Magdalen (Maggie) Yellow Bird

Cistuwi taka

'Corn that turns white'

Magdalen was born Magdalen Young Bird on January 5, 1927, at home with a midwife delivering her into this world.

When she was a young child, she was given her Arikara name, Cistuwi taka

'Corn that turns white,' by Julie White Bear a traditional grandmother in her extended family of relatives.

Magdalen is the daughter of Ben Young Bird and Jessie (Everett) Young Bird.  She is a direct descendant of the hereditary Arikara Chief Sitting Bear, a member of the Water Buster and Child of the Low Cap Clan of the Hidatsa. She was very proud of her lineage and held a deep love for all her relatives on both sides, and could deftly describe the complex ancestries, relationships between families, and their generational descendants within the  larger extended family context.

Magdalen will be profoundly missed.  She has left us the most beautiful legacy of love, compassion, resilience, prayer, hope, positivity, and     humor, along with a most gracious love for learning and encouraging her children to make the world a better place for all people.  May we carry her with us, always.

Magdalen survived by her daughters Nelrene of White Shield ND, (2 children)  Linda (Tiodoro) of Bismarck ND, (5 children) Jessie (Camerino) of White Shield ND  (6 children).  Sons Willard Jr. (Donna) of Moorehead, MN, (3 children) Dennis of White Shield, (7 children) Michael (Erin) of Winnipeg MB, (8 children) Thomas (Rita) of Polson MT, (2 children)  Elroy (Lenora) of Fargo ND (4 children), Monte –  Santa Fe NM, (5 children) Rodney of White Shield ND, Cory of White Shield, (1 child) and Loren (Angie) of Trenton ND (5children).

Also survived by her siblings Greta White Calf of White Shield ND, Marilyn Young Bird White of Shield ND, Joseph Young Bird of White Shield ND, Felix Young Bird of Wahpeton ND, and Sara Young Bird of New Town ND.

Preceded in death by her parents Ben and Jessie (Everett) Young Bird, her husband Willard Yellow Bird Sr., her children Charles, Cheryl and Marlon, siblings Margie, Pliga Bordeaux, Theresa Danks, Delphine Hall, Benjamin (Jimmy) Young Bird, Laverne Pfliger and Hans Young Bird, grand children Terry St. John, Dennis Yellow Bird Jr., Carla Yellow Bird, and Nathan Mountain.