Culture Studies
Celebrating Lakota Language, Culture and Identity
When your child joins our Lakota Studies classroom, you can be sure they’ll be welcomed by teachers who want them to feel proud of who they are. We encourage every student to become a lifelong learner of their Native American heritage. Here, your child will see how language and culture work together. Our teachers support each student as they learn to speak Lakota or Dakota. At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we use the Lakota Language Consortium curriculum to help keep the language strong for future generations.
At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we connect culture and spirituality every day. Our staff show your child that learning is about more than just academics. Here, your family will find a values-based education that includes prayer and healthy living, helping your child grow in every way.
Honoring Native American Traditions
At St. Joseph’s, we work hand-in-hand with Native American families to make sure cultural understanding is at the center of everything we do. Our caring staff takes part in training, Native American Studies classes, and hands-on learning right in our homes and across campus. Your child will have the chance to join in special traditions, like our annual Powwow and Inipi, so they can feel connected and proud of their heritage.
We want your child to experience both the Catholic tradition and Native American culture through prayer, service, learning, activities, travel, and more. Our goal is to help your child build a strong foundation of faith and tradition that will guide them for life. Your child will find many ways to build on what they learn in the classroom.
Learning the Lakota Language
Your child will grow in the Lakota language by learning new words at home, joining language competitions, and hearing prayers and songs in Lakota at school and Mass.
We celebrate Lakota Word Wednesday by introducing a Lakota word or phrase each week. Our teachers incorporate Lakota language into every classroom, giving your child regular opportunities to practice, build confidence, and strengthen their connection to the language and culture.
The Inipi Ceremony
Your child will have the chance to take part in Inipi, or sweat lodge, right here on campus. Inipi means ‘to live again.’ It is a special purification ceremony where water is poured on hot rocks and everyone comes together in prayer.
Growing and Harvesting Sage
Your child will be part of growing and harvesting sage, a special plant used in Native American ceremonies.
They will see the whole process, from tiny seedlings to harvest time. Before picking sage, we begin with a prayer to Grandmother Earth to give thanks.
Your child will learn how to cut the sage so it grows back strong. After harvesting, we dry and bundle the sage to use for smudging, prayer ties, and ceremonies.
The Chalk Hills Singers
Your child can join the Pahá Makȟásaŋ Lowáŋpi, also known as the Chalk Hills Singers, our school’s traditional drum group.
Traditional Foods and Recipes
Your child will learn how to prepare traditional foods through hands-on activities around campus.
They might help harvest chokecherries to make wojapi, a tasty berry sauce, or help make waśŋa, a mix of buffalo meat and dried berries.
During special celebrations, your child may enjoy contemporary culturally significant foods, such as Indian tacos, as part of learning about and celebrating Lakota culture and how it has evolved over time.
The Seven Essential Understandings
Every classroom includes lessons from The Seven Essential Understandings of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, so your child can learn about these important teachings wherever they are.
The Annual Cultural Trip
If your child is in seventh grade, they will get to go on our Annual Cultural Trip. It is a weeklong adventure to places important to the Lakota people in South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.
What your child learns before the trip will help them get even more out of the experience, and when they return, they will share what they discovered with other students.
Cultural Activities and Traditions
There are even more ways for your child to learn and celebrate culture, like visits from elders, trying traditional Lakota archery, making ribbon skirts, and much more.
Always Part of Our Thióšpaye
At St. Joseph’s, you’re part of our family for life. We care about your growth in every way, and our connection doesn’t end when you leave campus. If you’ve ever attended St. Joseph Indian School, you’re always a member of our Thióšpaye, our extended family. You’ll see alumni artwork in the Aktá Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, and many former students come back to visit and catch up with our alumni liaisons.