“Peta Sees the Light”

 

Rapid City S.D.- Have you ever had a chance to listen to how children talk? They have some of the most beautiful and intelligent conversations with one another, probably more in depth than most adults. The range of conversation held by children is sometimes far more broader and accurate than most adults.

This is part of Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre’s experience as an elementary school counselor. Jessie, Lakota & Dakota obtained a degree from Black Hills State University in Psychology and American Indian Studies. Jessie also has a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development, specializing in school counseling from South Dakota State University.

For her it all began about 10 years ago when she began working at a school in Rapid City, S.D where the majority of the students were Native American, in particular, Lakota students. She noticed how some of the students were communicating with each other.

Jessie noticed that some students were engaged in serious conversation about their personal lives. Topics included past weekend parties, parents going to jail, being taken to foster care, being left with their grandparents, real life crisis’ they were encountering and asking each other for advice. Unfortunately most educators are not equipped to deal with these real life situations in the classroom.

 

In Jessie’s position she felt she needed spirituality and reflected on the situations these children were in and expressed concern about to each other. After work one day, after a particularly difficult day, she decided to travel into the He Sapa (Black Hills) to seek an answer. Jessie did what she thought best and through prayer asked for direction. She returned home and a couple of nights later her answer came in the form of a dream about an elderly man.

In her first book, “Peta Sees the Light,” she tells of her dream. Everyone has a purpose was a message that she had to tell. The elder told her to remind as many children as possible that they are each special with the potential to change the world. Everything that the old man in the book shares with the boy “Peta” was shared with Jessie in her dream.

The next morning Jessie was so excited about the beautiful dream or vision she asked herself, “Did that just happen?” She was overwhelmed with the message that was shared by the elder. It became even more interesting when Sophia her daughter who was very young at that time came to her that morning and told her “Mommy! We all have lights in us and this is why my light is so special….”. Her daughter went on to name many things that made her unique. Later that day Jessie would have another encounter that convinced her to write the book.

There were two kindergartner boys that Jessie was counseling and the boys were talking about some of the things the old man in her dream was referring to. So, Jessie began to share her dream with the boys. It became so intimate she asked them to draw what they thought. One of those drawings would eventually become the cover art for her book, “Peta Sees the Light”.

Jessie said about her books, “I have been inspired to share stories that teach lessons because of my own children but also because of the hundreds… thousands of kids I had the honor to work with over the years throughout my school counseling career.” She added, “I found out that kids love storytelling and that in our Lakota culture, that’s how values and lessons were taught.”

(Editor’s note: This is the first of a three part series on Jessie’s first book by Arlo Iron Cloud.)