 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
About Students
Where do Red Cloud Indian School students live?
Red Cloud students live across the 5000 square miles of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They may travel over 100 miles per day just to get to and from school. Red Cloud buses cover over 350,000 miles annually.
How many children are educated at Red Cloud Indian School?
About 600 Lakota youth attend Red Cloud Indian School annually. There are two elementary schools, Red Cloud and Our Lady of Lourdes, which are kindergarten to eighth grade. At the Red Cloud campus there is a Montessori preschool/kindergarten class. Red Cloud High School is 9th -12th grades and educates about 220 students annually. The graduating class is usually around 40 students.
What are the realities for Red Cloud Indian School students?
Life is not easy for those who live on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Shannon County, which encompasses the reservation, is consistently one of the poorest counties in the nation year after year, with an annual per capita income of $4,000 per family. Without an infrastructure that allows families a viable economy, unemployment rates are between 73%-85%, with comparable rates of alcoholism.
Despite these staggering statistics, Red Cloud Indian School is trying to make a difference on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. With a combination of schools, the Heritage Center Museum and Gift Shop, parishes, and community centers, Red Cloud is providing education, culture, and community in order to empower the Lakota People.
Help provide a better learning environment for the students at Red Cloud Indian School today!
How does Red Cloud Indian School preserve the children’s Lakota heritage?
Lakota language, culture, spirituality, and history are taught at all age levels. Lakota singing and drumming is offered to high school students, and the Red Cloud High School dance club attends many pow-wows each year.
Can I sponsor a child?
We do not have a sponsorship program for one specific child. We do need your help to provide a brighter future for all of the students. We do have the Tiospaye Womime, or Circle of Family Societies, which you can be a part of.
What are Red Cloud Indian School’s service programs?
All high school students go on at least one retreat each school year; there are two retreats for the senior class. The outreach group, Revolution of the Heart, is for high school juniors and seniors who want to further explore social justice and the ways they can play an active role in helping the Pine Ridge community.
General Questions
What is the purpose of Red Cloud Indian School?
In 1888, the respected Lakota leader, Chief Red Cloud, asked the Jesuits to open a school for Lakota youth. The mission of Red Cloud Indian School, 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 which promotes Lakota and Catholic values. For more than 600 Lakota students each year, Red Cloud Indian School provides the education which opens the doors to a brighter future. The Red Cloud curriculum is tailored to at-risk Native American students who are learning in today’s world while taking pride in their rich heritage.
Help provide for the basic needs of the Lakota youth.
Is Red Cloud Indian School an accredited school?
Yes, Red Cloud Indian School is accredited by North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. As an institution we are constantly reviewing current practices and improving ourselves. Is Red Cloud Indian School part of the Catholic Church?
Red Cloud Indian School is operated in conjunction with the Society of Jesus, Wisconsin Province. Catholic and Lakota spirituality classes are taught so that students learn and appreciate both backgrounds.
Who directs Red Cloud Indian School?
Reverend Peter Klink, S.J. is the President of Red Cloud Indian School. (Meet Fr. Peter.) He has been serving the Lakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for over 20 years.
Where is Red Cloud Indian School located?
Red Cloud is in the southwest corner of South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Red Cloud Indian School campus is on highway 18, 4 miles west of the Village of Pine Ridge. Learn more about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Can I visit Red Cloud Indian School?
Yes! We welcome visitors who want to learn about our school and the wonderful accomplishments of the Red Cloud students. Please contact us ahead of time if you would like a personal tour, just contact the Public Relations Office. Until you get here, you can take a virtual tour.
What is there to see while visiting Red Cloud Indian School?
There are many historical and cultural sites to visit at Red Cloud Indian School. The Heritage Center Museum has one of the most extensive collections of Native Artwork in the world. It is a venue for Native American artists to showcase their artwork, for Lakota families to sell their crafts, and for the powerful history of the Lakota people to be better understood. On the way to the Our Lady of Lourdes campus in Porcupine is the site of the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890. Learn more about the history of Red Cloud Indian School. Can I volunteer at Red Cloud Indian School?
Yes, the Red Cloud Volunteer Program is a wonderful way to share your talents with Red Cloud students. The volunteers live in community and fulfill the program’s pillars of building community, sharing faith, doing justice, and living simply. It is a one to three year program in which volunteers are teachers (certification preferred), teacher’s aides, librarians, coaches, bus drivers, and other roles needed in the schools. Red Cloud Volunteers work to grow in communion with God and each other, as well as learn through contact with the traditions and culture of the Lakota people among whom they live.
If you are looking to get involved from another location, we appreciate you sharing the Red Cloud story to your friends, family, and neighbors. The first step is to educate others about life on reservations today and what Red Cloud Indian School does to make such a big difference on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Can I do anything to help Red Cloud Indian School?
Yes, you can help us! Please tell a friend, family member, or neighbor about Red Cloud Indian School by taking a look at this website: www.redcloudschool.org . We are in remote southwest South Dakota, and the more you can share our story, the more people are educated about Red Cloud Indian School students and the obstacles they overcome to accomplish so much. Another way to help us is by sending Campbell’s soup labels and Box Tops for Education. They help our school to supplement textbooks with technology and encourage new ways of learning. Currently, our goal is 102,000 labels so we can get an LCD projector for the Red Cloud Elementary School. Please send these items to:
Soup Labels/Box tops
Red Cloud Indian School
100 Mission Drive
Pine Ridge, SD 57770-2100
Financial Information
What does it cost to educate a child?
It costs us about $7,000 annually to educate each of the 600 Red Cloud students. In addition to the schools, Red Cloud operates the Heritage Center Museum and Gift shop and 15 parishes across the reservation. In order to run all of these, Red Cloud Indian School must raise $10 million annually to keep its doors open and its programs strong. How is Red Cloud Indian School funded?
About 90% of the Red Cloud Indian School budget is raised by tax-deductible private donations from our friends across the country.
Are contributions made to Red Cloud Indian School tax-deductible?
Yes, Red Cloud Indian School, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and gifts to Red Cloud are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Do you receive federal funding?
Red Cloud Indian School is not a federally funded school, and the school receives no significant federal funding. As stated above, Red Cloud Indian School receives about 90% of its funding from private donations.
Does Red Cloud Indian School receive support from casinos?
No, Red Cloud Indian School is a private institution and therefore does not receive any funds generated by the casino or the Oglala Lakota Tribe. In reality, Prairie Winds, the casino on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, does not bring in a great deal of revenue due to its extremely remote location in southwest South Dakota. Red Cloud does not benefit like some casinos in other areas. |
