Tag: Native American

While last week’s powwow ran well, one of the reasons it does so is our ongoing efforts at evaluation and improvement. We don’t have any control over the weather, but we do have much to do with all the other aspects. The wrap up meeting took far longer than previous planning meetings. We heard suggestions ranging from better identification of the homes open for tours to organizing dancers for the Grand Entry, to better strategic placing of porta-potties!

We had planned a mentor roller-skating outing to nearby Platte. But the prairie winds were in full force, and with 60 mph gusts the school districts cautioned against taking busses out on the open road. Staying home may have  saved me from another kind of danger, since my roller-skating prowess was shaky even when I was young. Instead, we gathered in the Rec Center for a quieter, yet still fun, game night. I taught Robert how to play Scrabble. We didn’t keep score and I just tried to put out longer words that would make it easier for him to build upon.

Our Parents Advisory Council met today. We discussed the alumni center that is still in the planning stages, and how we can utilize our alumni as resources for helping our students pursue careers and connections. At the health center the parents and grandparents had a lively discussion with our nurses. The most common health issue we find our students facing is allergies and asthma. We talked about the procedures when a student gets an illness or injury that necessitates a trip to the hospital.

Head lice and childhood obesity are two health issues that can be embarrassing for youth to deal with, but also occur with increasing frequency. We discussed ways to work with these students in ways that don’t damage their self-esteem. Another self-esteem related issue is bullying. Julie, our Residential Coordinator and Jennie, our Student Coordinator explained ways we are addressing the effects of bullying on our students. Sadly, that has been such an ongoing problem for kids of every generation.

Donna, our HR Director, got parental input on ideas for continuing to recruit more Native American staff, across all departments, but particularly in the Homes. When our students have mentors who can more closely connect with their American Indian culture and experience, that is an invaluable resource.

This morning we broke ground for our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center’s expansion that will include an alumni center, historical displays, medicine wheel garden of healing, and museum storage space. We had alumni representing everyone from a new first grader to Casmir LeBeau, who is in his 90’s and was in the first group of American Indian children to arrive at St. Joseph Indian School when it opened its doors in 1927!

Four of our homes were open for tours, so guests could glimpse what our homes and their routines are all about. Besides classroom learning – since our students live here – we have to make sure to teach them a lot about life as well.

I have so many memories from the powwow – wonderful turnout, people and dancers. I’m so grateful to our staff for making all this happen. If you have 6 minutes, take some time to watch the video from our 35th annual powwow that one of our staff produced. Pictures speak far more than my words can say.

One event that did move me a lot was when 4^th grader Richard’s family asked for a special dance to honor him. He had some serious foot surgery on his growth plate last year, but is courageously pushing ahead with his dancing. Earlier during one of the rounds he fell, but got right up and kept going.

My family often makes the trip out for this special even this year. I was pleased to have Uncle Mickey and Aunt Betty join us.

We were graced with the presence of seven fine drum groups.

When the powwow was completed, we ate a feast of beef and buffalo stew prepared by our kitchen staff. Then it came time for awards. While not every dancer won a prize, everyone who danced was a winner in my eyes.

Visitors have been stopping at Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center all day to pick up their registration packets for our 35th annual powwow. The first person I saw when I went into the museum was Percy who comes all the way from Illinois and hasn’t missed a powwow in the seven years that I’ve been at St. Joseph’s Indian School. There were other folks who have been long time donors and have never been to the campus. As others talk about having wanted to come for many years, and have finally made it, their journey seems like a kind of pilgrimage. They picked up maps and schedules and are getting their plans in order for the next couple of days.

We started the morning by meeting with the auditors to get the preliminary financial report. The full report will go to the Board of Directors in October. We were again blessed with the financial support to be able to run the many quality programs we have available at St. Joseph’s Indian School and in our outreach programs.

Fr. Tom, my religious superior, is also out for his annual pastoral visitation. He will spend time with each SCJ in South Dakota, asking how we’re doing, and offering his support and encouragement. Besides the work at the school, he wanted to know about my health (still doing well) and the joys and challenges of religious life. He was superintendent at St. Joseph’s Indian School in the 70’s and 80’s and invested a lot of himself in this place.

In a slow, cold and dreary rain, three of our 7^th and 8^th grade cross-country runners competed against high school JV teams in the meet held at the Chamberlain golf course. I admire dedication even when the weather is nice for running. To see our students going hard in difficult conditions made the discomfort I felt minor by comparison.

I hope they learn that lesson in life too, to keep going even when times are hard.

Everyone on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus is in high gear preparing for this weekend’s 35th annual powwow events. It’s a lot of work, but something we look forward to every year.

While headed home for lunch, I ran into LaRae, one of our family service counselors, gathering up a group of 10 children for a “new student” group. They have lunch together and talk about their adjustments, and lend peer support to each other.

Our Cross Country team came home from yesterday’s White River meet with a win. All our runners – boys and girls – earned a ribbon, which should encourage them to keep training and improving.  Kyle and Cassidy came in first place in their respective races.

Dan, one of the Summerlee houseparents, has an interest in archeology. He set up a dig on campus to teach interested students about that science and see what they could find. On the first excavation they found a tin stamp, probably used to stamp letters with the St. Joseph’s Indian School seal, broken and discarded only to be uncovered by our history sleuths. We’ll see what other treasures they unearth and what it teaches them about the old days.

Peggy, one of our 4^th grade teachers celebrated a birthday today. When I stopped by the classroom to wish her well, I discovered that the 4^th grade boys in Cyr Home had baked a birthday cake for her and were sharing it with the class. They are pretty good cooks, though I think they had a little help!

Our 7^th and 8^th grade football team opened the season with an impressive win against Crow Creek 48 – 6. Dave is a new 8^th grader this year and set the tone when on the opening kickoff he picked up a fumble and rumbled into the end zone. As the touchdowns piled up, our back up and younger players got more and more playing time. Several of our players are from the Crow Creek Indian reservation and were playing against friends and relatives. Lots of folks along the sidelines were cheering for both teams.

As the country marks the 10^th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, we prayed for all the victims and their families at church today. At noon, we tolled the church bells and had the homes stop what they were doing for a moment of silence. Then each home had a common prayer to pray and remember.

While visiting the Sheehy (HS boys) Home, I asked if they had any vivid memories of that tragic day. Many of our students weren’t yet born in 2001. All the high school guys were between 4 and 7, and only a couple had a few vague memories. I was 4 when President Kennedy was shot, and I don’t remember any of that either. But I know what a sad event that was for the whole country and could understand how it affected people for years to come. As our students hear more stories and remembrances, I think 9-11 will become more real to them as time goes on, even if it was outside their initial experience.

This morning I attended a 5 team volleyball tournament where our 7^th and 8^th grade teams got to see their first action of the year. Three 6^th grade girls also got some playing time.

I came home to campus where the 5^th and 6^th grade football program was scrimmaging . At that level, we don’t have our own team, but students from Chamberlain and the surrounding area are all involved. It’s healthy to see our students mix in such positive ways with others. It was also a beautiful day to be outside.

I stopped in on the FAST (Families and Schools Together) program. Some of the families I’ve known for years. Others are brand new to St. Joseph’s Indian School. All appreciated the opportunity for activities with their children/grandchildren. I know it sure means a lot to the kids to have their families involved on campus.

In the office, I had several huge piles of paperwork to sign. Our college scholarship committee met and recommended who will receive scholarships this semester. Twenty-six of our alumni are in college right now. Thirteen are just beginning college studies, most after some time of working and starting families. A 41-year-old is going back to school to be a Chemical Dependency Counselor, after overcoming his own addictions and living a clean and sober lifestyle for many years.  One young woman is combining Lakota (Sioux) and EMT training, so she can speak in Lakota to those in the ambulance who speak that as their native tongue. One alumnae  has a daughter in school here right now, and she is going back to school to improve her own life and be a good example to her daughter. Some of the letters are just a basic few lines, others are quite stirring narrative about trying to overcome hard circumstances, and build a better life thorough education.

I was especially satisfied to sign college scholarship papers for all three of our high school students who graduated last May.

Fall seems to kick off meeting season for the local diocese. I traveled to Mitchell, South Dakota yesterday for a priest meeting with the Vicar for Clergy and to Sioux Falls today for a meeting on vocations. Both were worth the time and distances.

While much has been in the news about priests’ misbehavior, as a group, priests tend to have some of the highest rankings of job satisfaction and there was a good spirit among the group. We shared about other priests who positively impacted our lives and vocations. My pastor, Fr. Letko, served in my home parish for 42 years, so he was the only priest I knew and a real institution. I don’t remember a lot of his homilies, but I remember him driving the school bus, cutting the grass and dropping by to visit people in their homes every once in a while. He was a real part of the community, and that was a strong formative influence on me.

The vocation meeting, was a gathering of the religious communities that work in the diocese gathered, both of men and women. Again, lots of caring people, doing some good work to serve both the church and people in need. We keep praying that we can live lives of faith that inspire others to search for God within the context of religious life.

I did get in some time with the students. I had supper with William Home (4^th-5^th grade girls). They were cutting soup labels when I arrived – saving up for prizes for both the home and themselves individually.

At the office, a couple of our high school girls dropped by to talk. Erin and Danisha are both seniors, and starting to plan for senior pictures. I happened to have my high school yearbook on the bookshelf and opened it up where they both got a good laugh at how I looked many years ago. It lead to lots of stories and sharing.