Students participate in Healing Camp

St. Joseph’s counseling staff set up our annual Healing Camp for 16 Lakota students who have lost a loved one through death this past year. Four of the children were grieving the death of a parent, and several more the death of brothers and sisters.

Craft projects help make the day enjoyable and relaxing for the Lakota children.
Healing Camp included fun icebreaker activities, craft projects, prayer and sharing.

One of the sad tragedies of life on Indian Reservations is how often, due to accidents or illness, people die so young.

I was scheduled to lead a few of the prayers, but when a couple of staff who planned to help couldn’t show up, I was paired up with a third grader for the day. Babies that Jhett would have known as a sister and niece died at birth within a couple of months of each other.

Some of the day’s activities were fun icebreakers. Other rituals were designed to let the child say what they wanted about death, and ask questions. The two hands-on ceremonies that drew the most emotion were writing a letter to their deceased loved ones and burning it, offering prayers up to heaven, and making a red prayer tie with their name on it and tying it to a tree in remembrance.

We also had a couple of art and craft projects. I’m not so creative at those, but I let the student take the lead. Asking questions about what he was drawing was a way to open up the conversation about his experience of loss. We had some time in the gym after lunch to shoot baskets and play volleyball to burn off some energy. Our Native American drum group joined us at the end of the day for a prayer song and handshakes of support all around.

Red prayer ties were put in a tree on campus to symbolize remembrance of the loved ones the Lakota children have lost.
The Lakota students created prayer ties to remember their loved ones.

St. Joseph’s Graduates – giving back

St. Joseph’s graduates can apply for scholarships to help them further their education.
Shay graduated from St. Joseph’s High School Program in 2011.

We have been looking toward the future of the high school program, both short and long term, and thinking about what our Lakota students need to succeed. Of course, we have a lot of thoughts, ideas, and opinions on that, but we decided to go to the source: our graduates.

We were fortunate enough to round up three former students; Roz graduated in 2008, Stefen in 2009 and Shay in 2011. We met over dinner to catch up, and they had a lot to share with us!

Much praise was given to Pam, our Transition Specialist. She works with St. Joseph’s high school students on independent living skills and life after high school. All the kids agreed that, thanks to their work with Pam, they knew what to wear to an interview and how to fill out a job application, among many other things. They also suggested that we spend more time doing mock interviews with the kids to give them more experience in that area.

St. Joseph’s High School Program helps 50 Native American students each year.
Stefen graduated from St. Joseph’s High School Program in 2009.

Each of the graduates also agreed they were very glad that skills like how to answer the phone and “no technology” meal times were enforced. Roz said that in every job she’s had, her supervisors have complimented her phone skills. Stefen concurred.

After noting another table in the restaurant where several teenagers had their phones out and weren’t participating in their table conversation, Stefen said he liked that his houseparents didn’t allow any phones at the dinner table, “because that was our time together as a family.”

The graduates also talked about how some things just have to be learned the hard way.

They’ve all had their challenges since graduating St. Joseph’s, but each of them have plans for their future and are moving forward. They also agreed they are glad they attended St. Joseph’s Indian School.

St. Joseph’s graduates often return to share their experiences with the Lakota children.
Roz graduated from St. Joseph’s High School Program in 2008.

Roz said, “If I could tell the current students just one thing it would be this, in capital letters: BE GRATEFUL.”

She went on to say that life is hard. Sometimes when you’re surrounded by so many opportunities, and all of your basic needs – food, shelter, and clothing – are taken care of, it can be easy to start to expect those things. However, once you leave St. Joseph’s, you’re quickly reminded that those good things in life are not a given.

Roz has accepted our invitation to come and talk with our current high school students. We are thankful that she is willing to share her wisdom with the kids and believe it will make a positive impact on them.

Do you remember leaving “home” and discovering that things were different than you thought they would be?

Music & Sweet Snacks

Have you ever seen those colorful commercials begging you to order a Kids Bop CD? You know, the ones with a bunch of kids singing, jumping, and dancing? Well, that pretty much sums up what the Lakota girls in the Afra Home consider an ideal day. They love music!  They love singing, dancing, playing instruments, and making their own choreography; they could literally do it for hours.

Imagine having 10 little girls (grades 1-3) who all want to take a turn at “playing” one keyboard. Sure, I have a massive headache by the time it’s all over, but it makes me happy to see them happy, so that’s what we do.

All the kids at St. Joseph’s have to tidy up their rooms every morning as well as take care of their chores and responsibilities. As an incentive, the order in which the girls finish determines the order in which we pick songs to dance to later in the day.

Here is a homemade music video of one of their recent and awesome picks:

The differences between what motivates our girls versus what motivates our boys are really interesting. Among other things, the boys LOVE food. I really enjoy cooking for them. Here at St. Joseph’s we never withhold food as a punishment or give them food as a reward. Obviously, food should be something all children should have no matter what. However, sometimes I will cook things that take extra work in the kitchen if the boys have had a good day.

On Sundays after church, if the boys were good, I won’t make a “boring” lunch. I make brunch, which includes homemade chocolate chip pancakes and a special peanut butter sauce to go with them rather than syrup. I love seeing Jachin and the boys sitting at the table waiting in anticipation. They get so smiley and excited. I can’t explain it but my heart does a little dance when they exclaim “Thank you for cooking Luleisa!!!”

We are also doing a health challenge, which entails eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies with every meal. The word “challenge” is an understatement. Sometimes the boys just don’t want to eat vegetables. However, if they don’t eat their fruits and veggies at supper, then they don’t get “sweet snack” in the evening.

Fridays are a very important day for the Ambrose Home boys. Everyone has only one goal in mind: I. MUST. MAKE. SWEET. SNACK.

Dinner is their mission. They take it very seriously because on Fridays we give them a can of pop and a full sized candy bar. Of course, if you don’t eat your supper, you’ll chomp on fruit as you watch everyone else guzzle down their pop.

Ladies and gentlemen, if this video doesn’t inspire you to eat your veggies, there is no hope for you! Here’s Paite vs. Food: Friday Green Bean Challenge

Learning about poetry with Linea

The older Lakota students enjoy reading to younger children on Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
My sixth grade reading students reading to a fourth grader.

Another quarter is coming to an end at St. Joseph’s Indian School; the year is going by fast!  In my reading classes, we have wrapped up the units on nonfiction and have ventured in to the world of poetry.

It is a nice change for the Lakota students because they are introduced to not only serious poetry, but also poetry that lets them enter fantasy land.  They learn about the different elements of poetry including imagery, metaphors, similes, rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and alliteration.

The forms of poetry they are introduced to are narrative poems, free verse poems, and concrete poems.  We are hoping that they will be able to relate the themes expressed in these poems to their own lives and to the world around them.

On Friday, March 1, we celebrated Dr. Seuss’s birthday.  This is always a fun day for the students, especially the younger ones.  The students are allowed to wear PJ’s to school and we set aside a time in the afternoon for the older students to get together with the younger students and read Dr. Seuss books to them.   My reading class looks forward to this especially if they have a younger sibling.

Linea – 6-8 Grade Reading Teacher

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Friday, St. Joseph’s Indian School celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by a special reading time at the end of the school day. If they wanted to, the Lakota students got to wear pajamas to school. Older students paired up with younger ones, brothers and sisters together where possible, sat on the hallway floor, and read from the vast library of Theodore Geisel’s well-known children’s books.

Fr. Steve joined the Lakota (Sioux) boys and girls to read Dr. Seuss books.
Fr. Steve’s wild pajamas got a few laughs from the Lakota children!

I drew a few laughs with the wild PJ outfit I pulled out of the closet. We talk about being a ‘fool for Christ’ and sometimes you just have to get silly and have fun with the kids. I was reading with Caden for a while, who is a sharp student, but he just wasn’t getting into the books. I tried to get him to read with more animation and fun, so each of us took turns with a page, trying to be more excited and dramatic. He has a bit of ham in him, and he finally got going with the rhyming and tongue in cheek humor that makes those books so memorable. My favorite is Green Eggs and Ham.

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Pizza & a movie for a job well done

After school today, we loaded up St. Joseph’s 24 A and B honor roll students and traveled to Pierre, South Dakota for pizza and a movie as a reward for their achievement. The younger kids played games with action figures and dolls, while the junior high students mostly slept. Funny how at that age they can sleep anytime, anywhere and in any contorted position. The first and second graders asked every few minutes, “How many more miles now?” After a while, I just deducted one mile from the last time they asked. Since I ended on 15, it meant that in the last 40 miles they asked me 25 times. Patience!

We called ahead and made a reservation at the Pizza Ranch, which serves a buffet with other kid friendly selections like chicken and mashed potatoes. The staff knew our group was coming but the other diners didn’t, and I saw the look of panic on the faces of some diners, afraid our group would be unruly and make their dining experience unpleasant. But, the Lakota boys and girls were polite and well behaved and one woman even came up as she was leaving and complimented us on their behavior. My table was with first, second and third graders. I helped them with foods they couldn’t reach, made sure they only took a little at a time and ate what they took before going back for more.

We had some extra time before the movie, and parked by the State Capital. The fresh air and walking around gave them a chance to burn off some energy after the long bus ride. We took a walk along the artesian lake and saw the bronzes dedicated to veterans, as well as the wild mustang bronze in memory of the group of state public servants – including Governor George Michelson – who were tragically killed in a plane crash several years ago.

Our legislature is in session, so the capital was open. The representatives were on supper break, so we got to see the house and senate chambers without disturbing any of the action. A third grade girl dreamed that maybe she would have a desk there one day, and I told her she will have my vote when she gets old enough to run.

The movie was a so-so cartoon, “Escape From Planet Earth” but the kids enjoyed it. I didn’t realize theaters carry booster seats, but several of our kids asked for them so they could see better. When it was all finished, we made sure everyone got in line for the bathroom before we began the journey home.

The Reality of Poverty

I wasn’t on campus for Sunday mass, but covered masses in town this past weekend at St. James parish in downtown Chamberlain. I enjoy preaching to people from all ages and walks of life. While I’ve been faithful to the duties of school administration, there are times that I miss the more spiritual focus that I had as a parish priest and directing seminarians in formation. Leading the community in prayer was a nice way to reconnect.

The Associated Press ran an article about poverty among Native American tribal members in South Dakota. With 65,000 Native Americans in the state, 48% live in poverty.

And it’s not just confined to Indian Reservations.

In Rapid City, our state’s second most populous city, 50.9 % of Lakota people live below the poverty line.

It’s a long uphill climb to combat those kinds of numbers, but we hope the education we provide the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s helps give them a solid foundation to fulfill their potential and rise above poverty.

…

I traveled 360 miles to Eagle Butte and back for the Sacred Heart Center’s Board of Directors meeting. We approved budgets and personnel plans for the coming year. One potential project with a lot of promise is a joint effort with Habitat for Humanity.

The shelter for victims of domestic violence is often filled to capacity, and families who need to make major changes in their lives aren’t usually able to do so immediately. Transitions take time, and there is great need for transitional housing where a family can be safe and rebuild their shattered lives. The Sacred Heart Center is in discussions with Habitat to help create some housing for that purpose.

Lynette, the cook, treated us to fresh, warm fry bread and corn & bean soup for a traditional lunch – delicious! In her work with youth who have been victimized by violence, she noted that it is usually easier for them to forgive the ones who hurt them than it is to forgive themselves… Violence is a difficult cycle to break, but that is at the heart of the Center’s mission.

Lanae, the new outreach coordinator for Sacred Heart Center remembered singing in the children’s guitar choir when I first served in Eagle Butte as a young seminarian. I enjoyed the reunion with her as an adult now, and the chance to catch up on where she’s been. One of her first fun projects was to have the youth in the shelter make Valentine cards for the elders. They brightened the elders’ day by making the rounds delivering the handcrafted greetings.

In town, I ran into Catherine, another youngster I remembered from parish CCD classes. She is now a Registered Nurse in charge of opening the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s new nursing home. She gave me a tour of the facility, which includes both a chapel and circular room for Lakota ceremony.

Currently, the elderly who need assisted living or nursing care must move off the reservation – at least 90 miles to Pierre or Mobridge, the nearest communities large enough to offer these services. The state of South Dakota had a moratorium on nursing homes, and the tribe had to apply for a special exemption. The building went up several years ago, but it took longer to get funding set up for ongoing operations. When it opens in April, it will provide needed jobs in the community and allow families to have much easier access to their respected elders who want to be close to home.

Today was an office day, catching up on phone calls and e-mails. As in any institution, some days there are stressful issues with staff or students. I bumped into one of our staff going home after a trying day. I asked if it was hard to leave the tough stuff at work. She told me of her ritual to help make the transition: she gets in her car, brushes her arms off in a symbolic gesture, cranks the radio up loud with her favorite song and sings at the top of her lungs on the way down the driveway.

I smiled, seeing the wisdom in physically giving yourself a break from what, at times, can be a stressful and demanding job. Staff who pay attention to their own needs, and get breaks and proper rest and diversion, are the ones who stay happiest and healthiest in the long run.

A beautiful moment for the community

At the end of the school day, we handed out attendance and honor roll awards to recognize St. Joseph’s students for their efforts during second quarter and first semester.

I cried at least a couple of times during tonight’s Chamberlain High School boys basketball game, but they were happy and sentimental tears. This was the last home game of the season, and senior night. All of the JV and Varsity players were introduced and went into the stands to give their parents a rose. The seniors were given special honor and had their photos taken with family at center court. A good number of our students’ parents were able to attend. For the ones who could not, due to many different circumstances, our houseparents filled in and were honored. In their years here, our Lakota students develop some strong family-like relationships with our staff.

The Junior Varsity rolled to an easy victory. Eleven of the 17 players on the JV are St. Joseph’s students, although two were injured during the season and weren’t able to play. That younger group had an undefeated, 17-0 record, which bodes well for the future of Chamberlain basketball.

The varsity game wasn’t close either, with the Cubs 30 points ahead in the fourth quarter. Everyone on the bench saw a good deal of action, including a couple of promising eighth graders.

Brady, who has served as student manager throughout high school, is also a senior. He loves basketball, but has cerebral palsy, so he’s fulfilled his dream to be part of the team in a support role.

The coaches asked him to dress tonight.

With about two minutes to go, the student body began chanting his name, and gave him a standing ovation when walked haltingly onto the court and entered the game.

Instead of having him try to run the floor, the coach stationed him along the baseline. A teammate drove the lane to draw defenders, then kicked the ball back out to Brady. He let fly a 15 footer, which rattled around the rim and dropped in. The stands erupted in more cheers.

What a beautiful moment for everyone in the community!

People with physical limitations so often inspire us by the strength of their spirit, and challenge us to always look beyond appearance, and see the goodness, heart and potential within.

Our one senior, Elijah, had a couple of stretches of playing time during the game, but hadn’t scored, so coach put him back in, hoping he would get a bucket. Three times, players who had a clear shot of their own unselfishly passed it to Eli. Each time the ball was in his hands the fans yelled “SHOOT” but he kept passing it to others.

I laughed at the game of hot potato. Finally as the clock was winding down he got the hint and drove for the basket. He was fouled before he could get the shot off, but it was a non-shooting foul, and time expired before he got another chance. I appreciated the way teammates worked together throughout the night and all year.

Learning Skills for a Lifetime

Our Lakota (Sioux) eighth graders are learning to cook in their Personal Living Skills (PLS) class. Pam, our PLS teacher came by the office and dropped off their most recent effort, a pepperoni Stromboli. The crust was perfectly flaky and it proved to be a tasty and delightful midday snack!

The Native American children at St. Joseph’s Indian School learn life skills like cooking.
The Lakota students are learning to cook in their Personal Living Skills class.

Later I stopped by the classroom and saw they are also working on a money management project. Finance workbooks have been developed through one of the local banks in Chamberlain, and are a great resource for our Native American students.

While it’s all pretend money at this point, they have to keep track of bills and payments like car and phone, log income and keep track of taxes. Money management is one of the lifelong skills we try to make sure they get a good handle on as early as possible.

A grandparent called me today to discuss some bullying issues with other students. We do have fights and bullying pop up on campus, and we take all incidences seriously. We want to stop the smaller shoving and name-calling before it develops into something much worse. Respect is such an important Lakota virtue and we hope our students learn to appreciate each other and work together. Whenever there is a problem, we want to use it as a learning experience, and get at the deeper issues that are bothering a child.

High on Life!

Fr. Steve helped the Lakota students at the prize table during St. Joseph’s Sobriety Carnival.
Fr. Steve helps a student pick out her prizes during the carnival.

On February 8, the Substance Abuse Prevention Committee (SAPC) sponsored a Valentine’s Carnival and Dance for the Lakota students at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The carnival included lots of fun games like bowling, horseshoes, musical squares and many more for the students in grades 1-5. The kids earned prizes by playing games. Everyone had fun, including the staff and older students who volunteered their time to help run the games and prize tables.

The Native American children played all kinds of games at St. Joseph’s annual Sobriety Carnival!
Sam aims for the can while playing the bozo game during the carnival.

Later in the evening, our older Native American students (grades 6-12) got to show off their cool moves during a dance. Chris, a senior at St. Joseph’s, was the DJ. He did a great job and was able to get most of our students out on the dance floor – not an easy task!

A Sobriety Poster Contest was also held in which our high school students were the judges. Ambrose Home (1st–3rd grade boys) took first place, second place went to William Home (4th-5th grade girls) and Speyer Home (6th-8th grade boys) won third place.

Ambrose Home took first place in the Sobriety Poster Contest with their ‘We will walk through life drug-free’ poster.Besides helping beat the winter blues, the Valentine’s Carnival and Dance shows our kids how to have fun without using drugs and alcohol.

The poster contest for the Sobriety Carnival offered inspiring messages for living drug free.
Ambrose Home took first place in the Sobriety Poster Contest with their ‘We will walk through life drug-free’ poster.

We are teaching them to get high on life and to find pleasure in the simple things!