HISTORY :: Red Cloud Indian School

FACTS ABOUT RED CLOUD
updated July 2010

Download PDF fact sheets of Red Cloud Indian School and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Our Mission
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 that promotes Lakota and Catholic values.

Founding
Red Cloud was founded as Holy Rosary Mission in 1888 by the Jesuits at the request of Chief Red Cloud, a leader of the Oglala Sioux Indians residing on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Chief Red Cloud’s continued petitioning of the government to allow the Jesuits to come to the reservation in order to establish a school brought about the development and existence of the mission by the Jesuits and Franciscan Sisters.

The Schools
Red Cloud is comprised of three schools: Red Cloud High School, Red Cloud Elementary School and Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School.

Enrollment and Attendance
Red Cloud educates approximately 600 Lakota students each year. Red Cloud High School’s attendance rates are uniquely high. During the 2009/10 academic year, attendance averaged 90.66 percent.

Student Success
Each of our 39 seniors in the Red Cloud High class of 2010 had plans at graduation to begin further education or training. Other accomplishments during the 2009/10 academic year include:

Six students received the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, the highest number in the state of South Dakota and the highest in the nation for a school of our size. They are provided with full tuition and living expenses to the college of their choice. Since the program’s inception, 45 Red Cloud students have received the award.
Students received full-ride scholarships to Dartmouth, Stanford, Marquette and Creighton University, among others.
Students were accepted to more than 25 schools, including Kansas State and Loyola-Chicago.
Autumn White Eyes received the South Dakota Governor’s Excellence Award.
Four students participated in job shadowing at Indian Health Services, further exploring their desire to pursue medicine and science.
Members of the senior class included first-generation high school graduates as well as first-generation college-students.
100 percent of the senior class volunteered on the reservation.
Athletic teams represented the school at state tournaments and the Lakota Nation Invitational. The girls’ cross country team was LNI Champions and West River Conference Champions. The team placed 2nd at regionals and 10th at state.
Carl Swallow was a finalist for the South Dakota Mr. Basketball Award and received a full athletic scholarship from Chadron State.
Blaine Leftwich was recognized for exceptional academic achievements and Jeremy Blacksmith was given an award for outstanding citizenship at the 31st Annual Shannon County Reservation-wide Student Recognition Awards Banquet.
Jacey Twiss was awarded an Horatio Alger Scholarship.
The cheerleading squad was recognized by the state athletic association for academic achievement, with GPAs of 3.0 and above.
Teslah Knight was accepted into South Dakota State University’s architecture program, becoming a member of the inaugural architecture class for this program.

Drop-out Rates
The national drop-our rate of Native students in South Dakota is 23.8 percent, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. During the 2009/10 academic year, no Red Cloud High School students dropped out or transferred without requesting transcripts.

Programs
Red Cloud builds strong character in its students, with each individual taught with both Catholic and Lakota values. A number of programs support this approach:

Healthy Meals
One of the hallmarks of a Red Cloud education, the Healthy Meals Program includes three components. Students in the lower and upper elementary schools receive a hot breakfast when they arrive in the morning. At lunchtime, all students are served a hot lunch, consisting of a healthy entrée, a hot vegetable, low-fat milk and a salad bar with fresh fruits and vegetables. As an afternoon snack, fruit is provided. Currently, 78 percent of children who attend Red Cloud are eligible for a free or reduced lunch according to the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program.

Spiritual Formation
By learning and practicing a spirit of service, Catholic and Lakota spiritual values and traditions, and the importance of building community with those around them, Red Cloud students are able to develop a strong sense of self, rooted in a proud and ethical identity, that launches them on a path toward achieving their own dreams while serving others around them. The program graduates students committed to justice and open to growth. High school students are required to work 60 hours in service to others.

Lakota Studies
Red Cloud strives to develop the Lakota leaders of tomorrow—women and men who are grounded in their vibrant heritage and who have the competence, confidence and commitment to succeed. Each year, the Lakota Studies Program helps students to develop a healthier sense of identity, rooted in values of respect, service and generosity that are the trademarks of their traditions, through practices such as speaking the Lakota language, drumming, dancing, singing, praying and playing in traditional Lakota ways.

Counseling
For Lakota students, the Counseling Program provides the foundation for students to receive the support and tools they need to overcome the challenges they face, recognize their own giftedness and achieve their dreams after graduation. Red Cloud’s program not only goes beyond traditional guidance counseling techniques, but also focuses on the development of and respect for the whole self while educating on conflict resolution techniques, goal setting and achievement, and addiction and suicide prevention, to name a few.

Parishes
The organization is comprised of 16 parishes. There are 17 pastoral staff members, nine of whom are Lakota, who work to ensure that ministries and outreach are available for the areas served by each parish. Outreach includes working with local leaders to help those in need on the reservation with food, clothing or other drives, as well as through various ministries.

The Heritage Center
The Heritage Center at Red Cloud collects, preserves and exhibits the fine and tribal arts of Native Americans. The Center concentrates on the fine arts of all Native Americans, and the tribal arts of the Lakota. The museum houses a permanent collection, estimated to include more than 2,000 paintings, over 300 textiles including Lakota star quilts, 2,300 pieces of tribal art and 800 pieces of pottery and sculpture. The 43rd Annual Art Show was held this summer in the museum, and exhibits from the museum’s collection have begun touring the country.

Volunteer Program
Volunteers contribute to the economic sustainability and overall well-being of Red Cloud, supporting the ability to provide hope and a high quality education of both the mind and the heart to Lakota students. Carefully chosen from applicants across the country, approximately 20 volunteers each year commit themselves to a ministry of service, with an average commitment of two years. Volunteers teach and coach daily, drive the school’s fleet of buses, chaperone student activities and often spend time visiting with students and their families in their homes and parishes.