Helping Native American Families Since 1927

About our Organization

St. Joseph's Indian School is a Native American school dedicated to improving the quality of life for Lakota (Sioux) children and families. As an apostolate of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s 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 approximately 200 Lakota (Sioux) children each year.

Poverty is a serious issue in reservation communities with the potential to fuel other negative issues — violence, addiction, neglect and more. By supporting St. Joseph's Indian School, you are helping Native American children connected with in their culture by learning the Lakota language, studying Native American heritage and traditions and healing the effects of generations of poverty.

Our organization provides an opportunity for Lakota (Sioux) children to change the cycle of poverty, with an education and opportunity of a brighter future.

All services and programs provided to students are free-of-charge, thanks to charitable contributions from generous supporters. Tax-deductible donations keep our doors open and provide approximately 200 Native American children safety, an education and love.

There are many ways to support our mission and help Lakota (Sioux) children in need! Tax-deductible gifts help Native American children in need receive:

  • A safe, stable home away from reservation hardships.
  • Individual counseling and guidance.
  • Carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota (Sioux) culture and individual student needs.
  • Tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness.
  • All of this and more to live a bright, productive and possibility-filled future.

If you have any questions about our organization, please check out our FAQ page.

St. Joseph’s Indian School Strategic Plan 2023

Since 1927, St. Joseph’s Indian School has been a place of hope, learning and care for Native American children and their families. Looking ahead, we see St. Joseph’s as more than a school. It will be a national model defining what holistic care and Native-serving education can be for generations to come.

“This plan reflects both the strength of our foundation and the responsibility we carry for the future. We are building on nearly a century of mission-driven work while continuing to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of Native American children and families.”
— Jennifer Renner-Meyer, Chief Operating Officer

Strategic Framework:

In Native American culture and Catholic spirituality, the tree is a sacred symbol of life. Using this metaphor, our framework shows how our roots, trunk, branches and fruits work together to sustain and strengthen our work.

  • Roots — Who We Are
    • What grounds us and connects us to our purpose.
  • Trunk — How We Stand
    • What holds us up and allows us to carry out our mission each day.
  • Branches — Why We Grow
    • Where our daily efforts reach outward to shape lives, build trust and help define the future of care and education.
  • Fruit — What We Produce
    • The harvest we see when our roots are strong, our trunk is steady and our branches reach with purpose.

While working within this framework, we have five key priorities:

We’re expanding opportunities for Native American children and families to join our community — and stay connected for life. By strengthening partnerships with tribes and local communities, we ensure every open enrollment spot is filled with mission-fit students and build a thriving network of alumni who return as mentors, volunteers and leaders. This includes ongoing healing and reconciliation efforts that honor past experiences and deepen trust across generations.

We’re investing in the people who make our mission possible. That means attracting qualified, mission aligned candidates and creating clear pathways for growth so every staff member — from new hires to seasoned supervisors — has the tools to lead with purpose. A strengthened development continuum ensures our team is prepared, supported and inspired for the work ahead.

We’re elevating St. Joseph’s role as a leader in holistic care, philanthropy and Native American serving education. By sharing student success more frequently and engaging in meaningful collaboration with tribal partners, elders and community leaders, we contribute insight that strengthens impact nationwide. Our voice grows stronger as our relationships deepen.

We’re aligning how we work so our entire organization moves forward as one team. Streamlined systems and shared tools reduce duplication, improve communication and ensure consistent representation of St. Joseph’s with families, donors and partners. Clear processes help every department work together with confidence and purpose.

We’re safeguarding the future of St. Joseph’s through responsible stewardship of our financial, operational and environmental resources. Guided by Catholic values and Native American ways of living in balance with creation, we’re reducing our carbon footprint, strengthening donor sustainability and growing long term giving. These efforts ensure we can serve children and families for generations to come.