A day in Pierre, South Dakota

St. Joseph’s fourth graders took their class trip to Pierre, South Dakota.  Each year, Pierre puts on a South Dakota History Adventure with a grant from the South Dakota Humanities Council.  In the past, we have gone to the Casey Tibbs Museum and the Buffalo Interpretive Center operated by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. This year, the trip’s focus was on water.

After leaving St. Joseph’s Indian School and making the 85 mile trip to Pierre, we began our day on the river.  We were the first boat ride on the Missouri for the day! It was a bit chilly, but fun.  Our guide talked about tributaries, the change of the river since the 2011 flood, and pointed out different landscapes along the way.  In years past, we have had it rain (and even spit snow) so sunshine was good, despite the chill.  For a few of the Lakota boys and girls, it was their first boat ride, which always makes the day more special!

The day began with a boat ride. For some, it was their first!

From the boat, we did outdoor activities.  Our class was split into two groups.  My group got to look in water pulled from the river for bugs!  The students used spoons and a tiny syringe.  They found worms, a snail, and many other bugs on her list.  They concluded that the water they pulled the samples from was not healthy water because the bugs that live there are the ones that can live in unhealthy water.  The other group hiked along looking for things in nature that depend on water.  They got to use magnifying glasses and then wrote about what they saw.

Our third activity was the Planetarium at the Pierre Discovery Center. Afterwards, it was Pizza Ranch pizza in the park.  Again, sitting in the sunshine was a real treat!

After lunch, our last event of the day was the Cultural Heritage Museum. After an activity about landscapes, we had free time to look around the museum. Students could milk a cow, ride a train, listen on an old operator station, or view the many displays.  It was hard to round them up to leave!

Students hiked along the Missouri River, using magnifying glasses to spy bugs that rely on water.

Most slept all the way home.  It was a great day, with lots of activities and fun!

 

A few days before graduation…

Wednesday

When I come out of morning mass in the winter and walk past Wisdom Circle, the playground is empty. With the warmer weather, however, it has been filled with the laughter of the Lakota children squeezing in some play time before the school day starts.

Spring has finally arrived on the South Dakota Prairie! The flowers and bushes on campus are filled with fragrant and colorful blossoms. We seemingly went from winter to summer, skipping spring altogether, though we know our temperature swings will still be wild for some time to come.

Our Native American students from fifth through eighth grades have a chance to learn to play musical instruments. Yesterday, we gathered in Our Lady of the Sioux chapel to hear the fruits of their practice as they held a recital. Their skills are still pretty basic, but I admired their courage to get in front of their peers and risk hitting the wrong chord or note. We heard six piano solos, four guitars, two flutes, and clarinet and a drum. Some of the songs were very short. I was disappointed one of my old folk favorites, Oh Suzanna, finished before the rousing chorus. But you’ve got to love the kids for trying!

Caden and Richie worked hard on their guitar pieces for the music recital.

After that, we held a farewell gathering in the Rec Center for St. Joseph’s Child Services staff who are retiring or moving on to new things. Huge cardboard greeting cards were laid out for everyone to sign, while looking over pictures and remembering. After everyone grabbed some refreshments, each of those staff were called forward, given a gift, and the opportunity to say a few words.

Steve started as a houseparent, but since I’ve been at St. Joseph’s Indian School, has been the lead tutor at our High School Learning Center. With a concerted effort from students and staff, the collective grade point average of St. Joseph’s high school students has gone up almost a full point over the last four years!

Gary and Marty guided high school girls for the past two years, and Anita has mentored our young men for the past four.

Frank and Wanda have been houseparents for 26 years!!! They are retiring to spend more time with their own children and grandchildren. Over the years they’ve parented so many St. Joseph’s kids who consider them family. They were each wrapped in a Lakota star quilt as a sign of honor and appreciation. Many tears and tons of hugs followed. We pray for all those moving on to new adventures.

St. Joseph’s high school students finish classes at the end of this week. Elijah, one of our seniors, had high enough grades to be exempted from his finals and is completely done. This evening, our houseparents organized a back yard end-of-the-year cook out. Hot dogs and hamburgers taste mighty good when shared in the beautiful outdoors with good friends, conversation, and a few games thrown in to boot.

With the help of the local ministerial association, Chamberlain High

School organized their Baccalaureate Ceremony this evening. We hosted the service in our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Area pastors offered some words of prayer, but all of the readings and music were organized by the students. The evening was uplifting as we prayed for God’s help for all the youth of our community who are transitioning on to the next stages of their education and careers.

 

Cleaning, packing, preparing for the move

Hello again from the William Home’s fourth and fifth grade Lakota girls!

It has been an exciting time recently as we have been packing, cleaning, and preparing for our move back in to the newly renovated William Home.  We are in and the girls are so excited!

It is bittersweet for the fifth graders, since they will only get to be in for a short time before summer break begins. Next year, they will move to the older community of sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students on St. Joseph’s campus.

We recently took our annual home trip to Rapid City, South Dakota and visited and indoor water park.  These girls can go up and down those stairs on the slides for hours!  Oh, the joy of youth…

As we wind down the year at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we would like to thank all of our benefactors who make the work we do with Native American children possible.  God bless and have a great summer.

The girls in the newly renovated William Home do their homework at the kitchen counter.

 

Native American Career Day

I always grow concerned when I hear the wail of an ambulance siren. One day last week, it cried loudly outside St. Joseph’s Indian School. But no cause for alarm – the ambulance was on campus to present to our students for Native American Career Day.

Paramedics showed our Lakota students the equipment they use to save lives, and talked about what the job as a first responder entails.

St. Joseph’s first graders wait to see the inside of the ambulance.

Another group from Catholic Social Services runs the Lakota Circles of Hope program. They work to prevent elementary students from abusing drugs and alcohol. From the medical field, St. Joseph’s students heard from a physical therapist and a woman overseeing medical records for Indian Health Services. The state Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes talked to the students about showing the values of sportsmanship and care while pursuing the games we all love.

The presentation which fascinated me the most, was hearing from an alumnae who went into law enforcement. I knew Fancy when she was a tiny baby and I worked in Red Scaffold, South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Now, she stands 6’2” and with her police vest and equipment on, she is an imposing figure!

But, she has learned good people skills. While she can be strong and tough when needed, she shared with the students that she gets more done not by the use of force, but by kindness and checking in with people. She asks about what is going on, and builds relationships in the communities she works in. She listens to the hurts and suffering.

I asked Fancy how she deals with the ugly side of life, where she sees things no one wants to see. She said, “I pray. I pray for the people who are hurting. I pray I can take care of my kids. I pray for strength and compassion. And St. Joseph’s helped teach me the importance of that.”

The Lakota children check out the stretcher inside the ambulance.

 

St. Joseph’s 2013 Distinguished Almnus

During mass last Sunday, we had a whole host of events. For Mother’s Day, we invited all St. Joseph’s moms and house-moms up to the front of Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, where they were serenaded by our children’s choir and given a carnation in appreciation of everything they do.

We prayed for all of our eighth grade and high school graduates. The seniors will walk up the aisle Sunday, May 19 and our eighth grade class a few days later on Friday, May 24.

Artist Del Iron Cloud was welcomed as our distinguished alumnus for the year. He attended St. Joseph’s Indian School in the late 50’s and thanked Brother Bonaventure for helping nurture his love for beauty. Since retiring from the United States Air Force, Del has dedicated himself to painting, and we carry many of his works in the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. In a touching gesture, he painted beautiful watercolor feathers, each unique and original, and presented them to each graduate as his way of honoring them.

Iron Cloud painted beautiful watercolor feathers and presented them to each graduate as his way of honoring them.

After church, we held a reception for our five seniors in the dining hall. For each Lakota senior, the time they had spent on campus ranged between 5 and 10 years – so many memories to share! During dinner, a slide show of each looked back over their years at St. Joseph’s.

Instead of giving a speech, each made a short video to share about the activities they were involved in, future plans and, of course, advice to leave behind for those up and coming high school students. The video brought lots of laughter and recognition. Then, their teachers and houseparents came to the microphone and spoke from their hearts about the struggles, growth and accomplishments we’ve seen in these young people over that time.

There were a few tears shed as we think about parting. But, that’s what they’re meant to do – learn enough to start venturing off on their own, with our support and care in tow, to pursue their dreams. Four plan on college, and one the Armed Services.

In the afternoon, the scene shifted to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center for our ribbon cutting and open house celebrating the completion of our new addition. Mark Shields, who worked on our maintenance staff for over 40 years, did the honors after we blessed the facility and offered words of thanks to all who helped make it possible. I enjoyed visiting with the alumni, townsfolk, students and donors who filtered in throughout the day.

 

Giving back to the community

Earlier this year, St. Joseph’s Daughters of Tradition group was given the task of coming up with ideas for a service learning project as a way to give back to the community.  The Native American youth in the group decided they wanted to raise money for the Humane Society in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Recently, they headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to complete the project!

Our Lakota (Sioux) girls decided to donate to the Humane Society. To raise money, the girls planned a walking taco and bake sale.  The girls did all of the baking for the bake sale and group leaders assisted in getting the taco meat ready for the walking tacos.  The girls had two different sales and raised over $200.00 to donate to the Humane Society.  They were very proud of themselves!

While at the Humane Society, the girls were able to tour the facility, walk dogs and spend some time with the cats.  The girls really enjoyed themselves and if they had been able to, I think a few of them would have come home with new pets!  They did a great job and represented St. Joseph’s Indian School very well.  The Human Society was very pleased with their generous donation.

St. Joseph’s Daughters of Tradition group meets two times per month. This is a great place for the girls to talk about any issues they are having.  The group begins with a “Talking Circle,” which gives every girl a chance to talk about how they are doing and voice any issues or concerns they have.  The girls are very engaged in the group and enjoy the time they get to spend together and the opportunity to share concerns with their peers.

As one of the leaders of the group, I am so very pleased with the girls and their effort in the service learning project!

Julie

Family Service Counselor

 

Mom, but not in a conventional way

Mother’s Day is just around the corner.

I am not exactly sure what it means to be “mom.”

It is true that as a high school houseparent at St. Joseph’s Indian School, I do a lot of mom-like things.  I see the kids first thing when they get up, and I hear their prayers before they go to bed at night.  I know who won’t eat onions and who shouldn’t eat beans.  I cajole, correct, encourage, exhort, commend and sometimes nag.  I say stupid things like, “If your friends all jumped off a cliff…”  I sing the birthday song off key and with enthusiasm.  But I’m certainly not mom.  Not in a conventional way, anyway.

These precious Lakota children are entrusted to me by their families, and that is a big responsibility.

I find it impossible not to claim these kids, though.  When I’m sitting in the stands watching a basketball game, or the Fall play, or the Spring concert, I turn to the parent next to me and say, “Oh, which one is yours?  That one is mine!”   And if the kids at St. Joseph’s ever pulled shenanigans in public (which they never do of course) then I’d be there, saying, “Um, yeah.  That one is mine.”

And when it comes time to sit up all night with a child who has the flu and is crying for her real mom, well, she’s still mine.    Or when real mom dies and he doesn’t wear a jacket to the funeral, and I see he’s dancing around in the cold, then I worry and fuss.  Because he’s mine.   Or if she becomes a mom herself and wonders if I’m going to be there, well yes.  Still mine.

Come graduation day, I’m going to cry tears of joy, pride and sadness when “my kids” finish their time at St. Joseph’s and move on.  I will probably have to call my mom, who has been through all of this before.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there: real, step, honorary or otherwise.  Many thanks to the moms behind the moms, too—uncis, grandmas, aunties, sisters, and donors who support the children and staff at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  And a big thanks to my mom too.

Peace

Claire—high school houseparent

 

Visiting St. Joseph’s Donor Care Center

The Chamber of Commerce recently set up a ribbon cutting ceremony at St. Joseph’s Donor Care Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Our boys’ drum group – the Chalk Hills Singers – and girls who serve as support singers rode the bus to help open the building with style and festivity. Their songs and participation made the day special. Our Chalk Hills Singers began with an honor song dedicated to the “common man” for hard work, service and humility.

South Dakota Public Radio taped the song as part of an upcoming story. St. Joseph’s high school students and others from the community have petitioned the Chamberlain school board to include a Lakota (Sioux) honor song to pay tribute to all the graduates at Chamberlain High School graduation. The board votes next week.

At the ribbon cutting, I welcomed visitors and thanked all those who worked hard to renovate and open the office. St. Joseph’s Indian School is proud to have worked so well over the years with the Chamberlain community, and now we’re excited to be part of the Sioux Falls community also. Some great, highly qualified staff have already joined our team from the area. Lisa, who was a houseparent for almost 10 years and just moved over to the Donor Care Center, was a bit of a star our Native American students gravitated toward her to catch up on how she’s doing.

After a scrumptious potluck lunch, our students used sage to smudge and bless the building and staff. Fr. Anthony liberally sprinkled holy water throughout the facility. We ended with a circle of handshakes, allowing our students to say thanks for the work these staff do to make their education possible.

Afterwards, I got to play tourist and see familiar sights through the eyes of a first-time visitor. Fr. Jose hails from Portugal. Besides his late night flight into South Dakota a month ago, this was his first chance to see the Sioux Falls area. He was impressed with Sioux Falls’ replica of Michelangelo’s David statue, though he has seen the original with his own eyes. We spent time at Falls Park, from which the city gets its name.

We also made a couple stops on the way home.

The small town of Alexandria, South Dakota, has a Fatima Family Shrine. Since Fatima is so important in his native Portugal, we paid a visit. And of course we had to stop in Mitchell and take in the “World’s only Corn Palace.”

Fr. Anthony and Fr. Jose at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

 

Track Season is underway!

The St. Joseph’s Braves 2013 Track Team

Our sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students were able to represent St. Joseph’s Indian School in their first track meet of the year on Monday, April 29.  We do not have official results; however, we brought home seven ribbons between eight kids!

Bryan looks on as Craig makes his throw.

It is always a learning experience for the rookies.  We called to have shoes, lunches and water sent to the field for those who did not realize how important these necessities are to pack or ask their houseparents to pack for them.

We have several Lakota boys throwing the shot put and discus.  Our Recreation Center Director is an old hand at this, so Bryan is a great role model and motivator for these boys.  Our Native American Studies teacher, LaRayne, stresses the important of endurance when it comes to running your hardest, giving your best and finishing the race with a smile.

At the end of the day, we had some tired, but smiling, happy kids who were glad that our South Dakota spring weather cooperated so that we could showcase our talent to those outside of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Anthony lets the shot put fly.

 

Visitors from far and wide

While South Dakota is a very rural and out-of-the-way state, we get a lot of visitors at St. Joseph’s Indian School who are passing through in the summer on their way to visit the Badlands, Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. There is also a great interest in Native American culture, and our Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center receives a few hundred visitors each day during the summer.

We’ve noticed many visitors from Europe but recently, a groups of six Spanish-speaking tour guides stopped in to look at our museum. There is a great interest in travelers from South America as well, and they plan to bring folks from there our way this summer.

I dusted off my rusty Spanish to welcome them and say a few basic things about campus, which made them feel more at home. A guide from Argentina studied with the Jesuits, and shared that his best teacher was Jorge Bergolio, now Pope Francis. I called Fr. Jose over to the museum since he is fluent in several languages and he spent more time helping them tour and become familiar with what we can offer visitors.