Lakota (Sioux) – Page 11 – St. Joseph's Indian School

How do Lakota (Sioux) children get to St. Joseph’s Indian School?

Hello and Happy Summer!

Julie is a counselor for the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph's. — Julie, Family Service Counselor

Hopefully the summer is treating you all well and you are enjoying some sunshine and nice weather! Here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, summer continues to be a busy time. As a Family Service Counselor, I travel to various parts of South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska to visit the students and families we work with. It is a great experience being able to travel and see our students and their families.

Summer is also time for admissions work. Every student who comes to St. Joseph’s Indian School goes through an admissions process. The process begins when a parent or guardian submits an application for their child.

Once an application is received, a file is started for the student and the admissions staff begin to gather data for the child. Some of the things we gather for the file are medical records, school records, immunizations, birth certificates and medical insurance information.

Once a file is started, the family will be contacted to set up a time to meet with a staff person for an interview with both the student and the parent or guardian. During this part of the process, we gather information about family life, family expectations, medical needs, behavioral needs, school needs, and psychological needs. This is called the social history.

There are also a few questions for the student to answer:

What is your favorite food?
St. Joseph’s counselors cross the wide open spaces of South Dakota to visit the Lakota students in their homes each summer.
How do you like school?
Do you want to come to St. Joseph’s?
How do you express your feelings?

Once the interviews are completed, staff working on the file will call the child’s previous teacher to ask a few questions. When all the information is gathered and the social history is complete, the student’s file is presented to the admissions board for review.

The admissions board consists of the Residential Director, Residential Coordinators, Family Service Counselors, Principal, Student Coordinator, Special Education Director, and the Pastoral Care Director. The file is reviewed and the board decides if a student can be accepted to St. Joseph’s Indian School.

While we strive to serve the needs of the children who apply, not every student can be accepted.

Why would a student NOT be accepted to St. Joseph’s? That is a good question.

There are several reasons, the first and most frequent reason is that there is no room in a certain grade for the student.

Another common reason is that the student has medical or educational needs we cannot meet.

Students may also not be accepted because they have behavioral or emotional needs that require constant supervision. While students are very carefully supervised at St. Joseph’s, some students need more supervision than we can provide. The safety of the children in our care is our top priority.

St. Joseph’s admissions process includes both students and families. — The Lakota (Sioux) children who attend St. Joseph’s are enrolled by their parents or guardians.

Additionally, a student may tell the interviewer they do not want to attend St. Joseph’s. If a student – especially an older student – states they do not have an interest in coming to St. Joseph’s, they may not be accepted. We do our best to give every student who wants to come to our school a chance to do so. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control sometimes make that impossible.

School starts already on August 11! We are working hard to fill several openings in our homes for the 2014-2015 school year. For the remainder of July, we will be on the road working on files for admissions, visiting families and students, and meeting new people. It is a great time of year!

Of course, it is BETTER when the kids are here!

We wish you a safe and fun filled summer –

Julie, Family Service Counselor

The Priests of the Sacred Heart – Founders of St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Benefactors,

What a wonderful weekend at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Friday, June 27, we celebrated the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which is very special to our religious community. SCJ is Latin for sacerdotes cordis jesu (priests of the heart of Jesus).

We were honored to have St. Joseph’s former President, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, back among us for the day.

The members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart who minister here in South Dakota gathered for an adoration period in which we renewed our vows of commitment to the Congregation and the people of God. It is always a wonderful time to join with fellowSCJs and share somecamaraderie and dinner together.

The Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center now includes an Alumni & Historical Center and a Medicine Wheel Garden. — The Medicine Wheel Garden is nestled between the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the banks of the Missouri River.

Wonderful as it was, we were a little sad too. On Sunday, Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, said good-bye to the parishes of St. Anthony in Pukwana and St. James in Chamberlain as he moves on to his new assignment.

The SCJ community has helped the Sioux Falls Diocese with local ministry over the last 25-30 years, but the Province was not able to replace Fr. Guy with another SCJ, so the communities gave the parishes back to the Diocese of Sioux Falls. Fr. Steve was here to extend the thanks of the Province for all the support and encouragement the parishes have given to the SCJ priests who have served over the years.

The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center’s Medicine Wheel Garden was chosen to be on the annual P.E.O (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Yard and Garden Tour this past Thursday. We were honored to be chosen along with four other homes in the Chamberlain area.

Monday and Tuesday, I was in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, taking part in the Board meeting for Cheyenne River Indian Outreach. The SCJ’s operate a domestic violence shelter and youth residential program on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. In addition to a safe place, a thrift store also helps provide new or slightly used household items for victims needing to start over.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to a visit South Dakota’s senior Senator, the Honorable Tim Johnson. The Senator is making a farewell tour of the state as he will not be running for re-election this year after serving three terms in the United States Senate.

The Lakota (Sioux) students participating in our summer program will welcome him and share about St. Joseph’s. The

Chamberlain residents visited the Medicine Wheel Garden as part of a recent community tour. — The Medicine Wheel Garden was featured in Chamberlain’s recent local garden tour.

Senator has been helpful when our students visited Washington DC and has also taken an active interest in Native American issues during his years of service. I’ll share with you how the visit went in next week’s blog!

We hope you all have a safe and memorable Independence Day! As you enjoy time with family and friends, remember the values our country stands for and continue to find ways to pass them along to future generations.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Sharing & Learning: a Cultural Exchange for St. Joseph’s Students

Our trip to France was fantastic!

A few weeks ago, I shared in a blog post that I was headed to France with Erica and Andrew. It was a wonderful trip!

St. Joseph’s staff and Lakota students enjoyed an exchange visit to St. Solange, in Chateauroux France. — Andrew, Maija and Erica had a wonderful trip to France!

Many of the French students thought we would arrive wearing traditional Lakota (Sioux) regalia instead of modern clothes – they were surprised to see us in jeans and

t-shirts!

We shared much about South Dakota and the Lakota culture, and the students and staff asked some great questions. Everyone appreciated the dreamcatchers we brought for them, and they all seemed to enjoy trying on some of the regalia. They were also interested in learning what kinds of modern music and video games our kids like and were surprised to learn of the similarities they shared. The younger students had a great time participating in the Circle Dance, learning Lakota words, and making beaded bracelets.

Our hosts introduced us to France’s Berry Region – a beautiful area with amazing culture, music and food! The town, Chateauroux, was lovely and some areas were quite old, with cobblestone streets and amazing architecture. Some of the sights we were fortunate to see were the Chambord Castle (designed by DaVinci), Europe’s largest zoo, beautiful smaller castles and gardens, an organic goat cheese farm and – best of all – spending time with our host families and children at St. Solange!

Before we departed, the students at St. Solange presented us with gifts of music, poetry, and art in a wonderful celebration which included the benediction of their chapel. The festivities included traditional regional music and food, a visit from the mayor, reporters and lots of fun! We presented the school headmaster with an ironwood buffalo in thanks for their hospitality and generosity during our stay.

The whole day was truly touching; we were humbled by their kindness.

We had a short visit of Paris, the beautiful “City of Lights,” and we were not disappointed. We took a bus tour of Paris’ most visited areas, and went to the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, Sacre-Coeur (which is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus) at Montmartre. We felt this was an important visit, as St. Joseph’s was founded by the Priests of the Sacred Heart!

After a night in Paris, we took the Chunnel to London in preparation for the trip home.

Before we even left the station in Paris, we saw the Queen! She departed from the same train we were taking to England! It was exciting to see the guards in full dress, the reporters, and the Queen’s car.

Once in London, we met up with the group of St. Joseph’s staff and students who were in Germany, giving presentations as we were, to Gymnasium Leonium, in Handrup.

The students appreciated being in an English speaking country and loved the sights of the city of London, riding the “Eye” and seeing “Stomp!’ at the West End.

We all had a wonderful time learning about another culture and way of life. We are especially looking forward to our hosts coming to South Dakota in October to be our guests at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Thank you for helping St. Joseph’s provide amazing learning opportunities for the Native American children we serve!

Hello from St. Joseph’s Summer Home!

My name is Odis and I’m a houseparent. During the school year, I work with fourth and fifth grade boys. For the summer, I’m working with the Lakota (Sioux) students in

Odis, a houseparent, accompanied students in the summer home on a trip to the Black Hills and Harney Peak. — Louie, Odis and Nick “in the clouds” at the top of Harney Peak!

grades 2-8.

I wanted to let you know about some of the exciting things going on here in the Summer Home!

The students recently had a three-day weekend from summer school (they spend each morning during the week in class), so we used the opportunity to go to South Dakota’s beautiful Black Hills!

All twelve kids and three adults packed up and headed out to a weekend full of camping, hiking and other fun activities. The highlight of the weekend was the six (or seven!) mile hike up to Harney Peak in Custer State Park.

The map said six miles round trip, but our feet told us it was seven miles! Harney Peak is the highest natural point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. On the way up, the kids learned about the Pine Beetle that is killing the pine trees and leaving the forest vulnerable to fire.

We also learned about Valentine McGillycuddy, whose ashes are interred at the top of the peak.

McGillycuddy was known to be a friend of Crazy Horse. He was also the physician who attended Crazy Horse shortly before he died of a bayonet wound in Fort Robinson.

St. Joseph’s summer home students and staff spent a fun weekend camping and hiking in South Dakota’s Black Hills. — Ready to make the hike!

All the kids made the hike without complaint and enjoyed being “in the clouds” when we got to the top. Our adventure concluded with a picnic at Sylvan Lake when we got back to the bottom.

The students and houseparents at St. Joseph’s Indian School are grateful for your support! We appreciate your sacrifices for us and good feelings toward us. Our work would not be possible without you.

God bless!

Odis, Houseparent

In the words of a Lakota (Sioux) elder…

In the words of a Lakota (Sioux) elder:

You should be able to give away your most cherished possession without your heart beating faster.

This defines the value of generosity in the Circle of Courage. In helping others, youth create their own proof of worthiness and make a positive contribution to another human life.

Six young ladies from St. Joseph’s Indian School set out to do just that before school ended. To put generosity in action, they spent a Saturday serving at The Banquet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Several weeks earlier, I tentatively asked the girls about an outing that would focus on volunteering. Since their ideal outing generally involves shopping and eating at a fast food restaurant, I was surprised when I received a resounding “yes!”

The Banquet’s mission is to provide food and fellowship through their ministry. They provide a safe place where people can gather, receive nourishment and experience love in action.

The day of our visit, the girls participating woke up early and were outside at 8:25 for the ride to Sioux Falls. Once they settled on who was going to sit where and seat belts were on, we took off. The other houseparent and I knew that music and volume were going to be the central issue for the next two hours.

To show generosity to others, the girls spent a Saturday serving at The Banquet.

Arriving exactly on time, we went in and put on nametags. All the volunteers sat at tables while the manager announced the groups volunteering. In all, there were about 40 volunteers. When it was announced that students from St. Joseph’s were present, everyone turned to look at these young Native American women who had given up part of their Saturday. Several of them hid behind their hands, sheepish at the attention. They were the youngest volunteers in attendance.

Everyone was encouraged to talk with visitors at The Banquet. Additional instructions were given for our safety, such as not sharing our last names, not giving out money and not offering transportation. A volunteer offered up a prayer and then we went to our different areas.

In the next hour, approximately 290 people came through the doors. Of these, 48 were children. The girls poured 17 gallons of milk, plus coffee and water. They made

conversation where possible and at the end of the hour, they helped sweep and put up chairs.

Everyone met for the closing prayer. The manager made a point of saying the “St. Joseph’s girls rocked” and everyone applauded them. We were certainly invited back to help again sometime.

What I really wanted to know was what the students thought. And would they do it again? Again, I received a resounding “yes!”

Here is how they described their day of generosity:

Cool – I really liked it a lot.
It felt cool to help others.
It felt good to give back.
Awesome!
I liked it because I got to do something positive.

One of The Banquet’s visitors told the girls to stay in school and get as much education as she could because that’s the best way to get what she wanted.

Thank you for providing opportunities for the Lakota boys and girls to serve others! Without your generosity, these life lessons would not be possible.

God bless,

Cathy S., Houseparent

Feels like Summer at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

A tipi stands outside the entrance of the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. — The Akta Lakota Museum’s tipi was erected last week for the summer.

Every summer, a tipi is set up outside the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, and it made its debut last week. It’s a wonderful interactive piece that allows visitors to take pictures and see how the tipi served as a home for early life on the Great Plains. We are always grateful when people take advantage of the opportunity to visit and learn more about Lakota (Sioux) culture and history. Hopefully, you will have a chance to visit soon.

Our second session of Rising Eagle Day Camp began today, serving Native American students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. The first two weeks of day camp, we brought children to campus from the Crow Creek Indian Reservation; that group finished Friday.

Over 520 students participated in the two-week program! It has been interesting to see what the children have been making in their arts and crafts class and hear them talk about fun in the swimming pool.

Several of St. Joseph’s high school students are working as camp counselors and enjoying the interaction with the younger children. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to be good role models and earn some extra spending money. All of this is possible because of your generosity – thank you!

Lakota children from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation will attend day camp at St. Joseph’s for the next two weeks. — Today, the Rising Eagle Day Camp bus picked up students from the Lower Brule Indian Reservation.

Mary Jane, our Alumni Coordinator, held a reunion on Saturday for past students and families. It was a great opportunity to catch up. Mary Jane also appreciated help in matching up faces and names from pictures taken over the years. Many found themselves in the collection of pictures, or their siblings or cousins. Lots of stories were shared, reflecting on what St. Joseph’s was like in years past and how the priests, Brothers, Sisters and other staff touched students’ lives in a variety of ways. There were even old videos of graduations and talent shows to watch, which brought a few chuckles and fond memories.

One of the highlights of the day was a specialized campus tour to see all the changes that have taken place on campus in recent years. Alumni also had the opportunity to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the Alumni & Historical Center and the Medicine Wheel Garden, dedicated to all St. Joseph’s students.

It was a good first event. We hope the word will spread and future reunions will bring more alumni back to visit St. Joseph’s!

Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity to the Lakota boys and girls attending St. Joseph’s Indian School! You and your special intentions are remembered in our daily prayers.

Have a great week! Remember to drive carefully – more schools are out for the summer, which means more children outside, playing and crossing streets.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Have I mentioned how much I love it here?

Hi! My name is Robin. I am the Special Education Department Chair here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. We had a fantabulous year; I am so proud of the Lakota (Sioux) boys

and girls for striving for the best!

I was privileged to start a new program with five students this year. It is called Fast For Word and is a series of game-like exercises that help connect brain waves. It creates new pathways for information to travel and be sustained in the brain. It is helpful for children who are either right sided only or left sided only, and for kids who simply don’t understand things in traditional ways.

We had one student go from a 1.7 reading level to 3.8 reading level as a result of the program. That’s a two year and one month jump! Two others are now on grade level for reading. This is a huge accomplishment!

And the best part? The students LOVED it!

A special computer program helped the Lakota children improve their reading skills. — Five Lakota students used Fast For Word to improve their reading skills this year.

One of the girls said, “It is making my mind work in ways I didn’t think it could!”

It was great to see their progress. The game that was the hardest for all of them at the start turned out to be the hands-down favorite!

The students were extremely dedicated and came in at 7:30 am each morning. It was a race to see who would get here first – me or them! I have to admit, two of them beat me almost every morning. They were there between 7:20-7:25 am. I came at 7:27 am!

On occasion, if they missed a class for one reason or another, they would:

1. Come to the home I was working in on a weekend,

2. Go to Saturday school, or

3. Do it twice in the same day.

They wanted their scores to go higher! We had so much fun!

There are so many opportunities to interact with the kids at St. Joseph’s. Not only do I teach Special Ed and do the required paper work, but I also like to sub in St. Joseph’s homes. I really enjoy this as I get to see the kids in another light!

At the homes, they are more relaxed and have their own responsibilities and activities in a different environment. I can now say I have been a substitute houseparent in all of the first through eighth grade homes and some of the high school homes as well!

I am looking forward to August and starting year number four helping Native American children achieve their dreams.

Hey, did I mention HOW MUCH I LOVE IT HERE?

“Subbing in the homes helps me see the students in a different light.” Robin, St. Joseph’s Special Ed Teacher.

Representing St. Joseph’s Indian School in France

On May 25, Erica, Andrew, and I left on the trip of a lifetime! We have the honor of representing St. Joseph’s Indian School at the Lycee Ste Solange School, in Chateauroux,

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

France, on a trip to our sister school!

Similar to the exchange program with our sister school in Handrup, Germany, we hope this experience will broaden our students’ horizons. In turn, we will share the Lakota (Sioux) culture and St. Joseph’s mission.

We spent several months putting together a presentation for the school to share information about:

The state of South Dakota
Powwows and traditional regalia
The Seven Sacred Lakota Rites
St. Joseph’s programs
Chamberlain High School

With the older students in France, we will make dreamcatchers and beaded bracelets using the colors of the Four Directions. The little ones will learn about the Lakota tipi, star quilt and drum. Erica will also demonstrate fancy dancing in her regalia.

Erica, a St. Joseph’s high school student, traveled to our sister school in France. — Erica

The past several months have also been spent getting to know our hosts. I have been in touch with Blandine, who is the school secretary and the headmaster’s wife.

Before Easter, Stellie (from St. Joseph’s office in Paris), went to Chateauroux and gave a presentation about St. Joseph’s mission and the Lakota children who attend our school. After learning why children come to St. Joseph’s, Blandine and the students organized the “Bowl of Rice” operation.

This activity came in conjunction with the Easter season of Lent. After a talk about what sacrifice means, students at their school were given a choice about their regular lunch.

They proposed having the students pay the regular price of a school lunch and, instead of receiving what they would normally have (starter, main course, cheese and dessert), it would be substituted with a bowl of rice, apple, and piece of bread. The difference in cost would be donated to St. Joseph’s.

Andrew, a St. Joseph’s high school student, traveled to our sister school in France. — Andrew

Two weeks ago, I received a very ecstatic email from Blandine – they had great success in Operation Bowl of Rice and raised 2,000 Euros (over $2,700)!

They never had so many participants, she added. She said everyone was so proud to be allowed to participate for Maija, Erica and Andrew’s school!

In thanks for their generosity, we’re showing our appreciation for the school children and staff at Chateauroux by offering a gift of an ironwood buffalo – a symbol of sacrifice.

The buffalo – tatanka – is considered a symbol of abundance. It is especially significant in the Lakota culture because it provided the people with everything they needed.

Thank you for helping St. Joseph’s provide amazing learning opportunities for the Native American children we serve and stay tuned for more details about our trip!

Maija

Thank you for your generosity!

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,

As you may know I celebrated my birthday last Monday, May 12. I was informed there were a lot of birthday greetings popping up on St. Joseph’s Facebook page. Since I do not have a personal account, I went to another office to take a peek at the greetings.

Needless to say, I was overwhelmed.

There were over 180 greetings! One hoped that my birthday would be “out of this world.” It came close as there were greetings from France and Sweden, from both coasts and even from a fellow May birthday celebrator.

I am very grateful for your kindness and thoughtfulness and I give thanks to God for the chance to be here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

I am also grateful that many of your kind wishes for a happy birthday were accompanied by statements of support for our school and the Lakota (Sioux) children we serve. Your generosity makes it possible for us to offer so much to the Native American students and their families. Because of this important work, nine of our students graduated high school yesterday!

Congratulations to St. Joseph’s Class of 2014! — Thanks to your generosity, nine St. Joseph’s seniors graduated high school this year!

Pilamaya – thank you – again for your thoughtful greetings! I appreciate the prayers you offer up – we can always use them.

May God’s blessings be with each of you on your special day when you celebrate the gift of life given to you and the many gifts and talents with which you have been blessed.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Awards Banquets for St. Joseph’s Seniors

Greetings once again from South Dakota – the land spring has forgotten! Although we have not had any of the snow that Rapid City and the Black Hills have received

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

recently, it has been cold and wet over the last few weekends. We are grateful for the moisture, but would be happy to share some of it with the drought areas in California.

As the school year winds down, activities pick up for the Lakota (Sioux) students. Over the last two weekends, 11 of our 19 homes have been away on their home trips. Some have gone shopping in the Sioux Falls area and others have headed out to the Black Hills. This coming week will see the seventh graders head out on their cultural trip to explore various sites in South Dakota and the neighboring states that have Native American cultural and historical impact. They’ll be back on campus prior to graduation on May 23.

St. Joseph’s high school students have also had a variety of activities take place, including end of the year awards. Last Monday was the academic awards banquet:

Students who took part in the one act play were awarded a Superior Play & Acting Award on the State level;
Robert and Kyran were recognized for taking part in Boys’ State;
Senior Errol was honored as a Regent Scholar and recipient of the Al Mueller Memorial Scholarship and the Ruth Potter Memorial/Dakota Indian Foundation Award.

Wednesday, St. Joseph’s seniors were honored at a prayer service and reception where Cody was awarded the Jerry Vaad Memorial. This award is in honor of a long-time employee in the athletic department at St. Joseph’s Indian School. It is awarded to the graduate who best exemplifies sharing of time and talent with other members of his or her tiyospaye – extended family – on campus.

Friday came and it was time for athletic awards:

One of our new students this year, Danny, won the most improved award for golf;
Shawn was mentioned for making all-conference honorable mention in football;
Gabe was designated most inspirational for boys’ basketball;
Adrian won the JV Most Valuable Player award;
Jacob was considered the most inspirational on the high school track team;
Senior Reuben was honored for being a basketball team captain and making all-conference.

Chamberlain High School only has three days of classes left, so tomorrow night is the Baccalaureate service the United Church of Christ. It will be a special moment for all the seniors as they look back at their accomplishments and ahead to their graduation on May 18. Please keep them and their future plans in your prayers. Read more about them here.

Have a great week and know you are being remembered in our Novena of Masses offered the 11^th through the 19^th of each month. May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity towards the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain