St. Joseph’s Indian School Announces Powwow Royalty

The 49th Annual St. Joseph’s Indian School Wačhípi is September 20. The royalty competition kicks off the powwow activities. This year’s Miss St. Joe’s is Persais Swift Hawk from Ft. Thompson, Junior Miss St. Joe’s is Arihanni Archambeau-Quiver from Sioux Falls, and the Eagle Staff Bearer is Hehaka Wambli (Tristan) Black Lance from Rapid City.

Swift Hawk, an eighth grader and a member of the Crow Creek Tribe, danced the jingle dance in the competition. When asked about dancing, she said, “When I dance in a jingle dress, it’s really healing for me, especially when I hear everybody else.  I also like meeting new people.” Margaret Parker, an eighth grader of the Rosebud & Omoŋhon (Omaha) Nations and from Norfolk, NE, was named Miss St. Joe’s runner-up.

Archambeau-Quiver, a fifth grader of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, danced the jingle dance in the competition. She was asked about her favorite Lakota word and why. She answered, “My favorite Lakota word is šíča. It means bad, and it is used in a funny way a lot, and I just like saying it“. Fourth grader Elaina Comes Flying, a member of the Crow Creek Tribe and from Ft. Thompson, was named Jr. Miss St. Joe’s runner-up.

Black Lance is an Eighth grader and a member of the Rosebud Tribe. He danced the Fancy Dance in competition. When asked how he feels about speaking Lakota, he answered, “It makes me feel good because my ancestors weren’t able to speak it back then, and now we are able to”. Sixth-grader Zukai Azure of Huŋkpati Oyate, Crow Creek Tribe, was named Eagle Staff Bearer runner-up.

Three young women competed for Miss St. Joe’s, and eight for Junior Miss St. Joe’s. Four young men presented for Eagle Staff Bearer. Contestants submitted written interview questions, introduced themselves in Lakota or Dakota, demonstrated one dance, and answered questions from the panel of judges.

The evening opened with a prayer led by St. Joseph’s Indian School President, Fr. Greg Schill, SCJ. Associate Native American Studies Teacher Sharla Krogman led everyone in the Our Father in Lakota and the Flag Song.

The powwow is free and open to the public with handicap accessibility. For more information and a complete schedule of events, contact St. Joseph’s Indian School at 605-234-3313 or visit stjo.org/powwow. If you cannot attend in person, follow postings and live updates virtually with St. Joseph’s Indian School on Facebook at www.stjo.org/facebook.