About St. Joseph’s Indian School
Since 1927, St. Joseph’s Indian School has served Lakota (Sioux) children and families.
Our mission is to educate Native American children and their families for life — mind, body, heart and spirit. This mission drives our organization to educate and provide housing for over 200 Lakota (Sioux) children each year — all at no cost to their families.
Child poverty and abuse are serious issues on Indian reservations. By supporting St. Joseph’s Indian School, you are helping Native American children in need reestablish pride in their culture by learning the Lakota language, studying Native American culture and healing the broken family circle from which they come.
You Can Light a Spark in Every Child!
For nearly a century, St. Joseph’s has been lighting The Spark of curiosity, energy and promise that lights the way to a brighter future.
A Century of Caring for Lakota Children
For 100 years, St. Joseph’s Indian School has remained steadfast in caring for Lakota (Sioux) children and families. It hasn’t always been easy — far from it — but it’s always been worth it. In celebration of this milestone, we’ve collected 10 pivotal and defining moments in our history and compiled them into this interactive quiz. Please take it to discover how generosity has shaped the last 100 years, and continues to form our future.
Why Your Support Matters
If you’re new to St. Joseph’s Indian School and the struggles facing Native Americans living in reservation communities, the following information will help you get familiar with both. We hope after reading, you’ll desire to help innocent Lakota children overcome the obstacles set against them. One by one, people like you are making work at St. Joseph’s possible.
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Stories from our Lakota Indian School
The quiet thuds of boxes, enthusiastic exchanges between staff and the steady shuffle of teamwork mark the beginning of St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Food Box outreach. As the last box is secured and the vehicle doors close, motion takes over — the first symbolic miles of a journey rooted in compassion before the real miles are clocked.
For four St. Joseph’s Indian School middle schoolers, stepping onto the University of Notre Dame campus became one of those moments — a chance to deepen their faith, imagine their futures and connect with Native American peers walking similar paths.
Yes, 10 seniors graduated from St. Joseph’s Indian School high school program on May 16, ready to begin their lives and future careers. But as anyone who has ever moved out on their own knows, starting life from scratch is no small task.
Embrace a Child in a Circle of Care
The DreamMakers are a special group of friends who give automatic monthly gifts to ensure the Lakota (Sioux) children are provided for year-round. For as little as 32 cents a day, 100% of your monthly contribution will go directly to helping meet our students’ immediate needs … and will help provide dreams for the future.
Our Programs
Children attending St. Joseph's benefit from individualized care plans that follow nationally approved and accredited techniques. Friends who support St. Joseph's Native American programs help provide for every aspect of each child's physical, emotional, spiritual and educational needs.
