"When I was a child, I liked to watch my grandmother comb her long, black hair. It was a ritual she enjoyed because she smiled and sometimes hummed softly to herself while she stroked her hair with that wide-toothed comb.

That memory of lying on the bed and staring up at her combing her hair is on my mind today. She seems to be here.

My grandmother, Philomene Little Sioux, was an important part of my life and the lives of our family. She influenced how I think and live. My memories of her are snapshots that seem to bring her back. At times, I see her combing her hair and twisting it in a tight roll on the back of her head. Then, I see her standing at the wood stove, feeding the fire with chunks of wood or dipping warm water from the reservoir beside the stove into a basin so we could wash up. And I even can smell eggs cooking and salt pork frying."

Get the Story:
DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Grandmother Philomene always will be with me (The Grand Forks Herald 1/17)

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