In the year 1869, a year after Father Baraga's passing, the United States passed a policy called the "Peace Policy."  In the Peace Policy each reservation was assigned a specific denomination of the Christian religion to work with.  The United States then obtained feedback from these denominations to let the government know how well the Native Americans received Christianity.  During that time only the denominations that the government placed on the reservations were allowed.  All other denominations were escorted off the reservation.  The entirety of the region where Father Baraga worked was assigned the American Missionary Association with the exception of Grand River, MI (now Grand Rapids).  Red Clouds region was assigned the Episcopal denomination.  The Catholics were assigned missions primarily in Washington State.  Despite the Catholics success amongst the Natives, the Catholics were severely underrepresented throughout the whole of the missions allotted.  

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The reputation of the Father Baraga and his missions along with the other missionaries who worked with the Natives had spread throughout the region where the Dakota natives lived as well.  Though many missionaries from other denominations proceeded to attempt to work with the Dakota, the Dakota refused the help of many of these missionaries instead claiming that they would only work with the Catholic missionaries.  The Dakota knew that the Catholic missionaries would learn their language, help them become literate, allow them to retain their cultures, and would work with the Natives to help them retain their lands and acclimate to life with the European populations.  

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Red Cloud, seeing the changes that were sweeping over his land and regions, wished to have the Jesuits come to the reservation.  Red Cloud made his journey to Washington the first time and was denied.  The second time was denied.  Red Cloud went to Washington for the third time staunch in his resolve to have the Catholic faith represented.  On his third attempt to Washington in 1877 Red Cloud was granted permission to have the Catholic Faith on his reservation.

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During this time frame as well the Catholics were also working to spread their work and create a work around for the Peace Policy until the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions was established in 1874.  This establishment was brought about by Bishop Ausutin Blanchet and Archbishop Francis Blanchet.  At first an attempt was made within the church to set up a representative to care for the Natives.  That did not receive the required response from within the church to make any movement.  Then Francis Blanchet decided to try and have a full-time representative in Washington which was pursued through 1872.  In 1873 a Commissioner was chosen and in 1874 the BCIM was officially established after the Secretary of Interior was officially notified.  At that time work began with a focused effort on maintaining their churches and schools on their assigned agencies and gaining access to agencies assigned to other denominations.  Over time it's focus changed to advocacy of Indian rights.  

 

When Red Cloud was granted permission to have the Jesuits on his reservation.  At this time a group of Jesuits and Franciscan Sisters came to the region and Red Cloud began building the Holy Rosary mission with them which would later be renamed to the Red Cloud Indian School.  The Red Cloud Indian School now is a forerunner in helping with the Truth and Healing initiative to not only help with the healing of their own histories, but the histories of other Boarding Schools as well.  Just recently the Superior General of the Jesuit Society visited this location to further help this healing to move forward and to further Pope Francis's mission to continue with these reconciliations after Pope Francis's pilgrimage to Canada in July of 2022.  To see Pope Francis's pilgrimage, click here.  To read about Superior General's Father Arturo Sosa's visit to the Red Cloud Indian School, click here.

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