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MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2003

"Children will miss the soft-spoken, gentle Fred Rogers of Public Television's "Mister Rogers Neighborhood." He will be missed because he provided millions of children with a parentlike figure who gently helped children understand their own neighborhoods. He taught difficult issues such as death and divorce using characters such as Queen Sara, Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl.

Rogers was like an Indian grandparent. Grandparents and elders also were teachers who helped the young Native children learn life lessons, only the grandparents used animals such as the coyote, crow or buffalo.

Mister Rogers was 12 years older than I am, so he wasn't on television when I was between 4 and 6 years old - the target age of his programming. Well, actually television wasn't invented when I was between 4 and 6, either.

But he did make an impression on me when I was a young mother who chose programming for her children.

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Lessons of Mister Rogers, Native elders endure test of time (The Grand Forks Herald 3/1)

More Dorreen Yellow Bird:
Yellow Bird: Worries have changed in U.S. capitol (2/25)
Yellow Bird: Great-grandfather Little Sioux (2/24)
Yellow Bird: Unity needed in journalism too (2/18)
Yellow Bird: Finding peace in uncertain times (2/17)
Yellow Bird: Astronauts were elite, courageous (02/04)
Yellow Bird: Through diversity comes unity (2/3)
Yellow Bird: We're cold and proud of it (1/28)
Yellow Bird: It could have been anyone (01/14)
Yellow Bird: Deer encounters, Part 2 (1/13)
Yellow Bird: Listen up roaming deer! (1/7)
Yellow Bird: Looking past stereotypes (1/6)
Yellow Bird: We can learn from TIME report (12/23)
Yellow Bird: Happy Birthday, Mom (12/17)
Yellow Bird: Grandmother Moon (12/16)
Yellow Bird: Include Natives in plan (12/10)
Yellow Bird: Walking a different path (12/9)
Yellow Bird: An Indian Martha Stewart (11/18)
Yellow Bird: The dangers of smoking (11/12)
Yellow Bird: Worry about GOP control (11/11)
Yellow Bird: It's cold but it's home (11/5)
Yellow Bird: Gangs in Indian Country (11/4)
Yellow Bird: Wellstone will be missed (10/29)
Yellow Bird: Making the final journey (10/22)
Yellow Bird: No McDonald's in Mongolia (10/21)
Yellow Bird: Next stop, ESPN Sportszone (10/18)
Yellow Bird: Keeping traditions alive (10/08)
Yellow Bird: Burgers, chips and fries oh my (10/1)
Yellow Bird: The smallpox threat (9/30)
Yellow Bird: Oops, I did it again... (9/24)
Yellow Bird: Reservation elections (9/17)
Yellow Bird: Learning from 9-11 (9/16)
Yellow Bird: Remembering 9-11 (9/10)
Yellow Bird: Protecting the Badlands (9/9)
Yellow Bird: My secret nickname (9/2)
Yellow Bird: Appreciating art (8/28)
Yellow Bird: An unsung hero (8/26)
Yellow Bird: I say Sakakawea (8/20)
Yellow Bird: Changing views on rape (8/19)