Red Cloud Indian School is changing its name – sort of. The school was named for its founder, legendary Lakota Chief Red Cloud, and its new name of “Maȟpíya Lúta” is Red Cloud in Lakota.
Red Cloud Indian School was founded by Jesuits in 1888 and currently has about 600 students.
The decision to rebrand and embrace the Maȟpíya Lúta name was formally approved by the Board of Directors last year to represent its strategic vision and commitment to the revitalization of the Lakȟóta Language.
The rebranding also brings a new logo and visual elements that represent the school’s goals and objectives.
The website, email addresses, and all other contact information will be updated over the next 6 months to reflect the new name and provide a smooth transition
Red Cloud School has offered a K-12 education, Native arts, and exploration of faith and spirituality of both Lakȟóta and Catholic values – which led its student-athletes a few years ago to ask to put Maȟpíya Lúta on their jerseys.
Executive Vice President Tashina Banks Rama says the gesture led to the realization that the name change would unify the school’s multifaceted work under one banner.
Banks Rama says Maȟpíya Lúta acknowledges not only the school but also the spiritual endeavors within the on-campus church and The Heritage Center – celebrating the legacy of Chief Red Cloud and embracing “the exciting new possibilities it brings.”
She says “Chief Red Cloud advocated tirelessly for the establishment of a school on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and this name change allows us to honor his vision and his contributions to our people and this organization.
She calls It “a profound way to pay homage to his legacy, using the name he would have recognized in his Lakȟóta language.”