North American Indian Ministries

Board of Directors

No Image Available	Sherry Lucas, President (NAIM) Sherry grew up in Nebraska and South Dakota. She has a family history with Rosebud Reservation, with several family members having lived and worked there. Her father taught her to learn about and respect the Indians and their culture. Sherry became interested in mission work with the Lakota Indians when her youngest son was on youth teams that went to Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota for two years. She was trained as a short term mission leader by South American Missionary Society and Mission International in 1999. She has been training and leading mission teams to Rosebud Reservation since 2001. In addition to teams from Texas she has trained teams in Connecticut and Virginia for mission trips to Rosebud. She attended New Wineskins for Global Mission, a conference held every three years, in 2000 and 2003. For 3 years, she was a member of the World Mission Board in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Sherry, a retired registered nurse, is divorced with three grown children (two sons and a daughter) and two granddaughters.
No Image Available	Roz Rowan, Secretary (NAIM) Born and raised in England, Roz came to the United States in 1975. She worked as an executive secretary in the United Kingdom and the United States in the medical & engineering fields. She was involved as a leader with Girl Guides in Norway, where she lived for 5 years, and was active in the Petroleum Women's Club and the American Women's Club. Upon returning to the United States, she was a co-leader of a Girl Scout troop. She recently retired from selling books at various schools. She became a citizen of the United States in 1999. Roz, an Episcopal church member, and her husband and teenage daughter live in Houston. She and her daughter have been on 3 mission trips to Rosebud, beginning in 2005.
No Image Available	Cheri Duggan, Treasurer & Vice President (NAIM) Cheri, a Methodist, has supported the ministry on Rosebud since its beginning in 2001. She was on both mission teams to Rosebud in 2005 and the June, 2006 team. An artist, Cheri paints murals for businesses and private clients. While participating in the different projects as a mission team member, she is seeking ways to use her artistic talent on Rosebud. Prior to devoting time to art full time, she spent many years as a professional fitness trainer. She was also involved in community outreach by teaching dance at the civic center in her local community. Cheri is married and has one adult son. Her husband, Bill, was on the mission trip in July, 2005, & June, 2006, as the contractor to supervise and carry out the team's work projects.
No Image Available	The Rev. John Spruhan, Advisory The Reverend John Spruhan, 55, was born in Detroit, Michigan. In 1972, he graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Zoology. During his college years he came to a personal faith in Christ. Although raised Presbyterian, John joined the American Baptist Church when he married Judy, his high school sweetheart, following college. He discerned a call to the ministry, enrolled in North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, and graduated in 1978 with a M.Div. He and Judy were confirmed in the Episcopal Church in1977. John was ordained a Deacon and a Priest in 1980 at St.James Cathedral in Chicago. He served Church of the Advent/Nuestro Senora de las Americas for 1 year, then St. Cyprian's for 16 years. During that call, a food pantry and a seniors' lunch program were begun, plus outreach to the increasingly Hispanic presence in the community. Judy, a registered nurse with a master's degree, was ordained a Deacon in 1989. John and Judy had a life long dream of being missionaries, and South Dakota presented an opportunity to be part of cross cultural ministry among the Sicangu Lakota on the Rosebud Reservation. They moved to Rosebud in December, 1997, first assuming responsibility for 4 churches, then 6-8 depending on the presence of other clergy. Judy was asked to consider becoming a Priest, and was ordained at the Niobrara Convocation hosted by Rosebud in 2000. She works full time as a Public Health Nurse, but pastors part-time; primarily the three churches on the western side of Rosebud. In 2001, John added supervising the Bishop Hare Center (site of Rosebud Episcopal Mission) to his duties. In that role he schedules and oversees the activities of church groups from around the country that come to work and experience Lakota Culture. The very active and committed local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, building four houses in 2005, is also located at the Bishop Hare Center. As youth are becoming a priority, John is a one of the local adult leaders developing a youth program for the whole Rosebud Deanery, which goes across five counties and includes the Yankton Reservation besides Rosebud. For the Diocese of South Dakota, John now serves as Ecumenical Officer, Standing Committee member, and alternate delegate to General Convention in 2006. John and Judy have two grown children and a grandson.
No Image Available	The Rev. Kern Huff, Advisory The Rev. Kern Huff is an Episcopal priest who ministers in a group called Partners in Ministry in the Diocese of West Texas. This group of priests serves eight churches in Southwest Texas somewhat similar to the circuit riders in the 1800s. He was on two NAIM mission teams to Rosebud, in 2001 and 2002. He is married with two grown children and one grandson.
No Image Available	James H. Shoemake, Advisory James H. Shoemake was born and raised in Muskogee, Oklahoma, near the Cherokee Nation. While growing up, he attended school, played sports, developed friendships with Indian youth and learned about their culture. He started college in Oklahoma but moved to Houston, Texas in 1967, finishing college and law school at the University of Houston. He had a general and civil law practice for over 30 years. He is an Associate Judge of Family Court in Ft. Bend County, Texas. He was President of Advent Episcopal School Board for 5 years and served on the Vestry at Advent Episcopal Church for 12 years. He was also Board President for Ft. Bend County's Children's Protective Services for three years. Jim is married and the father of three grown children.
No Image Available	Jayson Thunderhawk, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Advisory Jayson, a Lakota Indian, was born and raised on Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. In 1996, at age 17, he participated in a youth retreat called "Happening" at Camp Allen in Navasota, Texas. His trip to "Happening" was sponsored by families and friends of a youth team from the Sugar Land, Texas area that went to Standing Rock Reservation in 1995 and 1996. After high school Jayson went to Junior College. then joined the Marines and was stationed at Camp David. During that time he was asked to be the commencement speaker back in North Dakota at a younger brother's high school graduation, sharing the importance of education and striving for success. He is married with two children and lives and works in the Washington, D.C. area.
No Image Available	Beulah Turgeon, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Beulah was born and raised on the Yankton Reservation in Southeastern South Dakota, going to country school through 8th grade and graduating from public high school in Lake Andes, SD. After high school she had secretarial training at Haskell Jr. College in Kansas. She then moved to Rosebud, working in the hospital on Rosebud as a secretary. While working there, she met her husband, married and remained on Rosebud. She was baptized an Episcopalian as a one month old baby, and throughout the years has studied religion extensively. She has always been active in the Episcopal Church, serving on numerous committees. She was named Episcopal Church Women of the Year in 2003 and was honored at the convention in Minnesota that year. Beulah's husband and her only child, a daughter, are both deceased. In July, 2005, she relocated to Oklahoma to be near her sister, Ethel, and nieces and nephews, who are like her own children. The NAIM team purchased many things at her estate sale to furnish their "dorm" on the mission property. The team enjoys using things that belonged to this dear friend and an honored elder of the tribe and the church.
No Image Available	Christine Dunham, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Christine, a tribal elder and story teller, attended an Indian boarding school but dropped out after 6th grade. However, when the Office of Economic Opportunity opened, she got her GED and was hired as a headstart teacher, teaching for 20 years. She is not a college graduate but has 73 credits towards a degree. She was asked to help develop an Indian Studies program and taught that for 8 years. She was elected and served on the Tribal Council for 5 terms of two years each and is considering running again. In 2003 she underwent successful cancer surgery and follow-up treatment and has been working every day at a local daycare center. At age 78, she considers it very important to stay active and set a good example for other tribal members. Christine is married, has 12 children, 52 grandchildren and 63+ great grandchildren.
No Image Available	Dorothy Lundeman, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Dorothy, age 86, is an accomplished pianist and organist. Her parents purchased a piano for her brother, but it was placed in a corner as he didn't want to learn to play. Dorothy, age four, with the help of the cardboard keyboard which came with the piano, taught herself to play in four or five months. She knew her ABCs and her father had shown her where middle C was on the keyboard. She was still just four years old when she played her first hymn in church, sitting on her father's lap. She only had three years of formal music training. Her other education was in Montana and South Dakota. For grades seven through eleven she attended St. Mary's School for Girls in Springfield, SD, but returned to Rosebud for her senior year due to her mother's illness. She graduated from Rosebud Boarding School. Offered a full scholarship to Juilliard School of Music in New York, she was not allowed to go as her mother said it was too far away. She is not a college graduate but took some college courses. She worked in the library at Sinte Gleske University for several years. Dorothy is the regular pianist and organist for two churches on Rosebud. She also plays for weddings, wakes, funerals and other occasions. A widow, Dorothy has two sons, 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
No Image Available	Lois Antoine, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Lois graduated from St. Mary's School for Girls in Springfield, South Dakota. She attended junior college in Kansas, studying business for two years. She then got her degree in sociology at a college in Colorado and went on to get her Masters Degree in social Work in Minnesota. She helped start White Buffalo Calf Women's Society, a shelter for abused women and also helped start a meal program for seniors in her community. She is on the Episcopal Mission Council on Rosebud Reservation and is a delegate to the Niobrara Convocation, a gathering of Episcopalians from all the Reservations held every year. She also serves on the board of Boys and Girls Club of America and, as such, is very involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Rosebud which opened this spring. A divorcee, Lois has raised four sons and has 15 grandchildren.
No Image Available	Isabelle Wright, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Isabelle, the second of eight children, was born and raised on Rosebud Reservation. After graduating from Todd County High School she went to Haskell Jr. College in Lawrence, KS and received an Associate of Business Degree. She retired in 2003 after working for various tribal programs and the government for 28 years. Isabelle has been a lifelong Episcopalian and is a member of Calvary Church, Okreek, SD. She has served on several boards at the church; Bishop's Committee, Secretary, delegate to the Diocesan Convention and Deanery delegate. She was also asked to serve as Secretary to the Community when people found out she knew shorthand. She is a volunteer at the Okreek School Library. Isabelle has one daughter and 5 grandchildren.
No Image Available	Pat LeBeau, RoseBud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Born in 1947 in Mobridge, SD. Pat grew up on a ranch, went to boarding school, then to a parochial school until he graduated in 1965. He worked both the ranch and was a boy’s advisor at St. Elizabeth School for Indian children. He married Dottie McBride in 1967. They have two daughters and a son who are all on their own and 6 grandchildren. Pat works for the Indian Health Service, Office of Environmental Health and Engineering, where he is an Engineer Tech. He has worked construction most of his life. He has two associates degrees, plus a degree in Applied Sciences. He attended one year of law school. He enjoys yard work and gardening, keeping somewhat in shape by doing tai-kwondo three times a week. He is on several committees working with and for the Episcopal church. He has lived on the Rosebud Indian Reservation since 1969, and considers it his home.
No Image Available	Alverna Wright, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Advisory Alverna Wright was born on Rosebud Reservation in 1950. After graduating from Todd County High School in Mission, SD, she attended Haskell Jr. College in Lawrence, KS for two years. Following that, she received an Associate of Arts degree from Sinte Gleska College, Rosebud, SD, with emphasis in accounting. For 35 years she worked for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in the accounting/finance field. For the past four years she has worked for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Mni Wiconi Program as a Program Specialist. Mni Wiconi is a $2.7 million dollar program as a part of the Rosebud Rural Water System. Alverna, a lifelong Episcopalian, is a member of Calvary Church, Okreek, SD. She is a lay Eucharistic Minister and Lay Reader. She is also the church treasurer. She and her significant other of 15 years, Dewayne Cox, are raising two grandchildren, Cater and Eric Cox, Jr.

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