Maude Reed Starr (Sahnish/Arikara) - YELLOW CALF WOMAN passes away

Sahnish language educator, Sahnin Kata' (Yellow Calf Woman), Sahnish, died on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.

Yellow Calf Woman was 71 years young and she was proof that education is a life-long learning process. Yellow Calf Woman earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Education on June 1, 2001, through the University of North Dakota. More importantly, she was a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes and was one of only a handful of educators who had the necessary skills to teach the Sahnish/Arikara language.

She was a gift to those who knew her. Tom Wells of the Dead Grass Society commented on the loss of this Sahnish elder, "She was a nice, kind lady...happy go lucky."

Yellow Calf Woman shared the Sahnish culture and language with young people through school programs. She was the first and only Arikara woman to teach the Arikara language at New Town's Edwin Loe Elementary School. Yellow Calf Woman taught lessons on counting, colors, simple phrases, and storytelling. Oftentimes, she would use humor in her classroom to help reinforce her lessons.

Having lived away from the Fort Berthold Reservation for much of her lifetime, she was extremely proud of her Sahnish/Arikara heritage. Yellow Calf Woman will be remembered by her young students as an educator, Sahnish linguist, comedienne, and as someone who believed in them and validated their ways.

Sahnin Kata' (Yellow Calf Woman) went Home today.

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