On the south side of the Clark Fork River directly across Interstate 90 from Alberton is a little-known campus that has been in existence since 1969.

Situated on 250 acres, the Northwest Indian Bible School is dedicated to providing an education specifically tailored to Native American youth in grades 7-12 utilizing the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum.

“I really like it because you can work at your own pace,” said 14-year-old Marjianna Bad Wound. She is from the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe. Bad Wound, a native of Martin, South Dakota, attends the school because it’s a family tradition.

“My grandmother sent all of her children here,” Bad Wound said.

Sixteen-year-old Kadie Mesteth, from Potato Creek, South Dakota, has been an honor student with plans to attend college after graduation.

“It’s challenging, but it’s not that difficult,” Mesteth said.

Students and staff live on the campus and help with maintenance each day with the incentive of winning prizes at the end of the school year for their volunteerism. Their elective classes include woodworking, welding, mechanics, sewing, cooking and cake decorating and has in the past “offered Native American beading,” office manager Melissa Nale said.

“The student numbers change from year to year,” Nale said. “This year we have six boys and six girls so there are some empty beds in the dorms.”

That doesn’t include the staff’s children in grades 1-6 or the adult Bible School offering a bachelor’s degree in Religious Literature.

Daniel Hardy, Jr. is a graduate of the class of 1999 while his father was the president from 1998-2003.

Hardy Jr. has returned and is the principal of the grade school.

“Our boarding students are Native Americans. Different tribes and different reservations are represented from all over and their education is free. We’re a non-profit organization with a Christian faith-based principle all of us live by.”

So, what about the Indian Tacos?

These are a treat that draw Alberton and Petty Creek residents to the Bible School dining hall only a few times a year.

The tacos are gigantic and topped with taco-seasoned meat, onions, lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, black olives, banana peppers, sour cream and salsa on freshly made Indian fry bread for $8.

The next event will be Monday, March 16 from 4 to 6 p.m. The last one for this school year will be in April.

The dining hall is set up with decorations and centerpieces and is clean as a whistle.

The senior class that hosted the event Feb. 24 is raising money for a spring break trip to Seattle.

“We’re not a cult. Our church is open to visitors for the Wednesday evening and Sunday services,” said Vice President Doug Smith. “We might not be as well known in the area so having these taco sales is our invitation for people to come and get to know us.”