community – Page 19 – St. Joseph's Indian School

Today’s guest blogger: Foster

Hi, I’m Foster, today’s guest blogger and groundskeeper here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Besides myself, I have 6 more people helping me with the grounds maintenance (5 are seasonal help). We have had a cool wet spring; bad for me, but great for anything green and growing.

We just finished up planting flowers, trees and re-seeded bare spots in the turf. We are busy keeping up with mowing, trimming, weeding and watering. On rainy days, we are helping with the remodel of the Stevens and Mathias home, tearing out walls and pulling up carpet. I guess you could say we are helping with the destruction, not the construction!

A view from above - St. Joseph's Indian School

I look forward to this time of year since our peonies are just coming into bloom and our linden trees will soon follow. I get lots of inquiries from visitors on our linden trees, their sweet fragrance is noticed all over campus!

The irrigation system for our turf is taking some time in getting it up and running. We didn’t turn it on at all last year, as we had so much rain. We pump water from the river to irrigate our turf. It is quite a feat to place the pump in the river each spring. Due to the high water level of the Missouri River, and the possibility of it going even higher, our pump house could be flooded. What a contradiction, we might not be able to irrigate due to flooding!

In addition to those duties, we are also responsible for street and parking lot maintenance. Crack filling and seal coating of our asphalt areas will be a big job later this summer. I hope those of you reading this will get a chance to stop by our campus and checking us out. Take care and have a great summer!

An update from Rising Eagle Day Camp

We have had nearly 250 kids attend the Rising Eagle Day Camp so far this year, and their three favorite things this year are swimming, eating and arts and crafts.

One of the afternoons sessions is spent swimming and this seems to be our little Lakota campers favorite pastime.

The kids told us that their next favorite part of the Rising Eagle Day Camp is all the great camp food they get to eat. The kids receive a hot breakfast and lunch and a snack at the end of the day. Yummy!

Activities done in Lakota Studies/Arts and Crafts help the Native American children continue their growth and knowledge about their culture. At the start of these sessions, a book is read and kids are able to ask questions. Books read so far has included: Rough Faced Girl, When God Made The Dakotas and Bad River Boys. Crafts created have been: Ledger Art, Moonsticks, Warrior shield and Wintercounts.

Watch Kyra’s video now! She was last week’s Featured Camper of the Week!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Confidence in continued healing

Crazy Horse Memorial is a colossal carving project that has been ongoing since 1948 to pay homage to the courageous Lakota Warrior. To get an idea of the scope, when finished the four presidential faces on Mt. Rushmore could fit in the Horse’s head of this sculpture.

Fr. Steve at Crazy Horse Monument. — Fr. Steve at Crazy Horse Memorial.

Crazy Horse has a wonderful museum of the American Indian, and a workshop for artisans who will answer your questions as they work on their crafts. It’s my favorite place to take visitors in the Black Hills because it combines natural beauty, culture, history and a visionary undertaking.

One weekend a year, the memorial is open for a 10K Volksmarch, and after a scenic wooded walk you work your way onto the actual arm of the sculpture, directly in front on the 5 story head of Crazy Horse. With many others on the path with us, the atmosphere was fun and festive, but the climb required patience and perseverance.

The view of the countryside far below was breathtaking. It was a pilgrimage for me in many senses, not knowing exactly how my foot would hold up with the distance and altitude. But completing the trail gave me a great sense of accomplishment and ongoing confidence in continued healing.

Jack McCall sneaking up on Wild Bill

Sturgis and Deadwood were our ports of call today. My sister-in-law Connie had to get a 2011 Sturgis Rally shirt for her brother and take a few photos of the fairly empty streets that will soon be filled with hundreds of thousands of motorcycles.

None of us gambled, but instead took a tour of the oldest town in that part of the state, where the discovery of gold kicked off a boom town. At Boot Hill Cemetery we visited the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, and learned more of western lore. History is fun and interesting to learn firsthand like that, and stays with you much longer.

At Saloon #10 we watched a reenactment of Jack McCall sneaking up on Wild Bill during a poker game, where Bill met his untimely demise.

South Dakota attractions

Yesterday my family was off to Mitchell, South Dakota to see the World’s Only Corn Palace, a site visitors of our area often stop to visit. I spent a day in the office, with no excitement and lots of paperwork, but such is the life of an administrator.

Today we traveled West to see two of South Dakota’s most memorable sights, the Badlands and Mount Rushmore. Parts of the Badlands look like sand castles built by giants. Abundant moisture has made the fields and mesa tops a brilliant green, further highlighting the layered earth tone colors of the exposed soil. We stopped at many of the scenic pull offs to explore the unique landscape.

At the end of the scenic Badlands Loop is Wall Drug. After seeing literally hundreds of signs along the way, my niece had to experience it for herself. We quenched our thirst with the free ice water and took home the free (one per family) bumper sticker to further spread the word. John climbed up on the same giant jackalope statue he rode on as a kid 34 years ago when we visited as a family, and I sent the picture on to the rest of my brothers and sisters.

I’ve been to Mount Rushmore many times. It’s a joy to be with someone experiencing it for the first time. When I visit National Parks, I’m always impressed by the knowledge of the Rangers. On the tour we took, besides learning a lot about the four presidents, there was a good overview of Lakota (Sioux) culture and the land disputes over the Black Hills that are still unresolved.

Tours with family

Last year on my birthday I was in the hospital, still not eating solid food. When my brother Dan brought me a Twinkie with a candle in it, I could only eat about a third of it! Today Cathy baked a delicious cake and the rest of the development staff provided a festive atmosphere to help me celebrate in a little more style. The ad goes that what cancer patients wish for more than anything else is one more birthday. I’ve come a long way and am grateful for the caring folks who have supported me on the journey.

Fr. Steve and his family enjoy some birthday cake!

As we toured the Development Office, my brother John kept me humble in ways only a brother can, pointing out how our staff handles so much of the day-to-day work and teasing, “What do you do?” As people explained their areas of responsibility, John remarked how much pride they took in their job, and he could see how much they really enjoyed their role here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Our Rising Eagle Day Camp started today! 38 children rode the bus from Fort Thompson to take part in educational and recreational activities and enjoy a good breakfast and lunch.

After lunch, I took my family to visit the Indian Reservations. In Crow Creek, two of our High School students, Erika and Lucinda, helped give the tour. They are the same age as my niece Clare, who enjoyed their company. One stop in Fort Thompson was the pow wow grounds, where the girls talked about their dancing and the ritual and ceremony that pow wows entail.

In Lower Brule we hiked to the Narrows, a spot with a panoramic view of the Big Bend of the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark stood on that site during their exploration of the area. It was my first visit since the tribe constructed a Mandan Earth Lodge, reflecting the culture of one of the earliest tribes to inhabit the region. Reaching the top of the Hill called for some pictures, but also a shared silence just to contemplate while gazing over the vast horizon.

My family arrived

My brother John and his family arrived to spend a week of their vacation in South Dakota. After 10 hours of driving on Sunday, today was a low-key day spent around Chamberlain and on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus. The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is a great place to get an introduction to the Native American history and culture, so they began their orientation there. The I-90 Rest Stop has an informative Lewis and Clark display and one of the best views of the Missouri River valley anywhere.

We spent the afternoon touring our campus. While only a few folks are around, the 8^th grade and high school summer programs opened today. The 8^th graders will spend three weeks attending classes at Chamberlain High School and familiarizing themselves with the campus and teachers to ease the transition. They’ll also enjoy more privileges and freedom in the HS program, but more responsibility as well, and these days are a chance to get used to the new rules and guidelines.

Robb and Cheryl are houseparents for Hogebach Home, and gave my family an overview of the joys and challenges they experience in guiding our teenage girls.

A day in Fort Thompson

I invited the two seminarians who are with us for the summer – Anthony and Justin and our summer intern from Notre Dame – Anna, to accompany me to church at Fort Thompson. We left early so we could drive around the community and explore a bit. What’s striking to people seeing the Indian Reservation for the first time is how many homes are sadly in need of repair. I explained about the complicated system of land ownership and tribal housing authority. As we passed the Tribal Council headquarters, and Bureau of Indian Affairs office, it presented an opportunity to teach about the governmental structure.

Going by the memorial flags near the river led to a lesson about the history about the 1862 Minnesota Uprising and how the families of those 38 Dakota Sioux who were publicly executed were sent to Fort Thompson, hundreds of miles west of their homelands.

Later in our travels, when an inebriated man started to talk their ear off, they got an idea of one of the biggest challenges of working on the “Rez”. When people are drinking, I try not to be enabling, but do try to be kind and understanding; hoping it opens doors to hope and help later on.

Church was a joyful event as seven children from Fort Thompson received their first Holy Communion today. After Church, the families of the first communicants provided a meal for the whole parish – soup and frybread, which was tasty and a nice introduction to the hospitality within the culture. Our interns got to make the rounds and visit with many people at the gathering.

Coloring books, toys and games

A quiet, lazy day on campus. The only homes open today are Fisher and Pinger for the summer break homes. Vickie and Richard were looking after a dozen 2^nd– 4^th graders who are staying for a good part of the summer. Some are here for remedial school work, others because their home situations make it better for them to be here for the summer. The homes normally house junior high students and Vickie was scrambling around campus to find coloring books, toys and games to entertain the younger children. I stopped by for lunch and visited.

Learning to overcome disappointment

8^th grade graduation is both a happy and sad time. We know that while many of the students will continue on with our high school program, several will be attending other schools next year. Besides being a time of congratulations, this was also a time of goodbyes.

Our graduation speaker was Deacon Harold Condon, who graduated from St. Joseph’s Indian School in the 8^th grade class of 1964. He grew up speaking Lakota at home, but in those days, when he attended school here, he was not allowed to speak his native language. In the 70s he returned to St. Joseph’s Indian School as a member of the staff and began the Lakota Studies program that continues to help our students take greater pride in their Native American culture. This was a special day for him because the graduating class included his grandson, whom he knows will get a good education here.

Senator John Thune was able to join us. He recounted to our students how sports was so important to him growing up, yet he was devastated when he missed a shot at the end of the district basketball tournament that was the difference between going to State and ending the season and his high school career. As he sat dejectedly in the locker room, the coach came in and told him, ” John, go get on the bus. And one more thing. Track practice begins Monday.” We all need to learn that lesson about overcoming disappointment.

Robert wrote his 8th grade term paper on Senator Thune, before he ever knew that he’d be at the graduation.

Senator Thune made extra time to visit with Robert, one of our graduates who is very interested in how government works. Robert wrote his 8^th grade term paper on Senator Thune, before he ever knew that he’d be at the graduation.

We finished the celebration with a festive meal in the dining hall before folks went their separate ways.

The 7^th graders are all still on campus, not just to take notes for their ceremony next year, but to prepare for their week-long cultural trip. That proved to be one of this 8^th grade class’s favorite memories; we hope it will be for this group as well. I met them at the Sacred Hoop Center before they loaded up the van and mini-bus to head on the road, and offer prayers of support and encouragement.