Once students themselves, Red Cloud graduates are now taking on leadership roles across the school—as teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators, and more. Today, 25 percent of Red Cloud’s employees are also Red Cloud graduates. And they are serving as powerful role models for the next generation. Seven years ago, when Red Cloud graduate Christian McGhee ‘08...
People from around the world know of the famous book “Black Elk Speaks.” Published in 1932, it recounts the stories and spiritual teachings of Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950), a revered holy man among the Oglala Lakota. What is less well known is that Black Elk was also a leader right here at Red Cloud, as a part of the parish community that continues to celebrate his...
Last year, when Ashley Ecoffey ’19 heard that a group of Red Cloud students would soon attend the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice—the largest annual Catholic social justice gathering in the United States—the news immediately captured her interest. These students would have the chance to travel to the nation’s capital, gather with thousands of others from Jesuit...
On a frigid February morning, Red Cloud graduate Elyssa Sierra Concha ’13 climbed the marble steps of the South Dakota State Capital in Pierre. She had driven hours from her home on the Pine Ridge Reservation the evening before. She wanted to be there early to prepare to testify in support of SB126, newly introduced legislation that would make the three dialects of...
←BACK Recognizing our students’ achievements, both inside and outside the classroom, is a part of every day at Red Cloud. But twice a year, at the end of the fall and spring semesters, our high school students and faculty gather all together for an official celebration of academic success. They cheer for those students who have been awarded gold and silver...
How did you first come to Red Cloud? I was born in San Diego; my mom, who is from the Navajo Nation, was in the Navy and my dad, who is Lakota, was in the Marines. When I was 4 or 5, we moved to South Dakota, and I went to first through fourth grade in Rapid City, and then we moved to the [Pine Ridge] reservation. I went to Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL), Red Cloud’s...
Norma Blacksmith was 12 years old and living in Oglala, SD on the Pine Ridge Reservation when her mother taught her how to make star quilts. Now, at the age of 79, Norma continues to create these quilted works of art, and carries on the legacy of her family by teaching others. “I’ve taught several people… my daughter-in-law and my niece. I’m trying to teach my...
On September 20, Red Cloud’s Executive Vice President Robert Brave Heart, Sr. spoke at the Ecology of Indigenous Languages Conference, held at the University of Helsinki in Finland. There, he joined renowned indigenous and non-indigneous scholars to share and learn about the future of indigneous languages in the midst of dramatic socio-political, economic, and...
In early December, Red Cloud students from kindergarten to high school were buzzing with energy and anticipation. But it wasn’t excitement about the impending holiday break from school. It was preparing to gather, compete, and celebrate at the 43rd annual Lakota Nation Invitational, known affectionately as LNI. This year, nearly 50 percent of Red Cloud’s student...
GPR Final Report Update The Office of Truth and Healing has received the final report from Marsha Small and her team at Ohio Valley Archeology, Inc. in regard to the excavation in Drexel Hall basement. We’re thankful to them and to the representatives from the FBI who were present during the excavation. Our deepest gratitude to the community member who brought...