Tag: Lakota

Enjoying Fall Activities

Good afternoon tiyospaye – extended family,

The pheasant hunting season opened in South Dakota over this past weekend and it sounded like the hunters were out doing their best.  I heard several shots across the river as we finished Mass Sunday morning.

We are in a period of transition at St. Joseph’s Indian School now, as the fall sports wrap up and the students get ready for the indoor basketball season. Yesterday, the girls in fourth through eighth grades signed up for their basketball teams.

The boys will start having their inter-city league on Sundays.  This program blends students from Chamberlain with St. Joseph’s Lakota students on teams that are made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys.  It is a way for the students to make new friends before they meet up as classmates in high school.  The first game will be Sunday, October 27. The girls will have their inter-city season after the holidays.

Several of our seventh and eighth grade boys have joined the local Explorers Club in Chamberlain, which gives them the opportunity to be part of a service group. They do various community projects throughout the year to raise money – raking leaves, shoveling snow and a car wash, to name a few. Then, the boys decide as a group who or what cause would be a worthy recipient of the funds.  Last year they donated their money to several local people who were dealing with cancer.

They also remember to have some fun! The group has taken trips to a Minnesota Vikings football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

Students who are new to St. Joseph’s are taking part in a program called ‘co-pilot,’ which matches them with another student to help them belong, enjoy and develop relationships at St. Joseph’s. It parallels our big brothers/big sisters program.

From my office, I can see the students playing outside after school. Kids will be kids, and it warms my heart to see them play games like Red Rover, Red Rover and tetherball. With Halloween just around the corner, many students are also busy getting their costumes ready.

Hope you all have a great week.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Native American Day Activities

Monday, October 14, St. Joseph’s Indian School – along with the rest of South Dakota – celebrated Native American Day. We, along with several other schools around our area, embraced the opportunity to have a “teachable moment” while having fun reliving a part of our rich Lakota/Dakota/Nakota culture.

The Regalia Relay was one of many games St. Joseph’s students played in celebration of Native American Day.
In the Regalia Relay, the Lakota boys put on girls’ regalia and vise versa to dance their way back to their teammates.

The morning greeted us with a line of colored banners carried by students who read a brief description about the corresponding color and direction of the medicine wheel.  Bridges were built between the Catholic and tribal spiritualities by centering ourselves with prayer and singing the hymn “There is a Well.”  Our drum group offered up two prayer songs to honor the day and what it might mean to our people.

During the afternoon, classes circulated around eight game stations to compete against themselves, others and groups.  Our stations included:

  • Lakota bowling
  • Hackie sack
  • Regalia relay (switch dressing – the boys put on girls’ regalia and girls put on boys’ regalia)
  • Leg wrestling
  • Arrow toss
  • Hand games
  • Musical chairs (with drum songs)
  • Cat’s cradle yarn art
  • Storytelling

Each game was explained with its historical significance and natural place in our world.  A plethora of adults helped to make the day possible by guiding, encouraging, and even taking part with the group as the students scurried through the rain and mist between the recreation center, the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the skating room.

I hope our St. Joseph’s students went home knowing why this day was set aside for our tribal people to be honored for our place on this North American Continent, rather than focusing on someone who thought they had found India.  We love the land and the culture that respects our footprints upon it.

LaRayne, Native American Studies teacher

The Lakota students learned to leg wrestle during Native American Day activities.
Leg wrestling was one of many games played in traditional Lakota (Sioux) culture.

Spared the snow and power outages

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,

As you may have heard from watching various weather reports over the last few days, western South Dakota was blasted with over 30” of snow! It is being called one of the worst storms in South Dakota history.  We received some heavy rain in the Chamberlain area on Friday and Saturday, but thankfully were spared the snow and power outages.   The rain wiped out the Chamberlain High School Homecoming Parade, but the game was still played, despite a torrential downpour.

You may recall that both the Homecoming King and Queen elected last week were close to many hearts at St. Joseph’s Indian School. King Cody is one of our high school students, and Queen Marilyn is the daughter of two staff members. In addition, several other St. Joseph’s high school students were selected to be part of the honor court.

The Lakota children joined Kevin Locke in a flute recital.
St. Joseph’s students performed with Kevin Locke at the South Dakota Indian Education Conference last week.

Last week, our community was also the site of South Dakota’s Indian Education Conference. Our Principal, Kathleen, and several teachers attended.  A group of St. Joseph’s students, along with Kevin Locke, gave a flute recital and did a great job.

Today, members of St. Joseph’s Parent Advisory Council met on campus. Parents and guardians of current students and some former students themselves, these folks generously give their time to help us improve our programs. They provide feedback from a parent’s point of view and help us better understand their children’s needs and hopes.

At today’s meeting, they were brought up-to-date about our new anti-bullying program, the latest criteria for admissions and insight into a wellness program for the Lakota children.  They also had the chance to visit Chamberlain High School to get an idea of what a day is like for our high school students.

We are grateful for these parents and guardians giving of their time to listen and give responses as to how we can keep making things better and safer for the Lakota boys and girls entrusted to our care.  The council meets twice per year and membership rotates, so there is a good mixture of parents and guardians involved from different Indian reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

P.S. During our recent powwow, we had slips of paper for guests to jot down prayer requests for our students and staff to remember in their evening prayers.  As I was going through them to pick out some intentions for October, I came across a slip that asked a question:

“Since the government gives the Indian nations money, what percentage does St. Joseph’s get for subsidies, if any?”

Thank you for the question! Federal money is given to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which then distributes the money to the various Native American groups; however, as St. Joseph’s is not affiliated with any tribe or reservation, we do not receive any money from the government.

St. Joseph’s does get some financial aid for the school lunch program and Title program, which provides specialists to help with the education of our students.   However, the bulk of St. Joseph’s financial resources come through YOU and your generosity!   Your kindness and support make all our programs possible.  Pilamaya—thank you!!

A beautiful day for a football game

Last Saturday was a beautiful fall South Dakota day – perfect for a football game!  We loaded up 12 of St. Joseph’s seventh and eighth-grade football players and headed down the road to Brookings South Dakota, home of South Dakota State University’s Jackrabbits.

The Lakota boys at a South Dakota State football game.
St. Joseph’s seventh and eighth-grade football players took in a college game at SDSU.

We left in the morning and arrived early for game time.  We found great seats!  The house was packed, as the Jacks took on the #1 rated North Dakota State Bison.  The Bison are from Fargo, North Dakota.  The crowd was intense, as there was about as many Bison fans in attendance as there were Jacks fans!

We have been taking the football boys on this trip for last several years. It isn’t just about watching football… that’s just the excuse we use to extend our classroom and provide real-life learning to the Lakota boys and girls.

With this trip, the boys get to experience a college atmosphere and see a college campus. Along with soaking up college, the boys get to practice skills we teach and role model for them every day – everything from basic social skills like starting a conversation to using good manners and being accountable for themselves and their actions. Extending our classroom into the world allows our students develop Mastery on these skills and gives them a sense of Independence, which are two of the primary components of the Circle of Courage.

After a hard battle, the Jacks were defeated 20-0.  We left Brookings and stopped in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for supper.  The boys were all starving and we found buffet that we knew would fill them up.  This was another opportunity for the boys to practice their social skills.  The boys ate their fill and finished off with ice cream before we hit the road back to St. Joseph’s.

We arrived back to campus just in time for bed. The boys got off the bus and thanked us for taking them to a football game, never suspecting we actually took them to a “classroom” so they could learn something.

The boys may have thanked us for taking them but they should thank the donors who make such trips possible.  So, on behalf of the St. Joseph’s Indian School Jr. High Football team, thank you for your support!

Frank W., Residential Coordinator

The football field and stadium at South Dakota State University.
The stands were packed as South Dakota State Jackrabbits took on their northern rivals – the North Dakota State Bison!

Everybody Powwow!!

WOW! What a weekend!

The Great Spirit really blessed St. Joseph’s Indian School this past weekend with great weather for our 37th Annual   Powwow.  Many new friendships were made, and over 400 visitors were given the chance to see where their generous donations go and how they impact the lives of our Lakota (Sioux) students.

The festivities kicked off on Wednesday, with Fr. Steve returning for the weekend.  The students and staff had an ‘official’ going away gathering that gave everyone time for tears, handshakes and sharing memories.  Thursday morning, we were up bright and early to take part in the bus trip to the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations.

Friday, the morning got started with breakfast at the Development Office.  Tours were also included so visitors could see how the mailings go out and how the donations are handled when they come in.

Later, at the Rec Center, there were three different cultural presentations:

  • How to make a dreamcatcher
  • Traditional Native American foods
  • A drum presentation

Each session filled quickly.  Many took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and the new addition, the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi (We Stood Here in the Beginning) Historical and Alumni Center. 

Visits to the school and classrooms, with the Lakota boys and girls acting as tour guides, took up the early afternoon prior to the crowning of St. Joseph’s royalty  — Eagle Staff Bearer,  Miss St. Joseph’s and Jr. Miss St. Joseph’s.  The afternoon concluded with a demonstration of Hoop Dancing by Kevin Locke who told stories, taught us sign language and employed 28 hoops in his dance.  The Friday evening banquet at Cedar Shores was jam packed with 375 guests.  There was a drawing for a Lakota Star Quilt and a silent auction for a painting by Mr. Del Iron Cloud, a St. Joseph’s alumnus.

Saturday was absolutely awesome weather-wise with sunshine and gentle breezes.  Early guests on campus that morning had the chance to visit several of St. Joseph’s homes prior to the Grand Entry at noon.  All veterans were invited to take part as the colors were presented and then shared their name and branch of service.

We had a great turn out of youth dancers – 191 in all – and all the practice our students put in paid off. Twenty St. Joseph’s students claimed prize money, with five winning first place!

Everyone enjoyed a buffalo stew supper after the powwow.

The evening ended with an honor dance for Fr. Steve, which began with a blessing for him in his new assignment as Provincial of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in the United States.

There was a full house for Mass on Sunday morning, which began with some of St. Joseph’s dancers – wearing full regalia – leading us in as our drum group provided the entrance music. Many pictures were taken and then our guests were free to visit the museum again or begin their journey home.

As I shook hands with those leaving Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, many mentioned they are looking forward to coming again next year.  Our students and staff hope they are able to return and that others, who were unable to come this year, might make it next year.  St. Joseph’s 38th Annual Wacipi – Powwow – will be September 12-14, 2014.  I hope you all can join us!

See more moments from the weekend on Flickr, Facebook and YouTube!

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

P.S.   One thing that really impressed me was how many individuals or church groups brought donations of school supplies, clothing and other needed items.  Several mentioned they have been doing this for years.  Pilamaya —thank you.

St. Joseph’s Royalty were named Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday’s powwow.
Hope, Miss St. Joseph’s and Sasha, Jr. Miss St. Joseph’s, are pictured with Fr. Anthony and Ben, St. Joseph’s Eagle Staff Bearer.

A visit from the Superior General

Greetings for St. Joseph’s Indian School!

St. Joseph’s recently hosted the Superior General of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Jose Ornelas, SCJ.  He was accompanied by Fr. John van den Hengel, SCJ.  Father Ornelas visited Canada and the United States to meet with all the SCJ priests and brothers and see our various ministries in action.  St. Joseph’s Indian School was founded by the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1927.

Their visit began with a community meeting of the SCJs here in South Dakota.  Fathers Jose and John then toured St. Joseph’s campus, visited the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, as well as the Tokéya uŋkí nájiŋpi Historical and Alumni Center.  They watched some of the Lakota (Sioux) students practice their dancing for the upcoming powwow, looked in on classrooms to see the students in action and helped with homework in several of the homes before having supper with our high school boys in Sheehy Home.

Tuesday, they visited the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservations, where the SCJs began their ministry to the Native American people back in 1923.  They met with members of the pastoral team and drove around the area to get a feel for the land and work being done.

We also kicked off the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program last week at St. Joseph’s.  As part of the program, the Lakota students will meet each week and discuss the effects bullying can have on people.  We want to encourage a positive environment for our students, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.  Teachers, house parents and staff will also take part, and students’ families will be involved as well.

The powwow is on the horizon! We find ourselves in a ticklish situation as we are praying for rain for those areas of the country that are suffering from drought or fires, yet we also want good weather here at St. Joseph’s so that our guests will have an enjoyable (and dry) experience as powwow activities unfold on September 20-22. One guest we look forward to welcoming is Father Steve!

Have a great week and may God’s blessings and strength continue to be with you.  Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School

Finding purpose in your life

The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time! You are gearing up for the school year by setting up your classroom, reorganizing your office, and finishing up on some lesson planning… you find yourself not panicking.

But just when you think you have everything done, you look around the corner and are greeted with another item to add to your “To Do List.”

This happened to me while I was getting ready for the Lakota boys and girls to return to St. Joseph’s Indian School. I felt I had everything ready for the school year and I was going to be ready to rock ‘n roll for the first week of classes!

But then, I was then greeted with another item on my “To Do List.” I left the first day of school feeling a little overwhelmed. My head was spinning and I was thinking, “Wow, there is just so much more I have to do!”

As I was walking to my car, I heard shouts from the playground. My students were asking if I could join them on the swings.

God quickly reminded by me what an amazing place St. Joseph’s is. The happy shouts of the children reminded me that, no matter how long my list was, the main reason that God has me at this school is to build relationships and touch the hearts of the Native American students who attend this wonderful place.

If you are ever feeling overwhelmed during the day and are wondering what in the world is going on, take a deep breath. Look around and be thankful for what God is doing in your life.

Joe teaches the Native American children Religion at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Joe and the Lakota students in Religion Class.

Lakota students take part in youth triathlon

Good morning from South Dakota!
All I can say is ‘God bless whomever invented air conditioning!’
The Chamberlain area is facing some extremely hot weather. Saturday was in the mid-90s, but luckily we had a bit of a breeze to “cool” things down. Sunday was so hot that, when I crossed campus about 1:30 PM, not a single Lakota student was outside! I’m sure the swimming pool was full, and that several St. Joseph’s homes went to American Creek beach to cool off in the Missouri River. It was still over 100 as late as 6:30 PM, and it is supposed to be hot again today.
On Saturday morning, 60 or so youth between the ages of 7 to 15 took part in the 6th annual Chamberlain Youth Triathlon, which involved a swim, bike ride and run. St. Joseph’s Indian School was well represented, with at least one of our Native American students winning medals in each age category. The Raphael Home (1st-3rd grade boys) and Summerlee Home (4th & 5th grade girls) had most of their entrants bring home a medal. We’re so proud of everyone who participated!
The Development Office passed along a number of prayer requests they have received from you and those who have visited our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. I’ll divide these up and pass them along to our students so they can keep your requests in their home prayers each evening. You are always remembered at our Mass on Sunday as we ask God to bless and reward you for your generosity.
Stay cool and let’s keep the fire fighters who are dealing with all the forest fires in the West in our prayers, that the Lord will keep them safe and provide some beneficial weather to help them get the blazes under control.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Quality Time and Positive Risk-Taking

Can I just say I love working on the weekend? I know most people would hate to come to work on the weekend, so I don’t want to make anyone jealous of my job.  But really– I LOVE WORKING ON THE WEEKEND! This is because weekends are full of quality time.  I find that, the more quality time we spend with the kids, the less conflict they have and the more positive their attitude is when they have to take care of their daily responsibilities.

This past weekend we were on duty in the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls) and got to bond with our sweet Lakota girlies. We had SO much fun!  American Island Days was a little festival in Chamberlain at the American Creek Campground, which is just a few blocks from St. Joseph’s Indian School. We took advantage of all the events taking place. The best part is that they were FREE! With 12 kids, costs are always high when going out. It was such a blessing to have so much fun at no cost. The girls had a blast on the inflatables, zip line, and on the boat rides provided by the South Dakota National Guard.

It was interesting to see our girls’ little personalities. Leave any stereotypes at the door if you come to St. Joseph’s! Our kids are not all the same, that’s for sure. Although, one thing I have noticed since coming here is that many of them fear trying new things. In fact, research shows troubled or at-risk youth can be afraid of the unknown and the new.

Most of them had never been on a boat or had no idea what a zip line was. Jachin and I had our “encouragement switches” on the whole time. The girls needed lots of reassurance and were rather apprehensive. As we waited in line, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would back out at the last minute. I am delighted to tell you that all girls participated in the boat ride and all but two got on the zip line!

I’ve been doing some reading on positive risk taking.  Studies also reveal that young people who take positive risks are more likely to avoid destructive behaviors than are those who do not. They are also more likely to describe themselves in positive terms and to say they often feel happy. This is why this weekend I was especially proud of our girls. I was really proud that they were able to step outside of their comfort zones to take positive risks.

Here’s a video and some pictures highlighting some of the fun we had:

At dinner, we always go around the table and we each share what the best part of our day was as well as the worst part. On that day, nearly all the girls said their best part was the zip line and the boat ride (what they were originally most afraid of). Go figure! They also loved when Jachin was wearing a velcro suit (seen on the video) and he made us laugh.  I have to agree. I laughed obnoxiously hard.

P.S: the girls are so excited about our upcoming annual powwow! More on their dancing next time : )

What a weekend!

Activities were taking place all around the Chamberlain area this weekend, as well as on St. Joseph’s campus.

Many of St. Joseph’s Lakota students participate in powwow.
More than 1,000 people attended the powwow on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation this weekend.

The high school students returned Sunday and are now taking part in an orientation to get them ready for the first day of school at Chamberlain High on Wednesday, August 21.  We are excited that we’ll have 50 Lakota students in our program this year. High school sports practices have also begun.

The biggest event of the weekend was the powwow on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fort Thompson, South Dakota.  They had a big turnout, with nearly 1,000 people on Saturday alone.  Many dancers, singers and drum groups took part in the celebration. A good number of our Native American students come from the Crow Creek Reservation and they were happy to be able to spend time with family and friends.

St. Joseph’s upcoming 37th annual powwow is right around the corner! This week began with a planning meeting for the celebration, which is scheduled for September 21. We hope you’ll have the chance to visit St. Joseph’s Indian School for the event!  You can look over our schedule at www.stjo.org/powwow.

Have a great week and enjoy the last remaining days of summer.  May God’s blessings continue to be with you, and gift you with health and happiness.

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain