History

We will celebrate our fiftieth annual Powwow, marking fifty years of coming together as a family and honoring our traditions.

The Theresian Missionaries of Mary (TMM) arrive from the Philippines to minister in Ft. Thompson and Lower Brule.

We began a two-year project to double the size of our Recreation Center and give the current space a fresh new look, so everyone can enjoy even more activities together.

We dedicated the Dehon building, named for Fr. Leo Dehon, the founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. This building is now home to our health center and counseling offices, supporting the well-being of our students.

That same year, we remodeled the former convent and health center, turning it into our Corporate Services building to help our school run smoothly.

St. Joseph’s Indian School opens two senior homes on campus. These homes provide opportunities for St. Joseph’s high school seniors to learn skills and responsibilities they will need to be successful after graduation.

Thrift Store opens at its new location on North Main Street. St. Joseph’s Personal Care Center opens on Main Street in Chamberlain. St. Joseph’s Donor Care Center opens in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Thrift Store opens at its new location on North Main Street. St. Joseph’s Personal Care Center opens on Main Street in Chamberlain. St. Joseph’s Donor Care Center opens in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Akta Lakota Museum grew to include a beautiful medicine wheel garden, a space to share our school’s history, a special area for alumni, and more room to care for our collections.

Renovation on the Speyer and Rooney is completed. Renovation begins in the Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.

Tribal flag murals were added to the dining hall, and renovations on the Cyr and Perky Homes were completed, improving both cultural representation and student living spaces.

We formed our Parent Advisory Committee to make sure we serve our students and families even better.

The Sacred Hoop Center was constructed to better integrate family members into student programming and strengthen family engagement.

The previous SCJ home was renovated and repurposed into two high school student living units.

A new residence was built for SCJ religious staff serving on campus, supporting their daily life and ministry work.

Tipi Press Printing was established as an on-campus print shop, improving efficiency and reducing costs for development and outreach materials.

The round school building was repurposed into the Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, dedicated to preserving and sharing Lakota culture and history.

The Visitor Center opened to welcome approximately 25,000 guests annually, while the Development Office expanded outreach efforts supporting prayer and social service programs nationwide.

The former boys’ dormitory overlooking the Missouri River was renovated into smaller classrooms, allowing for more individualized instruction with about 12 students per class.

The chapel, originally built in 1956, underwent a full renovation and underpinning. The redesign reflects both Catholic and Lakota traditions.

Dormitory-style housing was fully replaced with family living units. Each home now houses 10–12 students, creating a more holistic and supportive residential model.

We came together for our very first annual Powwow at St. Joseph’s Indian School, starting a tradition that brings our community closer every year.

The current dining hall was built with modern facilities. Today, it continues to serve students daily for meals and also functions as a grocery distribution space for campus homes.

School opens with an enrollment of 331. This year the school has a new Principal, Sr. Canicia. Being Principal of a grade school is an old task for Sister, but this year is her first in charge of a boarding school. She is also teaching the eighth grade. This means much of the desk work in connection with the school will be transferred to our office.

There are a lot of noises here like: the big booming sound of dump trucks and steel trucks carrying in supplies for the construction work; the whirring of grass mowers, continually giving our lawns a short butch haircut; the pounding of the carpenters, hammering nails and sawing boards.

The new boys’ house is growing by leaps and bounds as Hugh McGranns’ men lay bricks and hoist heavy steel beams into place. Already, the brick building has grown up to the second floor and the contractor hopes to have it under roof by the end of October. In the basement floor, there will be shops for the workmen, the carpenters, electricians, the plumbers, painters, and mechanics. Up on the ground floor, the workers are pouring the playroom floors and the athletic room … In the athletic room, basketball hoops will be hanging from the walls for practice games.

Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel is dedicated.

After much prayer and pleading, we were finally allowed to have the plans for the new chapel completed, but when the time came to open bids, permission on the part of the Provincial to go ahead was refused. (Editor’s note: Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel was dedicated in 1956).

Two hundred and thirty youngsters came, bringing with them just the clothing they were wearing. We need everything for the children. Yet, who can turn away a homeless orphan or neglected child?

School has begun and already we have a flock of food bills to contend with. … We are short desks, more beds are needed, and chapel space is at a premium. The walls bulge, there are a few moans and groans — but, seemingly we live through it.

A fire swept through much of our campus. While we rebuilt, the Sisters showed their dedication by making a home in the chicken coop until everything was ready again.

Four Franciscan Sisters arrive from Glenn Riddle, PA.