St. John the Baptist Parish youth group undertakes mission to Indian reservation

Friday, Sep. 11, 2015

By Brianna Veltri

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

In July, the high school youth group (YAB) from Saint John the Baptist Parish embarked on a service mission trip to a reservation in northwestern Montana, where they spent a week learning about the Native American culture and serving the community. 

The first stop for the group of 28 youth and four chaperones was Helena, Mont., where they attended Mass at the Cathedral of St. Helena. From there they proceeded to the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Heart Butte.

“When I first saw the reservation, I was surprised because it was out in the middle of nowhere, and there were not a lot of houses,” said Alannah Clay, who also went on a mission trip last year, to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. There “the reservation was nicer and it looked like a town. Heart Butte Reservation looked poorer and the houses were more spread out.” 

During their time on the reservation, YAB members joined people from three other youth groups from all over the Midwest in painting houses, operating a club for kids, fixing up a house that belonged to an elder of the community, and helping set up a Native Sundance celebration.

All the volunteers stayed at the reservation’s only school, showering in the locker rooms, eating in the cafeteria, sleeping on the gym floor and sharing devotional time on the stage. 

The Kids’ Club is a summer day camp for children ages 3 - 11. They participate in a variety of activities such as crafts, a reading center, an outdoor game/sports station, and skit and song presentations put on by the teens that convey God’s love.  

The YAB members were told that many of the Kids’ Club participants live in rough family situations, and alcohol and drug addiction are common on the reservation, even among children. 

Most of the time, the children in the club would choose a teenage buddy and be glued to them the whole day. 

“The kids were amazing. Their kindness, generosity, and acceptance was unbelievable, and I feel so honored to love and be loved by them,” said Katie Whittington. “I made many new little friends and they all had the most incredible smiles that portrayed Jesus so beautifully. I am so thankful to have been given the chance to go on this mission trip, and I can honestly say it has changed my life.”

Other work projects consisted of painting houses, erecting teepees and setting up a lodge for the Sundance celebration. 

Foster Dennin, YAB co-president, helped with the set up; he also participated in a ceremony held by the elders of the Blackfoot tribe. “The Sundance was incredible to be a part of and was an experience I won’t forget,” Dennin said. “I was fascinated by the rules of preparing for the celebration, the rituals that were performed for each step and the sacredness of it all. Girls had to wear dresses when on the site of the Sundance and couldn’t enter the center tent area, no one could step over the poles used, as it would ruin its sanctity; cutting down the center pole was a huge ritual that required many steps to be taken before it was even cut down.”

The YAB members were invited to take part in various cultural activities in the evenings. One Native American woman shared a bit about her culture with the group, which learned that even though there was a religious difference, all the things she talked about sounded very similar to the Catholic faith. She also performed a sacred ritual called “smudging,” in which plants such as sage or cedar are burned and the smoke is used for spiritual and physical cleansing. 

In addition, the woman and her family performed a Native American drum circle and sang songs that were of cultural importance, as well as fun songs. The YAB group learned that dancing is an important Indian tradition, and they were invited to join a dance.

On another evening the group visited Glacier National Park. 

Time was set aside for worship every day. In the mornings there was personal devotional time; in the evenings the groups gathered for an activity that included reflecting on a Bible verse that corresponded with the theme of the day, and singing. 

After the shared activities, each group was given a quiet area to spend time together and reflect on the events of the day. 

“I definitely feel like I grew closer to God that week,” said Tess Panchyshyn, a regular YAB member. “Seeing all the kids in our group interact with the Native kids and the stories they shared in church group time really impacted me. There was so much emotion during church group time, and we all just opened up to each other. It was incredible. I felt such a strong bond with everyone in our group that I had never really felt with anyone besides my family before. But then again, I feel like our youth group is a family. This trip truly humbled me. I came back feeling focused and reconnected with God and my faith. I felt centered and happy. This trip impacted my relationships with many people. I strengthened old friendships and formed new ones.”

On the trip home, the YAB members stopped in Yellowstone National Park and reflected on how they encountered God’s beauty through other people all week, but were then given a chance to see God’s beauty in the Earth around them. 

“I loved this trip,” said Shia Bergstrom. “The kids I met and all the memories I made will always be with me. Every day I think of Shadow and Stormy and all the other kids, and I hope that life will bring them great things. I’m so grateful for my youth group and Deacon Paul [Graham] for making this amazing life-changing experience happen.”