St. Ann's Indian Mission, Belcourt, ND
A very special tradition at St. Ann’s Catholic School on Turtle Mountain Reservation is the celebration of Veteran’s Day. Native Americans have a long history of involvement in the military, dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War. Many past and present St. Ann’s parishioners are among their ranks. To mark the day, members of the Lilley-Dionne American Legion Post 262 of Belcourt, ND, joined the students and staff of St. Ann’s Catholic School for a special mass and luncheon.
Mary Beth Lalka, principal of St. Ann’s talked about the event. “We have a large number of veterans in our community so it’s important for students to recognize their contribution to our community and nation,” she said. “We wanted to give the students an opportunity to honor the veterans and to spend time socializing with them.”
According to the United Services Organization, since 9/11, almost 19% of all Native Americans have served in the Armed Forces – in comparison to an average of 14% of all other ethnicities.
During the school mass, the names of close to 200 veterans were read during the prayers of the faithful. These included living and deceased members of the military. “The names were submitted by parishioners and by the students themselves,” Lalka shared. “A number of students took the forms home to be filled out by their parents or grandparents, but some students filled the forms out themselves.” Service in the military is widely held tradition for many Native American families and the students are very aware of their contribution to society.
At the luncheon, each veteran was given handmade cards from the students, thanking them for their service. The veterans in attendance took the rest of the cards to be distributed during the next local legion meeting. During lunch, a number of students sat at the veterans’ tables, excited to meet them or ask questions about their military service. One student was eager to share a favorite Knock-Knock joke with this new friend, bringing a unique moment of connection between the two and genuine delight to the veteran at his side.
To each of the veterans from St. Ann’s and those across the Fargo diocese, thank you for your service and for the sacrifices made by you and your families.
