Stephan History

Immaculate Conception Indian Mission is a boarding school on Crow Creek Reservation. It was established in 1886, under the auspices of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions.

Father Pierre DeSmet, S.J., the Apostle of the Sioux, visited Crow Creek several times from 1846 to 1867. He inspired the Indians with a desire for a Catholic Mission on the Reservation. On January 28, 1886, after repeated requests by the Yanktonnais Sioux and Lower Brule Indians for land for a Catholic Mission, the Government granted the 160 acres for that purpose.

Bishop Martin Marty, O.S.B., Vicar Apostolic of Dakota Territory, com-misioned Father George L. Willard to locate a suitable place on the land grant to establish a school. The present site was chosen because of the availability of water. Throughout the years, however, the water failed. Water was hauled from the nearby dams when the wells went dry.

Financed by a $15,000 donation from Miss Katherine Drexel (later known as Mother Katherine Drexel, foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrement), the first small, 18'x30', two storied cottage was erected. This served as the school and residence. At the request of Miss Drexel, the Mission was named "Immaculate Conception" in memory of her mother, who favored that title of the Mother of God.

In 1887 this center of Catholic activity was given a post office. It was called Stephan after Father Joseph A. Stephan, Director of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions from 1884-1901.

The infant boarding school was opened to five Yanktonnais Sioux boys from Crow Creek Reservation in the fall of 1886. Father Brogan and Sullivan were assigned by the Bishop to take care of the spiritual needs of the few students and the Indian families in the surrounding area. Brother Gonzaga, O.S.F., was perfect and, presum-ably, teacher. He also helped with the sewing and cooking. Katherine Gallagher, a neighbor woman, was the cook. By January, 1887, the number of students had increased to nine: eight boys and one little white girl from Pukwana, South Dakota - Mary Carroll.

Abbott Fintan Mundwiler of St. Meinrad Abby, St. Meinrad, Indian, had promised to staff the Mission with Benedictines. In January, 1887, the Abbot supplied the first Benedictine superior, Father Pius Boehm. He arrived in the company of Bishop Marty on January 21, a cold, blizzardy day, to begin his 44 years as missionary at Stephen. Because of his steel rimmed glasses, the Indians called him "Ista Maza" (Iron Eyes).

By the spring of 1887 a second building had been added to the Mission. This was a 100'x40' structure which served as the school, the boys' residence, and the main living quarters for the whole Mission. The girls' dormitory in the original building.

On May 1, 1887 there were 37 pupils in the school: twenty boys and seventeen girls. Miss Lizzie Minaugh had been hired as teacher. Two Beneditines from St. Maty's Convent, Zell, South Dakota, took over the domestic duties on April 13, 1887. They were Sister Wilhelmina Kaufman and Sister Magdalen Nagy. On January 12, 1888, during the great blizzard, Sister Wilhelmina froze to death. She was going from the laundry towards the dining room, but lost her way. Her body was found kneeling against a fence not 100 feet from the house. She was buried in Immaculate Conception cemetery.

Because the Indian Industrial School for boys at Yankton closed on June 30, 1887, about 30 Ogalalla and Brule boys, mostly from Rosebud, transferred to the Mission school. Reverend Vincent Wehrle, O.S.B., accompanied the boys from Yankton and assumed the role of superintendent and teacher at Stephan for a year. Also from Yankton, three Sisters came to Stephan to help teach and take care of the students.

Due to the large influx of children, the expenses of maintaining the boarding school at Stephan were greatly increased. Father Stephan requested that the Mission school become a contract school with aid from the Government. For the students approved by the Government, the Mission School received $27.00 quarterly in compensation for clothing, food, lodging, medicine, care, and instruction. Food and clothing annuities that were distributed to the Indian Families were given to the school while the children were at the Mission.

Life of the Mission in the early days was extremely primitive. Nearby dams and creeks served as bathtubs, when the weather permitted. Water carried from the artesian well.

Homestead grants were claimed by a number of benefactors and presented to the Mission. By 1889 one hundred twenty-five acres - all the tillable land on the original 160 acres - were under cultivation. Some crops were corn, oats, and barley. Four Benedictine Brothers joined the staff. They worked a large garden, also. During the first three years, over 7,000 trees were planted, but they did not prosper. Drought and prairie fires also tried the patience of the agriculturists.

Shoemaking and care of stock and poultry were other big jobs directed by the Brothers.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic were not the only subjects taught. A fourth "R", recurriculum. History, geography, civics, spelling, and language arts were also stressed. In accordance with the directive of the Indian office, the English language was insisted upon. The presence of several white children in the school helped overcome the language barrier. Father Pius provided an outlet for the native musical ability through the organization of a band.

The enrollment was increasing, and thus more room was needed. By 1890 a new L-shaped building was completed. One wing was 100'x34' and the other 63'x34'. This structure housed the girls and provided a room for a chapel. The original cottage was then used for the rectory and post office. In 1888 a young cleric, Father Ambrose Mattingly, joined the Mission staff. He was ordained in the Little Stephan chapel in June, 1889, by Bishop Marty. The Indians affectionately called Father Ambrose "Hokshena Peshto" (Sharp Boy).

Tragedy struck the Mission on October 30, 1895. Fire razed the main building. Most of the students were taken home .The remaining girls crowded into one wing, and the east wing was given over to the boys. The one-room laundry was converted into a kitchen and dining room, while carpenters built a new kitchen and rectory. The four Brothers had unique sleeping quarters: two lived in a claim shanty 12'x14', one in the main hall until he moved into a little storeroom, and one slept in an unheated room of the rectory. Classroom facilities were provided by removing the wall between two small rooms.

By July 1897, the Government was able to provide ample accommodations for the Indian children in government schools; therefore the school contract was cancelled. The food and clothing annuities were also discontinued for a short time. However, upon the urgent plea for justice, the Indian agent agreed that the commodities be sent to the school that actually cared for the children. The annuities were stopped in January, 1902. Mother Katherine Drexel again came to the aid of the little Indian Mission. Between the years 1895 and 1903 she is credited with $19,530.00 donations.

The Benedictine Brothers were recalled in 1899. The care of the poultry, stock, dairy, garden, and other agricultural and industrial work was left to the Sisters and laity.

By 1900 the Mission showed growth and improvement. Water works with a gasoline engine were installed. A new cottage was built for employees, and there were some improvements in the school. A major addition in 1900 was the first church. The Indians, eager for a church, offered to haul the stones for the foundation. Father Ambrose supervised the work, and did much of it himself. The 35'x84' frame building became the joy of the Mission.

Another frame building was completed in 1902. This comprised a laundry, sewing room, and assembly hall with a stage.

Fire played havoc at the Mission again on January 13, 1916. When the boys came from breakfast they noticed flames in the boys' playroom. The alarm was sound-ed, but the fire was already out of control. Within less than two hours, the home of about 60 children became a heap of smouldering ruins. To add to the distress, the ther-mometer registered 35 degrees below zero. One Sister and four boys were in bed with pneumonia. Due to the bravery of Father Ambrose and Sister Monica Niedhardt, no lives were lost. All but nine of the children were taken to their homes, despite the cold weather. The next day the Superintendent of the Fort Thompson Government school generously sent a wagon load of clothing, beds, and bedding. On February 7, school was resumed. By December, 1916, a two-story stucco building named "Marty Hall" replaced the burned building.

Disaster once more clutched the Indian Mission on June 14, 1924, when a tornado went through Stephan. Not one building was left undamaged, and the church was completed demolished. A new one was built in 1926.

In 1931 Father Pius was relieved of his post as superior. Father Justin Snyder, another Hoosier Benedictine, took his place, after having worked side by side with Father Pius for ten years.

A milestone in the school occurred in 1934 when a 38-year old frame house that had been used by hired men was converted into a high school. Grades nine and ten were added in the next year, followed by grades eleven and twelve in the next two years. Kindergarten was begun in 1935. By 1937 the Mission had a thirteen-year school program. Aurelia LaRoche and Martina LaFromboise were the first graduates, after having received twelve years of schooling at Stephan.

For the information of benefactors, the Mission began publication of a bi-month-ly paper, the "Wopeedah" (Thanks-Joy), in September, 1934. This little chronicle is still published. The school had a seperate paper containing the school news, "The Mission Echoes", published from 1935 to 1943.

Father Pius died on July 19, 1935, and was buried in front of the beautiful crucifixion group he had erected in the Stephan cemetery. A gymnasium named Father Pius Memorial Hall was built in his memory in 1937.

On August 18, 1938, another tornado veered its course through Stephan, again damaging every building on the Mission.

It was the custom of the Stephan Mission personnel to go to remote Indian villages to bring the children to and from school. The farthest distance was Belcourt, North Dakota. On September 15, 1938, Father Justin proudly set out to gather the children with a newly acquired bus instead of a borrowed one.

With the steady increase in enrollment, it was necessary to enlarge the staff. Seventeen Benedictine Sisters were stationed at the Mission in 1938.

Father Justin found it expedient to travel widely, both to solicit funds for the Mission and to visit his Indian people. He was named "Tuktena Ti Sni" (Doesn't Live Anywhere), because of his nomadic habits. In 1943 Father Justin went back to the monastery because of ill health. Father Augustine Edele was appointed as superior and administrator of the Mission.

On April 8, 1946, fire did some more damage at Stephan. An oil stove exploded, and the building containing the clothing store, grocery store, and garage burned down. Flames and smoke again took its toll in 1949 when "Marty Hall" and its addition caught fire. The flames were extinguished, but the smoke did a lot of damage. Three of the Sisters were overcome by the smoke, and were taken to Pierre for treatment.

Several major improvements were completed in 1954. An extension to the church increased the capacity considerably, and a new, three story brick school was built. This included both grade and high schools. Provided were a science laboratory, band and chorus room with four practice rooms, large shop, typing room, commercial room for other business subjects, a mimeographing workroom, large assembly, a two unit stove and cupboard set in the home economics kitchen, a dining room where the homemaking class can practice what they are learning, and various classrooms and offices.

Because of the shortage of teachers and funds, it has been decided to concentrate the available resources on junior and senior high school students. There are more Catholic grade facilities than there are for the adolescents. The last first grade class was accepted in 1961-1962. Since then, one grade at a time is being dropped. Present plans eleiminated up to grade six, inclusive.

A complete academic curriculum is offered, as well as vocational subjects of four years commercial, four years industrial arts, two years of homemaking, and art for all interested. Extra-curricular activities include music: piano, chorus, choir, and band; sports: football, basketball, track and physical education; speech and drama activities; Sodality, a society under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the school paper, "The Drum Beat"; and the yearbook, "Memories".

In 1957 the Infant of Prague Auditorium, a beautiful gym-auditorium, was opened for use. Also in 1957 the boys moved into a new residence hall. The twin unit building with a central office has completely seperate facilities each for the grade school boys and for the high school boys. These include dormitories, perfects' rooms, recreation rooms, lockers, showers, and lavatories.

The latest addition to the Immaculate Conception Indian Mission is the colorful building which contains the Sisters' convent, chapel, high school girls' recreation room, dormitory, and other facilities; grade school girls' living quarters, kitchen, bakery, laundry, and dining rooms for all.

In the spring of 1962 a one-hundred twenty-five foot water tower with a 50,000 gallon capacity was completed on the Mission. During the 80 years of its existence, Stephan has suffered many times from inadequate water facilities. The well went dry several times, and water was hauled from the dam. For weeks at a time the laundry was taken to either Pierre or Chamberlain to be washed.

In 1963 Stephan won the State Catholic Basketball championship, by defeating Sioux Falls Cathedral in the final game.

"The white men made us many promises, more promises than I can remember," said an aged, grizzled Sioux Warrior late in the 19th century, "but they never kept but one. They promised to take our land and they took it."

Since then the treatment of the American Indian has remained pretty much a let 'em eat promises proposition. A new dawn of Indian democracy is breaking, however, and the experience of a Benedictine monastery in South Dakota founded to serve the Indians is pointing - and leading - the way for a meaningful new Indian program.

In March of 1970, the Benedictine monks of Marvin, South Dakota, announced their plans to turn over in total the four mission schools they were operating on the various reservations of the Dakotas to the Indian people themselves.

In announcing the transfer, Abbot Alan Berndt, O.S.B., said: "The Benedictine missionaries of Blue Cloud Abbey have for many years prayed and worked among the Indian people of St. Michael, North Dakota, Stephan, South Dakota, Marty, South Dakota, and Belcourt, North Dakota. Over all this period of time, however, these missions have been 'our' establishments . . . . We recognize the present desire among Indians for self-determination of your own affairs."

The key phrase in Abbott Alan's statement was "self-determination", or Indian self-government or management of their own affairs, a major goal of many Indian leaders.

American Indians were enthusiastic, not so much for the gift of the schools themselves, valued at several million dollars, but for the fact that a predominantly white institution had at last recognized the Indians' compelling need and right for self-determination and was willing to back up its conviction with deeds, not just words.

For many years, Indian leaders have been saying to nearly all the best inten-tioned white man's plans to save them, "Hey, wait a minute . . . . Why don't you give us a chance at it ourselves?" In recent years, these Indians have been adding a lot of in-fluential supporters to their ranks. Three months after Abbott Alan's precedent-shattering announcement, President Richard M. Nixon called for "a new era in which the Indian future is determined by Indian acts and Indian decisions."

For the 1970-71 school year the school building at Stephan was leased to the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes at a fee of $1.00 a year, so they could start getting experience in operating a school. A school board was elected with members from both reservations. The school was no longer a Catholic Institution, once the tribes started to operate it, thus they were able to get Federal Funds.

In the 1971 and 1972 school year the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe took over the sole operation of the school. The name was changed to Crow Creek Reservation High School.

In the 1972-73 school year, the Tribe was given control of the dormitories which have been staffed with area Indian people.

In June of 1971 Father Augustine Edele, who had served the Indian people so well for over 25 years was named Prior of Blue Cloud Abbey, Marvin, South Dakota, Father Cletus Miller, O.S.B., was named to replace Father Augustine. Father Cletus has worked closely with the Indian People, and in June of 1976 along with Abbott Alan of Blue Cloud Abbey turned the mission buildings and land over to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, with the exception of the Church, office, priests' house, and sisters' quarters.

In 1972 lightening struck again on the church roof, causing a fire that destroyed the building. The parish was without a church for over two years, but in time for Christmas in 1974 a new church had been constructed.

The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe now owns and operates their own school at Stephan. Father Cletus and his staff of 2 sisters and 3 priests carry on their Missionary work of religious education on the reservation and surrounding area.

This history was written by Sr. Marmion Maiers, O.S.B and appears in the "Hyde Heritage" 1977.
Compiled by Betty Heckenliable and Bud Jetty