Alva Review-Courier -

Charitie Ropati watched the pilot episode of "Molly of Denali" in her Columbia University dorm room, huddled around a computer screen with friends.

"We were crying," Ropati said. "We realized we finally had positive representation."

"Molly of Denali" is the first cartoon series with an Alaska Native character as the lead. It premiered nationwide on PBS Kids in July.

For many, it is more than a cartoon.

"Watching the show is a way for my Native friends and I to bond," said 18-year-old Ropati, Yup'ik, who had just moved to New York City from Anchorage and was feeling homesick when the pilot aire...