Red Cloud Indian School
The mission of Red Cloud Indian School (RCIS), a Catholic Institution administered by the Jesuits and the Lakota people, is to develop and grow as a vibrant Church, through an education of the mind and spirit that promotes Lakota and Catholic values. Since its founding in 1888 and through an enduring partnership of the Jesuits and the Lakota people, RCIS continues to foster community engagement, innovative education, spiritual formation, and social justice.
As the Vice President for Mission and Identity, Father Peter Klink’s message to Red Cloud students and staff began the week with: “As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week with the colleagues of all our sister-ministries around the country, let’s lift each other up and allow our deepest desires to be blessed!” Red Cloud serves approximately 600 K-12th grade Lakota students at Red Cloud High School, Red Cloud Elementary School and Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School, which has been part of the Red Cloud school system since 1931. All three schools participate in National Catholic Schools Week each year to honor the value of Catholic education with its peer schools across the country.
The theme for 2019 is “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” To celebrate, RCIS held special morning prayer reflections, poster art projects, and writing contests throughout the week. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School are taking part in an essay contest to reflect on and respond to daily questions related to this year’s theme. A special essay is chosen each day to share with the schools and also posted on social media.
In response to the theme “What does it mean to be a Red Cloud student?” a 7th grade winner wrote "This school gives us students a chance in life to be something great, break stereotypes, and show people that not only can Native Americans do great, but us young Catholic children can too. Being at a Catholic school has shown me that it is okay to believe and make mistakes because even if I'm not perfect, I am me, and that is glorious."
Tuesday’s theme was “What it means to be a school, who we are as an institution, individuals, and a community?” An 8th grader from Our Lady of Lourdes was recognized for writing: "Being taught at a school that celebrates Lakota tradition helps us lead because it shows us how the teachings of our ancestors still play a big role in today's world because those traditions make up our culture, and they make us unique to other cultures that other people follow."
Finally, each day a new poster was added to the displays in school lunchrooms with original student drawings illustrating themes to include “Where is your place of God?” “Celebrating Catholic Schools Week at Red Cloud,” and the theme for the week “Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed.” Students look forward to National Catholic Schools Week each year to participate in activities that celebrate the value a Catholic education provides. Through the partnership of the Jesuits and the Lakota people, Red Cloud Indian School continues to create transformative change on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to “lift each other up!” and nurture a new generation of Lakota leaders.
