What You Can Do
At SGU
 
Maggie MacKichan
 
 
Did you know that Sinte Gleska University has an affordable  daycare program for children of students and staff?
 
Children between the ages of six months and eight years old can learn and play at the daycare building Monday through Thursday from 8 am til 5 pm. The day  is varied and interesting, broken up with activities like games, art, storytelling and reading, outdoor play and even child specific learning goals. The kids get a regular rest time, and also a nutritious lunch and snacks.
 
The director Jamie Star Chief  is well qualified with a BA degree in early childhood development.  Her assistants, Rene Reifel and Kylee Swalley are currently working on education degrees. The atmosphere is a happy one, with young children learning how to interact and cooperate with others, and benefiting from one-on- one with the teachers. The rooms are clean, cheerful and safe.
 
The cost of childcare is two dollars an hour for both staff and students. The facility is located on the north side of the library campus, behind the greenhouse. Daycare is in session from 8 am to 5 pm on days the college is having classes.
 
For more information call 856-8100, and ask for Jamie Star Chief.

What You Can Do
         At SGU
 
Maggie MacKichan
 
Did you know that Sinte Gleska University students who are certified to do taxes will do your taxes, free?
 
Business students can enroll in courses which lead to certification in tax preparation.  These students are then eligible to be part of the  Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  You can save two hundred dollars or more by utilizing their services, while they gain experience.  The program is directed and overseen  by the SGU Business Department Chair, Maureece Heinert.
 
Make an appointment and come in for assistance, or, become a business major and learn to do the taxes yourself.  Then you will be able to assist family and community members, and you can also be employable in that much needed field.
 
For more information, call (605) 856-8100 and ask for the Business Education Department for further information.
 
 

What You Can Do
At SGU
 
Maggie MacKichan

Did you know that Sinte Gleska University has a free lunch program for all enrolled college students? Lunch is prepared by T. J. Marshall and Sam Yellow Eagle, and served from noon til  1 pm, Monday through Thursday in the Student Lounge, located next to the library on the main campus in Mission.
 
The meals are main dishes with healthy salads, vegetables and fruit or desserts.  The lunch room is brightly lit with mural drawings of Sicangu and Oglala chiefs, by the late Larry Yankton.  Students can meet friends, and even practice their hand games in a cheerful environment, right on campus.
 
Staff and faculty can get lunch there also, by first purchasing inexpensive tickets at the Administration Building on the Lake Campus.
 
Chad and Emily Kills Crow will meet you at the door for you to sign in, and chow down!
 
 

What you can Do
        At SGU
 
Maggie MacKichan
 
Hey! Did you know that you can enroll at Sinte Gleska University without a high school diploma?  All you need is a G.E.D. certificate. Don’t have a G.E.D.?  You can earn one at Sinte Gleska’s Adult Basic Education program. It is free to everyone over 18 years of age.
 
The ABE program is located one block south of the Dollar Store in Mission. There you will find tutors who can help you prepare to take the GED test.  They provide study materials, a warm comfortable place to study, and friendly tutors to assist you. The latest technology is available to help you, using YouTube, Aztec, Kahn’s Academy, and other  websites. You can work at your own pace, on your own schedule.
 
Jim Marshall is the director and chief examiner. Denise One Star is assistant examiner, with Reg Reifel and Shannon Grant, tutors.
 
Hours are Monday-Thursday 8-5, Friday 8- noon, year round.
Bring an unexpired government issued ID (tribal, driver’s license)  to sign up.
 
For more information call 856-8229.
 
 

What You Can Do at SGU        by Maggie Mackichan
 
Did you know that the Sinte Gleska University library is also a community library? Everyone is welcome to come and relax, warm up or cool down, read the latest magazines or regional  newspapers, or go on-line with the library computers. There are books to fuel your interests and expand your knowledge on thousands of subjects, from gardening and beading techniques to space exploration. Novels can feed your imagination and take you away to new places and ideas.
 
SGU students can check out books, videos and DVDs . Community members can get a library card by bringing in a picture ID and envelope addressed to you, mailed within the past month. Once you have a card, you can check out books for two weeks, and DVDs/videos for one week.  Sinte Gleska university also has access to the South Dakota state library through interlibrary loan, if books aren’t available in this library.
 
It is a quiet, friendly atmosphere. Stop in and get acquainted—the SGU librarians Ken Wike, Ken Swalley, Mike Dillon, Elsie Hollow Horn Bear and Diana Dillon are there to help you.
 
The library is located on the Main Campus, with the marquee lighted sign.
 
    Library hours: During the school year
   8:00 am to 10:00 [m
   Monday-Thursday
 
   8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
   Friday
 
   Summer hours (June/July)
   8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
   Monday-Frid

What You Can Do At SGU
Maggie MacKichan
Did you know that Sinte Gleska University is the only individual tribal college that has its own art institute? The Great Plains Art Institute at Sinte Gleska University began in 1987. It offers an AA and a BA in art. The SGU art institute is unique in that courses have been developed on Lakota and aesthetics and Native American art history that each student takes in addition to all the courses required by major university art programs. Lakota thought and philosophy is incorporated into the classes. And, even though the SGU Art Institute is a small program of fewer than twenty students, they have taken prestigious awards over Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe which has 615 students, in national art competitions, including last month’s American Indian Higher Education Consortium conference.
Charles Her Many Horses, Senior at the SGU Art Institute
Charles Her Many Horses has been a student at SGU since 2012. He is a prolific artist who has created a studio in his home, and works daily in it, as well as in class. He works in many mediums, everything from oil painting on canvas to painting on cardboard with water based paints, but also three dimensional work in a myriad of materials. His work is not bound to other peoples’ concepts of art.
Her Many Horses entered four categories at AIHEC this spring, and won in each category. He took First in Painting, First in Dimensional Traditional Art, Second in Sculpture, and Third in Drawing. This is truly an outstanding accomplishment, as the competition included the work of the best students from IAIA and also 35 other tribal colleges.
“Native art is what you make. In Lakota, there is no word for art.” Charles truly lives this philosophy, making not only beautiful objects of any material at hand, but ones that challenge the viewer and expand the definition of “Indian Art.” As a true artist, his work is not driven solely by a business perspective, although he is quick to admit selling is nice. “I would like to sell, but I’m not going to make something just because it will sell.” Instead, he makes art that will change our perception of art, and, in doing so, art itself. This is a path that is difficult to follow, because most people don’t understand that there is a difference between craftsmanship and art. Art should have craftsmanship, but craftsmanship alone does not necessarily reach the personal expression of art. The drive to produce something with meaning and inner vision sets the artist apart.
This is one reason Charles decided to attend the SGU Art Institute rather than IAIA, which he says turns out repetitious production artists, who are pushed to produce work for the art market alone, rather than work that comes from an inner source. Like most centers for Indian art, the imagery tends to be generic, made to fit the public’s concept of Indian art. It takes courage and resiliency to stand with your own convictions. By studying at Sinte Gleska Charles
says, he lives in a supportive environment and draws from his own Lakota culture rather than in an atmosphere of Pan Indian art. Emphasis at the art institute is on developing as an artist, reaching inside for direction. Much of Charles work, at times provocative, revolves around traditional Lakota stories-- actual stories rather than cliched symbols. His statements and observations are his own, as well as his distinctive imagery itself. These strengths and personal vision are the reason for his growing recognition in the art world today. At the Northern Plains Art Market he has received several awards including Best in Fine Arts in 2015. He has won first place in previous AIHEC competitions, took first at the Red Cloud Show in 2018, has shown at CAIRNS and numerous other venues.
Her Many Horses will be graduating this summer with his BA in Art. He intends to enter graduate school in the future, but in the meantime is looking into art residencies around the country.
For more information on the Great Plains Art Institute at Sinte Gleska University, call me, Margaret MacKichan, at 856-8415. Ned Day is our other highly qualified instructor.

​Scholarships
 
Maggie MacKichan
 
 
Did you know that Sinte Gleska University has many scholarships that students can apply to receive?  Midas Gunhammer, Financial Aid Director and his staff Leslie Short Bull and Juanita Roubideaux are working throughout the year to find funding and manage grants for students who need financial help.
 
Before applying, the student must apply for assistance by filling out a Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA). After that, an application must be filled out for a PELL grant.  This will establish need, based on household size, income, and number of students in the household.  Once need is established, the scholarships may be applied for.  Midas, Juanita or Leslie can help each step of the way.
 
Here are some of the scholarships available to SGU students:
 
TOKATAKIYA (“In the Future”) Scholarship, funded through SGU
 
This is an exciting new scholarship offered by Sinte Gleska.
 
Anycurrent year graduating high school or GED student may receive this scholarship.  It provides100% free tuition for two semesters, providing the student carries a full time course load (minimum 12 hours, usually four classes), and passes them with at least a 2.0 grade point average. (C average). Once the first semester is completed satisfactorily, the student can get the second semester, also tuition-free. This is an incredible opportunity.
 
EVERYONE WHO APPLIES  FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP and maintains grades, gets the funding! At a state university this would amount to thousands of dollars. Think of what you can save.
 
Bureau of Indian Affairs Higher Education Grant
 
The conditions for this scholarship are that the student be enrolled in the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, be in good standing academically, and that they enroll as a full time student in an four-year degree program, or an AA degree program that leads to a four-year degree.
 
Students receiving this scholarship also receive a monthly stipend for education related expenses. The amount of the stipend is determined by household size, and whether the household members are dependents.
 
Tribal College and University (TCU) Scholarship
 
TCU scholarships are a minimum of $500, and it is not necessary to be a tribal member of any tribe, only that you be a student at a tribal college. All who apply are considered, regardless of their GPA (grade averages.)
 
The Tribal College and University organization provides all American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) schools with money for scholarships, which is administered by the individual school’s financial aid office.  Sinte Gleska University receives about $70,000 per semester for this purpose. It is not necessary to be an enrolled member of any tribe to apply for and receive this scholarship. The following criteria must be met:

1. Need must be established by filling out a FAFSA form, and a PELL application.
2. Students must fill out an on-line TCU application.
3. Students must upload an appropriate photograph (respectable head shot, no selfies like you put on Facebook!)
4. An abstract, which is your tribal ID and enrollment number IF you have one.

 
 The SGU scholarship committee decides who will receive the funding.  The committee is made up of the financial aid department, administrators, and representatives from each academic department. Application stays open until the Drop/Add period ends each semester, usually in the third week of school.
 
Full Circle Scholarshipfunded by the American Indian College Fund 
 
This scholarship is applied for on-line. As with the others, it is need-based so application must by made for a PELL grant first to establish need. Application is made in May for the upcoming year, which begins that Fall.  Selection for this grant is made by AICF, using their own committee of educators and donors around the country. Full Circle scholarships start at $1,000 or more.  A representative from AICF is coming to SGU on April 15th, so mark your calendars.
 
If this seems confusing, the financial aid staff will lead you through the processes. It is not necessary you remember these facts, only that the scholarships are there, and Midas, Leslie and Juanita are willing and ready to walk you through application. Call Midas at (605) 856-8140, or stop by the Student Services Building on Antelope Drive, which is the new campus southeast of Antelope community. There you can  meet the staff and begin the next step of your educational journey. 
 
 

​Did you know that Sinte Gleska University has the ONLY free transportation service for their students in the country?  
 
That’s right. SGU vans cover 1,380 miles a day to provide free, safe transportation for students in outlying areas. The transportation service has been in effect since the earliest days, when SGU was Sinte Gleska College. It was recognized that great distances and lack of transport would prevent otherwise interested students from enrolling. Students come from Corn Creek, He Dog, Springcreek,  and Winner to name a few communities, with many places in between.  
 
This service runs every day the college is in session. Each run is made to get students to classes at 9 am, then a 4 pm run, and a 10 o’clock run, when classes are over. This makes access to a car unnecessary, and can save students with cars hundreds of dollars over the course of a year, thousands by time of graduation. Students are picked up at their home unless the private road is over a mile long, or blizzard or mud prevent passage. In those cases, students are picked up on the main road.  The drivers penetrate the most remote areas of the reservation to help  students get an education.
 
One of the drivers, Dave Delgarito has been on staff 38 years, almost as long as SGU has existed. Another driver, Keith Larvie has driven for 13 years. Other drivers are newer to the staff: Kerry Davis, Ron Keller, and Neil Traversie, all under the direction of Dera Iyotte. These drivers keep impossibly long hours, from 6:30 am to midnight most days.
 
When students register for classes they also meet with transportation staff to register their class times and community.  Drivers get to know their passengers, and also their schedule, and even keep students coming with encouragement.
 
We are proud of our drivers, who tackle the roads and mechanical glitches on a daily basis, whatever the conditions.  And also we salute SGU, who saw the need and continues to provide support of all kinds for students.

Did you know that Sinte Gleska University has a full time Financial Aid Director, whose job it is to help you find the funds to go to college? 
 
That’s right. His name is Midas Gunhammer, and he’s been doing this since, well, a long time.  I can tell you from experience he is a patient person, who knows all the necessary hoops, and how to jump through them. He is ready to help you through the process, which otherwise might seem scary.
 
The first step is to fill out a FAFSA, which stands for Free Application For Student Aid.  This is the most important document to fill out when you need money for tuition and books in order to attend college.  This FAFSA document will calculate a student’s need for financial aid, and will also determine if the student is eligible for a PELL Grant. A FAFSA also helps in applying for other types of assistance because it establishes the need.
 
Many students here and elsewhere get PELL Grants.  They are an entitlement to you as a US citizen, providing you meet the eligibility guidelines. This will depend on household size, income, and how many household members are currently attending college. (For more about PELL Grants, see box below.)
 
Midas’ office is in the Student Services Building, on the new Lake Campus.  His phone number is 856-8140. Call or stop in to find out more about how SGU can help you get a college education, right here at home.
 
Watch next week’s paper for information about more scholarships available for Sinte Gleska students. 
------
 
PELL Grants
 
PELL is granted to applicants who meet the eligibility standards.  The amount of the grant can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars a year, to $6,000 a year. The amount is determined by criteria stated earlier—income, household size, and number of college students in the household.
 
This money is funded by Congress, is overseen by the Department of Education and managed by the university’s financial aid officer, at Sinte it is Midas Gunhammer.
 
Essentially how PELL works:
Once funding is granted, certain minimum standards must be maintained by the student for the funding to continue.  They must pass 67% of all the classes they take, and must maintain a given GPA (Grade Point Average—which means passing grades.)  Should the student fall short in either of these areas, they will be given a chance to change that during the next semester. All is of this is explained to the student, and Midas will help by making sure you understand the procedure and conditions.  Basically, if a student finishes most of their classes with a C or better, the funding will typically continue until you reach your first four year degree.