Winter Isn’t To Far Off!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Our nights are crisp and cold, yet the days are sunny and warm. As I walked to the office, I ran into Quentin, our electrician, and asked him what projects he’s working on. He’s switching all our systems over to heat now. With the number of homes and buildings we have on campus that’s no small task. It is a sign that winter isn’t too far off.

I spent the morning at the business office going over the weekly financial information. One of our newest employees is a young woman recently out of college. She celebrated a birthday on Sunday, so I stopped by her desk to say a special hello. When I asked how her weekend was, she was so enthusiastic that her celebration included a family gathering on the home farm for a pheasant hunt. They had a lovely day together and were able to get enough birds for many meals. I’m not a hunter, and stereotypically think of most hunters as older men. In this part of the world it’s more of a family tradition. In the Lakota tradition, many of our students learn to hunt at a young age, maybe not with bow and arrow as their ancestors once did, but still with a spirit of respect and gratitude for the animals and birds that give up their lives that the people may live.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School