A Message from DLSBS Principal, Mr. Wedum

The impact and significance of a De La Salle school on the Blackfeet Reservation:

Lost Luggage = Big Problems. . . Or does it?

Matt Doherty's account of his delayed bag and how it changed the way he thinks:


Matt Doherty listening to an evening
speaker

"Enter the immersion trip with an open and flexible attitude" were the words our chaperones, Mr. Saulle and Mr. Sudnik, chimed instructively to us before our departure. Dressed in my navy blue sweat suit and winter jacket, ready to brave the Montana cold,  I met my group at the airport, went through the laborious process of checking in, and took off en route to Denver. "Flexible, Matt, Flexible", is what I thought as we waited in the airport and got dinner after landing in Denver. Everything was going smoothly as we boarded our flight to

Spokane, Washington.

We touched down smoothly  although amidst inclement weather. Our group filed out of the plane, down the walkway, and towards the baggage claim area. We all patiently waited as bags came out on the conveyor belt, one by one. After ten minutes all of the bags had been brought out, but no one in our group had received their bags. "Could they have really lost all of our bags?", I thought. Then, in an irritatingly loud voice that had a slight twinge of an electric sound to it that was added through the use of a microphone-like apparatus, an airline representative that was around 50 meters away alerted us that we had gone to the wrong gate and our bags could be found at the United Airline gate where she was stationed. I sighed in relief because the reoccurring and subconscious fear of losing my luggage had been quelled as we walked toward the gate. We reached the gate and all of my comrades picked up their luggage. I stood in silent horror upon the realization that my luggage was missing. My fellow immersion student, James, was also missing the bag he had checked. We spoke to the airline representative and learned that our bags had been delayed, were left in Denver, and would be shipped to an address of our choosing in Montana, when possible. Not in the best of moods, but still flexible, I left the airport with the group. After a 10 minute taxi ride, we arrived at a rather seedy train station in Spokane, Washington. By the time we boarded the train, I was beginning to cope with the idea of not having baggage while assuring myself that all would go as planned, and I would receive it the next afternoon when we arrived in Montana.

Four days passed since I checked my bag at the airport, and I was in Browning, Montana wearing the same blue jumpsuit that I had arrived in. I had worn it to sleep, to meet the kids at the school, to gym class, to cook dinner, and to see the kids again. The group had made quite the spectacle of my repetitious wardrobe. Although I was having incredible experiences being exposed to Native American culture and the contemporary culture of economic desolation in Browning, my mood just wasn't at the level I wanted it to be. I had yet to have attached to the teaming Spirit that filled Browning. I could have attributed this declining attitude of mine to the fact that I had worn the same clothes for four days, but I began to think of my mood on a deeper level. I reminisced about the night my friend Rob and I had cooked dinner for the group.

That night we had a special guest over to speak to the group.The guest was Joe "Big Crow" Bremner, a Native American spiritualist. He told us of Native American traditions and songs that have carried on through oral tradition for thousands of years. He performed a ceremony that involved the placement of sweet grass, an herb that is commonly used by the Blackfeet, on a hot coal in order to induce smoke that one would smudge on themself for a type of aura-purifictation. His conversation with us spanned a world of fascinating history, tradition, and ceremony. Then he began to speak of a tribal initiation into manhood called "Sitting Holy," which he had done some years back. He told us how he had gone four days without water and food all while sitting in the same place. On the fifth day, the ceremony follows that the person who has undergone this fast is given the right to have a tiny piece of meat, a small drop of water, and to stand up once again. He recalled how this meat and water were the greatest things he had ever consumed and that due to the deprivation of these essentials and of standing, he had learned how precious they were. They were truly rights.

On Tuesday my baggage arrived in the middle of the school day. I left the classroom and jubilantly put on a fresh pair of clothes in the changing room of the school. This was the best pair of clothes I had ever put on. From the socks to the shirt, everything was smooth and fresh. I used to waste clothes, in fact I over-packed for this trip. My parents would reprimand me weekly for the the mass amounts of laundry that emanated from my room. I now will cherish every item of apparel that sits on my body. In my own little way I had a "Sitting Holy" experience. It wasn't nearly as intense as the tribal initiation experience, but for a private school kid from the suburbs it really changed my perspective.


Matt Doherty helping a student with an essay

 

The more I think about it the more this idea of having the "right to wear clothing", the more the idea expands. It expands to food, to water, to shelter, until it envelops a much broader idea spanning all of earth's resources. So much is wasted in the modern world. Joe "Big Crow" Bremner referred to how conservation and balance with Nature is so important to Native American culture and how some scientists were even looking towards old ways of Native American living to find solutions to environmental problems that are  induced by depletion of resources. This made me recall learning in my sophomore history class that a population of Native Americans could use a fraction of the amount of land that a population of white settlers would need to survive.



While mulling around in my thoughts and a fresh pair of pants these last days, my view of the use of resources, weather clothing, and food has completely changed. I respect that while I have a right to everything on earth, it is a privilege that should not be abused. This trip has reinvigorated my belief in conservation and has given me a new appreciation for life. It's funny how a simple delay of luggage that would usually be viewed as an annoyance by most could lead to a change in one's perspective.

Matt Doherty '12

Making Big Impressions: The Spirit of The Blackfeet is Alive and Well



John Bruno

John Bruno looks beyond the surface in search of hope and inspiration:

Throw away any preconceived thoughts about the school, and the Blackfeet culture. Close your eyes and imagine a classroom. Imagine only about ten students, but imagine children that are so full of life, imagination, and laughter, that they make any child you know of that age look dull. Biased and arrogant students who embark on this journey into a new world would reflect by saying the kids aren't as bright, intelligent, or have any chance in the real world. Having spent time with these children I can honestly say they posses more character than any average sixth grader whom I've known. I am obsessed with their joy and up beat spirit they maintain even after all of the trials and tribulations their people and community have been through. When thinking about how awesome they are despite everything, it makes me wonder what kind of world I thought I was living in before the last few days. All of these things make if difficult to leave DLSBS at the end of the school day.

It makes me upset to think about how blind and ignorant some people are. As unfortunate as this is, I know some people that would probably take one look around DLSBS and criticize a kid's intelligence or certain lack of skills and never even take the time to get to know them. For me, I want to try so hard to make a lasting impression on these kids, even though I know it will be nearly impossible since they are influenced by different immersion groups on a weekly basis. Even sitting here as I type this I feel like I missing out on something that they're doing. I'd prefer to be around them constantly and make the most of every second I spend with them. As shallow as that sounds, I also don't want them to forget about me. I truly feel this way. If I fail to make a lasting impression, I'd feel like I did something wrong or didn't spend my time wisely enough.

In my attempts to interact, discuss, and teach them, one student in particular has made a great impact on me as well. As I observe and work with him in a few classes, I have easily picked up on the fact that he is naturally smart, clever, athletic, and most of all funny, as most of these kids are. Yes, they are behind and lack certain skills that most children have obtained at this particular age, but when you consider the lack of resources, services, and the proper learning environment that some have experienced for so long it is easy to see why. That being said, I firmly believe that they more than make up for it with their knowledge of their own history, culture, and overall high spirits. For all these reasons I can undoubtedly see myself loving to teach these kids everyday.

J. Bruno '12

What Makes DLSBS so Different Yet so Significant to the Blackfeet

Stephen Joyce

A day in the life of Stephen Joyce, the firth grade guru:

Yesterday I woke up just in time to take a shower and eat breakfast before we left for DLSBS.  On the van ride over I sat next to Mr. Saulle, and we talked about the differences between Central and DLSBS.  For me I see the classes at DLSBS as less structured than Central and even my grade school.  I first noticed this when the students switched classes without a bell.  I still question the effectiveness of this approach. Although some proponents of a "no-bell" school argue that it prepares students for the real world, I think that may cause some confusion for the younger, more struggling students.

From there, we went to Language Arts and the students started a review worksheet on punctuation in quotations.  After the students corrected their papers, we moved on to Life Science.  Yesterday's lesson was on seeds in fruit, and each student had two pieces of fruit which they cut in half to examine the seeds. Last week the fifth grade did an experiment with beans in dry and moist environments.  Each table got one of the four containers, two were set in a dry environment and the other two were in a moist one.  They recorded the changes in the beans and drew what the beans looked like now.  After Life Science we went to lunch, and after lunch we went to Native Studies.  This was by far my favorite class that I have sat in on for the past two days.  The teacher who comes in once a week to teach this class started the class with an introduction by every student.   "OKI NII TA NIK KO Stephen Joyce" translates from the Blackfeet language to "Hello, my name is Stephen Joyce."  She told us of the seven Indian reservations in Montana and that there is an eighth trying to gain the same rights as the other seven.  She told us that the Blackfeet people consists of the North Peigan, the South Piegan, the Blood Nation, and the Siksika Nation.  She gave us papers that showed the stars at any given moment.

Stephen Joyce closely examines an authentic war bonnett from the nineteenth century

After Native Studies the fifth grade went to P.E.  The P.E. teacher had the girls practice volleyball because they had a game that night against the Browning Middle School.  It turns out that the girls upset the Browning Indians and won the game. We went from P.E. to religion class. Because the school had mass today, the students practiced their readings.  I think that it is interesting to note that mass is supposed to be on Thursday, but it is taking place on Wednesday this week because there is a funeral on Thursday.  We were told that this parish has more funerals per year than every other parish in Montana.  The abuse of alcohol is in my opinion an epidemic on the rez.  We were told that Friday and Saturday nights are extremely dangerous to be on the streets because of the drunken drivers.  Although some of the residents may be used to having so many funerals, it is still extremely unsettling and unnerving for me to think of all the lives that have been cut short because of alcohol.  While practicing for mass I noticed that some kids are behind the level of reading that they should be. One student in particular would substitute words into the reading that were not even there, which would change the message of the passage.  This is very sad for me but it is understandable because before attending DLSBS students did not receive the same personalized education in K-3 at the local public school.

Native selections in the DLSBS Library

Before DLSBS, the students were forced to take part in a broken system which neglects their varying wants and needs.  As a result of the public school's lack of preparation, the 4th and 5th grade teachers have the extremely hard job of raising everyone's level of understanding to an equal one.  I would love to see DLSBS expand into a K-12 school, but that is much easier said than done.  I am sure that there are many different reasons why DLSBS cannot expand.  Even without any prior education before 4th grade, DLSBS graduates have done extremely well.  19 of 29 or 65% of DLSBS students have gone on to some form of education after high school whether it be college, junior college, or trade schools.  Fourteen of the fifteen high school seniors who graduated from DLSBS have received their high school diploma or GED.  This is compared to only 56% of American Indians in Montana who graduate from high school.  Some graduates have gone on to University of Montana, Montana State University, Gonzaga, Blackfeet Community College, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Stanford University among others.  These statistics speak volumes on how effective and positive a DLSBS education is on the students and the community.  This combined with the dedicated and patient teachers makes for a beneficial and non-judgmental learning environment.

 

After religion class we had a snack, and after the snack we went to reading.  The students took a practice spelling test on words that they have been practicing for the past week.  In the middle of checking answers, the P.E. teacher came into our class and took all of the girls for the volleyball game last night.  So only five students stayed behind.  After they finished checking the words, the students did their class jobs and cleaned up their room, together.  After the clean-up, the students who did not go the volleyball game went to the clubs.  This interesting 45 minute long "class" allows the students to relax at the end of the school day.  The clubs range from practicing volleyball, playing in the gym, playing board games, or even doing one's homework.  Overall, I think an extended school day and by extension an extended school year makes for a more learned and engaged student body.  Although I was tired and exhausted at the start of the clubs, it was really fulfilling to be in a more relaxed and less tense setting with the students.  I had the opportunity to play board games with a few students and a teacher, and it was really enjoyable.  I was able to get some of the students to open up to me more than they did in the school day.  Overall, my experience so far at DLSBS has been very fulfilling and enlightening.  I am excited to spend more time with the kids and learn from them about subjects that range from Blackfeet language and culture to the bond of friendship.

S. Joyce '11