Earlier this month, Mahpiya Luta and Winyan Wakhan Owayawa (WWO-OLL) middle school students recently traveled to the University of Notre Dame, joining students from eight AICSN partner schools for the annual Middle School Pilgrimage. This special experience was designed to deepen students’ faith, nurture their sense of identity, and inspire future academic dreams in community with other Indigenous youth.
Throughout the pilgrimage, students engaged in a variety of activities that brought college life and leadership into focus. They participated in simulated college classes, giving them a firsthand look at the classroom experience on a university campus. They also toured the beautiful Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, where they explored artistic expressions from diverse cultures and histories.
Other highlights included spending time at Notre Dame’s practice basketball facility—experiencing a part of campus life that energizes many students—and visiting the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi in Dowagiac, Michigan. There, students learned about the Pokagon Band’s history, culture, and contemporary community life, connecting lessons of resilience and identity with their own journeys.
The Middle School Pilgrimage offered an unforgettable opportunity for Mahpiya Luta and Winyan Wakhan students to see a future full of possibilities. We are proud of our students for representing our schools with such spirit and curiosity as they continue to grow as leaders rooted in faith, culture, and academic excellence.