Taking Charge, Making Change tells the story of how Native families from Crow Creek, Lower Brule, and nearby communities reshaped the Catholic Stephan Mission boarding school—once aimed at assimilation—into the tribally run Crow Creek Tribal School.

Drawing on archival research and interviews, historian Robert W. Galler Jr. centers Native voices to reveal how collaboration with Catholic leaders over generations transformed both the school and its mission.

The book highlights how families helped build the school, sustain it, and influence its direction. Graduates went on to serve in the military, earn advanced degrees, lead tribal councils, challenge federal policies, and shape Native education for future generations.