St. Augustine's Ministry to Native American Students at Creighton

This is a guest post written by one of our members, Rita.  She was raised on the Winnebago reservation & currently works with the Native American students at Creighton University.  Below she invites us into that ministry.

The beginning

Five years ago, a ministry began at Creighton University when one of our church members envisioned a volunteer tutoring program for Native American college students.  The Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs at Creighton University welcomed this assistance and the journey began.

Our Students

Dozens of students have been tutored and mentored during the last five years. Students have weekly appointments and are given email access during the rest of the week.  Two of the students were assisted throughout the last four years and have completed their undergraduate studies. Most of the students are from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota.

Projects

Our other projects included a writing workshop, a presentation workshop, a theology study group, and a beading class. We also provide packs of healthy snacks to the students during finals week.

Following the request of one of our Pine Ridge students, Dylan Fills Pipe, we are considering a mission trip to repair historic St. John’s Episcopal Church. The church is maintained by Dylan’s extended family, and services are held monthly. The community considers the church to be a sacred site based on the belief that the bodies of Native Americans were taken to this mission church after the Wounded Knee Massacre of1890. Don H. is organizing the repair project and will begin with an assessment of the church condition.

            Our congregation also established a Native American Book Fund for those students who cannot afford to buy their books.  Their scholarships do not cover the cost of books, and they do not receive financial support from their families.

Volunteers

            To date, our volunteer tutors/mentors include Father Mark, Don H., and Rita M. We welcome the assistance of others interested in this ministry- please contact the Parish Office.

In Appreciation

            The following is a letter written to our congregation by one of the students:

            St. Augustine’s Church,

I would like to say thank you all for your support and for helping the Native American students at Creighton University. You don’t know how much that means to us. Through your support you show that you believe in and care about us. Thank you for your community members and all the help that they provide to us, whether it be academic support, moral support, encouragement, and just being someone to listen to and to give feedback when we are having a bad day or when we need someone to vent to.

We would also like to give a big thank you for your donation to the Native American Student book fund. It is comforting to know that if we as students don’t have the funds necessary to pay for books that we don’t have to be discouraged. With your help we can continue our dreams of pursuing a college degree.

I would also like to thank you all for helping out my church back home. It really means a lot for me personally because I have grown up always going to that church; I was baptized and confirmed there. It is a big part of my family and I know that the community is very thankful in your efforts on helping with repairs.

Thank You

Dylan Fills Pipe