They got to use magnifying glasses and then wrote about what they saw.
Our third activity was the Planetarium at the Pierre Discovery Center. Afterwards, it was Pizza Ranch pizza in the park. Again, sitting in the sunshine was a real treat!
After lunch, our last event of the day was the Cultural Heritage Museum. After an activity about landscapes, we had free time to look around the museum. Students could milk a cow, ride a train, listen on an old operator station, or view the many displays. It was hard to round them up to leave!
Students hiked along the Missouri River, using magnifying glasses to spy bugs that rely on water.
Most slept all the way home. It was a great day, with lots of activities and fun!
Thirteen Native American graduates were honored in a feathering ceremony at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Friday
Chamberlain High School used St. Joseph’s Rec Center for a feathering ceremony honoring 13 Native American students enrolled in area tribes who will graduate this weekend. Five were our own St. Joseph’s students. Wayne Two Hawks, a Crow Creek elder, gave some instructions to the graduates about what an honor it is to receive an eagle feather, and now it was up to them to wear it proudly by choosing a good path through life.
After a ceremonial blessing song, everyone in attendance filed past our young graduates and shook their hands or gave hugs to wish them well. St. Joseph’s drum group, the Chalk Hills Singers, sang an honor song as well. The students presented Allan, the principle, with a lovely Lakota star quilt to thank him for the support he’s been during their years at the high school.
Our five high school homes have emptied out, and all the students are gone for summer vacation. For most, it will be a short one, as many of our students will return after Memorial Day for driver’s ed, summer camps, or independent living where they stay on campus and take care of their own cooking and meals and work a job to put away some savings for the future. Saturday
The Cyr Home (4th-5th grade boys) invited me to tag along with them on their last outing of the year. We loaded up one of our white St. Joseph’s mini buses in the morning and headed east to Mitchell, South Dakota. Instead of a video to pass the time, houseparent Odis pulled out his I-Pad, which had some games loaded on it. Six of us passed it around and played the computerized version of Risk, a game I would often play with my brothers and cousin into the wee hours of the morning, trying to conquer the world. It was fun to relive those times and not have to worry about wooden pieces falling off the board in a moving vehicle.
We ate at a Chinese buffet. Paula, one of the houseparents, encouraged the boys to try some new things. She recommended just taking small amounts, and if they liked it, go back for more. Two students were brave and followed Odis’ lead by slurping down an oyster, but the faces they made while
Boys in the Cyr Home enjoyed trying new things at the Chinese buffet.
swallowing them showed they were not interested in seconds at all. They boys had fun trying to get their fingers to work the chopsticks. I’ve never seen anyone eat orange jello or ice cream with chopsticks before!
We watched the new Star Trek movie (I’ve long been a fan of all the Enterprise and crew), then enjoyed a nice afternoon at the park. Mitchell has a Frisbee golf course, which I’d never tried, but we had lots of fun. The first couple of holes took forever, but then we decided to play best ball rules – everyone getting a chance from wherever the best throw landed. That moved things along better. No one worried about keeping score and everyone had some best throws.
When I come out of morning mass in the winter and walk past Wisdom Circle, the playground is empty. With the warmer weather, however, it has been filled with the laughter of the Lakota children squeezing in some play time before the school day starts.
Spring has finally arrived on the South Dakota Prairie! The flowers and bushes on campus are filled with fragrant and colorful blossoms. We seemingly went from winter to summer, skipping spring altogether, though we know our temperature swings will still be wild for some time to come.
Our Native American students from fifth through eighth grades have a chance to learn to play musical instruments. Yesterday, we gathered in Our Lady of the Sioux chapel to hear the fruits of their practice as they held a recital. Their skills are still pretty basic, but I admired their courage to get in front of their peers and risk hitting the wrong chord or note. We heard six piano solos, four guitars, two flutes, and clarinet and a drum. Some of the songs were very short. I was disappointed one of my old folk favorites, Oh Suzanna, finished before the rousing chorus. But you’ve got to love the kids for trying! Caden and Richie worked hard on their guitar pieces for the music recital.
After that, we held a farewell gathering in the Rec Center for St. Joseph’s Child Services staff who are retiring or moving on to new things. Huge cardboard greeting cards were laid out for everyone to sign, while looking over pictures and remembering. After everyone grabbed some refreshments, each of those staff were called forward, given a gift, and the opportunity to say a few words.
Steve started as a houseparent, but since I’ve been at St. Joseph’s Indian School, has been the lead tutor at our High School Learning Center. With a concerted effort from students and staff, the collective grade point average of St. Joseph’s high school students has gone up almost a full point over the last four years!
Gary and Marty guided high school girls for the past two years, and Anita has mentored our young men for the past four.
Frank and Wanda have been houseparents for 26 years!!! They are retiring to spend more time with their own children and grandchildren. Over the years they’ve parented so many St. Joseph’s kids who consider them family. They were each wrapped in a Lakota star quilt as a sign of honor and appreciation. Many tears and tons of hugs followed. We pray for all those moving on to new adventures.
St. Joseph’s high school students finish classes at the end of this week. Elijah, one of our seniors, had high enough grades to be exempted from his finals and is completely done. This evening, our houseparents organized a back yard end-of-the-year cook out. Hot dogs and hamburgers taste mighty good when shared in the beautiful outdoors with good friends, conversation, and a few games thrown in to boot.
With the help of the local ministerial association, Chamberlain High
School organized their Baccalaureate Ceremony this evening. We hosted the service in our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Area pastors offered some words of prayer, but all of the readings and music were organized by the students. The evening was uplifting as we prayed for God’s help for all the youth of our community who are transitioning on to the next stages of their education and careers.
Hello again from the William Home’s fourth and fifth grade Lakota girls!
It has been an exciting time recently as we have been packing, cleaning, and preparing for our move back in to the newly renovated William Home. We are in and the girls are so excited!
It is bittersweet for the fifth graders, since they will only get to be in for a short time before summer break begins. Next year, they will move to the older community of sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students on St. Joseph’s campus.
We recently took our annual home trip to Rapid City, South Dakota and visited and indoor water park. These girls can go up and down those stairs on the slides for hours! Oh, the joy of youth…
As we wind down the year at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we would like to thank all of our benefactors who make the work we do with Native American children possible. God bless and have a great summer.
The girls in the newly renovated William Home do their homework at the kitchen counter.
I always grow concerned when I hear the wail of an ambulance siren. One day last week, it cried loudly outside St. Joseph’s Indian School. But no cause for alarm – the ambulance was on campus to present to our students for Native American Career Day.
Paramedics showed our Lakota students the equipment they use to save lives, and talked about what the job as a first responder entails.
St. Joseph’s first graders wait to see the inside of the ambulance.
Another group from Catholic Social Services runs the Lakota Circles of Hope program. They work to prevent elementary students from abusing drugs and alcohol. From the medical field, St. Joseph’s students heard from a physical therapist and a woman overseeing medical records for Indian Health Services. The state Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes talked to the students about showing the values of sportsmanship and care while pursuing the games we all love.
The presentation which fascinated me the most, was hearing from an alumnae who went into law enforcement. I knew Fancy when she was a tiny baby and I worked in Red Scaffold, South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Now, she stands 6’2” and with her police vest and equipment on, she is an imposing figure!
But, she has learned good people skills. While she can be strong and tough when needed, she shared with the students that she gets more done not by the use of force, but by kindness and checking in with people. She asks about what is going on, and builds relationships in the communities she works in. She listens to the hurts and suffering.
I asked Fancy how she deals with the ugly side of life, where she sees things no one wants to see. She said, “I pray. I pray for the people who are hurting. I pray I can take care of my kids. I pray for strength and compassion. And St. Joseph’s helped teach me the importance of that.”
The Lakota children check out the stretcher inside the ambulance.
During mass last Sunday, we had a whole host of events. For Mother’s Day, we invited all St. Joseph’s moms and house-moms up to the front of Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, where they were serenaded by our children’s choir and given a carnation in appreciation of everything they do.
We prayed for all of our eighth grade and high school graduates. The seniors will walk up the aisle Sunday, May 19 and our eighth grade class a few days later on Friday, May 24.
Artist Del Iron Cloud was welcomed as our distinguished alumnus for the year. He attended St. Joseph’s Indian School in the late 50’s and thanked Brother Bonaventure for helping nurture his love for beauty. Since retiring from the United States Air Force, Del has dedicated himself to painting, and we carry many of his works in the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. In a touching gesture, he painted beautiful watercolor feathers, each unique and original, and presented them to each graduate as his way of honoring them.
Iron Cloud painted beautiful watercolor feathers and presented them to each graduate as his way of honoring them.
After church, we held a reception for our five seniors in the dining hall. For each Lakota senior, the time they had spent on campus ranged between 5 and 10 years – so many memories to share! During dinner, a slide show of each looked back over their years at St. Joseph’s.
Instead of giving a speech, each made a short video to share about the activities they were involved in, future plans and, of course, advice to leave behind for those up and coming high school students. The video brought lots of laughter and recognition. Then, their teachers and houseparents came to the microphone and spoke from their hearts about the struggles, growth and accomplishments we’ve seen in these young people over that time.
There were a few tears shed as we think about parting. But, that’s what they’re meant to do – learn enough to start venturing off on their own, with our support and care in tow, to pursue their dreams. Four plan on college, and one the Armed Services.
In the afternoon, the scene shifted to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center for our ribbon cutting and open house celebrating the completion of our new addition. Mark Shields, who worked on our maintenance staff for over 40 years, did the honors after we blessed the facility and offered words of thanks to all who helped make it possible. I enjoyed visiting with the alumni, townsfolk, students and donors who filtered in throughout the day.
