03x02 - The Story About Winter Stays and the Future

[bunniefuu]

Hey, everyone-- it's me, Molly!

♪Molly of Denali ♪

Let's go!

♪ She's Molly of Denali

[laughing]: Whooo!

♪ By plane or sled or snowshoe ♪

♪ She is ready to explore

♪ From Kaktovik down to Juneau ♪

♪ Always wanting to learn more ♪

Yeah!

♪ Together with her best friend Tooey ♪

♪ Always by her side And Trini!

♪ Discovering the outdoors

♪ On adventures day and night

♪ Come along with Molly

♪ Molly

♪ Through fields of fireweed

♪ Come along with Molly

♪ Molly

♪ From tundra to the sea

Mahsi'choo-- let's go!

♪ Molly of Denali

Yeah!

♪ She's Molly of Denali

♪ Come on ♪ Let's go!

♪ Molly of Denali

♪ She's Molly of Denali

MOLLY: "The Story of the Story Kn*fe."

[computer chirps]Hey, everyone, it's me, Molly.

I bet you're wondering why I have confetti in my hair.

Well, I'm doing this Alaska village exchange program.

Native kids from all over Alaska visit different villages,

so we can learn about each other.

'Cause even though we're all Alaska Natives,

we do things differently.

We come from different tribes,

our languages are different, we sing different songs.

Anyway, our exchange student, Willow, arrived today.

She's Yup'ik, and let's just say

the welcome to Qyah greeting didn't go as planned.

♪

♪

[grunting]

Oh! [balloon pops]

[yelps]

[grumbles]

[gasps, chuckles]

Hi!

[yelps]

[grunts]

[sign rips]

Welcome to Qyah!

Um, did you have a fun flight?

[balloon pops]

MOLLY: And then she just raised her eyebrows.

Like this.

I wasn't sure if that meant she was excited, or happy,

or maybe scared to be in Qyah.

Well, my welcome party may not have gone like I wanted,

but I have tons of fun things planned for tomorrow.

Willow is going to love it!

Hi, Mom, um...

You know how I get shy

when I meet new people?

Well, I practiced saying,

"It's nice to meet you," the whole flight.

But then we landed.

♪

[grunting]

[sighs]

[balloon pops, Willow gasps]

[yells]

WILLOW: When I went to say hi...

[grunting, sign rips]

...Molly had this look like she wasn't sure

if she was glad to see me.[balloon pops]

Then she asked if I had a fun flight, and I said yes,

but she just looked confused.

Did you say, "Yes," or did you just raise your eyebrows?

Hm.

I just raised my eyebrows.

Not everyone speaks with their faces like we Yup'iks do.

Molly probably didn't understand you were saying yes

by raising your eyebrows.

Oh, I'll try to remember to use my words, too.

Tomorrow will be much better.Tomorrow will be much better.

And this is the book nook.

Visitors can borrow any book

to learn about Qyah.

I even helped pick out the books.

[yelps]

Sorry!

We really need to get rid of this thing.

Are you hurt?

Uh, are you hurt?

Huh?

No.

I said, "I'm fine."

You did?

[chuckles]: Yes.

Sometimes, Yup'iks use facial expressions to communicate.

This... means "no."

Oh!

So you were saying, "No, I'm not hurt."

Right.

And this... means "yes."

Wait, so when you got off the plane,

and I asked you if you had a fun flight,

you were saying, "Yes"?

Uh-huh.

Whew!

I thought you were dreading being together for a whole week!

No way!

Are you?

[both laugh]

[swallows]

[panting]

So are there other ways Yup'iks talk without words?

Uh-huh.

Sometimes we use a story Kn*fe.

What's that?

I'll show you.

♪

It's not here.

I could have sworn I packed it.

LAYLA: Girls, dinner!

[sighs]

We'll look later.

It'll turn up.

It didn't turn up.

And Willow's mom said she remembered packing it.

So then I thought you're Yup'ik.

Maybe you have a story Kn*fe we could borrow?

A yaaruin?

I haven't played with one since I was a little girl.

[sighs]: Too bad.

[gasps]: Maybe I can make Willow a new yaaruin!

She's blueberry-picking with Grandpa Nat now.

I could give it to her when she gets back!

It might take a little longer to make one.

I have a book about them somewhere.

Ah, here you go.

"The Story of Story Knives."

Quyana,Atsaq.

♪

[grunts, branches rustle]

[puts down jar]

Hm.

Is Willow in here?

[laughs]

She's still out berry-picking.

Aren't you going to join her?

Yup.

But first I have to read all about story knives.

I'm going to make Willow a surprise gift!

You know, she's only here for a few more days.

I know.

That's why I have to get crackin'!

The book is organized by chapters,

and I've already marked the stuff

that I thought was important.

This chapter, "Story Knives Long Ago,"

is about how people used to use story knives.

And this chapter,

called "Story Knives Today," is about...

Let me guess, how story knives are used now?

Yes, and look,

there's even a chapter

that tells you how to make a story Kn*fe.

I'm going to read these chapters and see what I can find out.

Sounds like a plan.

[whispers]: I'll keep Willow busy.

[laughs]: Mahsi',Mom.

♪

Gin!

Oh, not again!

Wanna play another round?

[chuckles]: You're getting really goodat that.

[phone vibrating and chirping]

It's my mom!

Oh, maybe she found my story Kn*fe.

[phone chirps]

Hi, Mom!

So how's Operation Secret Gift going?

Great!

I read all three chapters.

Story knives are used to tell stories

or play games with symbols and pictures.

Did you find out how to make one?

They're originally made of ivory or wood,

and have cool carvings on them.

I'm not sure I can make one, but I know someone who could.

[footsteps approaching]

Any luck?

Uh-uh. [sighs]

Wow!

I know-- Mr. Patak is a master craftsman.

He can make anything.

Um, check out his amazing masks.

These are so cool!

[whispers]: Uh, Mr. Patak?

Yes?

Oh!

[whispering indistinctly]

Oh, mm-hmm.[whispering]

I'll do my best.

Mahsi',Mr. Patak.

[gasps]: Hm?

[yelps]

[laughing]

♪

♪

♪

I can't believe tomorrow's my last day here.

I know.

Time just flew by.

Hey!

I have a little something for you.

[gasps]

A new yaaruin.

It's so beautiful!

And see?

That's a willow tree, for you-- Willow.

Quyana,Molly.

Okay, so I'm gonna draw a story.

And I'll try to guess what it's about?

Yeah, how'd you know?

Well, I kinda read a book

all about story knives when you weren't looking.

Then you start.

Oh, I know!

That's when we first met and the balloons popped!

Here, let me add to the story.

[Kn*fe scratching]

That's you getting off the plane, but,

uh, what's that?

That's my suitcase.

It opened and my stuff went everywhere!

[gasps]: Wait a minute!

♪

My story Kn*fe!

That's amazing!

Well, now you have two yaaruin.

Actually, I'd like you to have this one.

Are you sure?

Do you like it?

[laughing]

♪

MOLLY: It was hard seeing Willow leave.

I'm really going to miss her.

But at least it won't be for too long,

'cause in a few months, I'm going to visit her!

And I know just what to pack.

Hey, everyone!

Molly here to answer your questions about life in Alaska.

George from Albuquerque, New Mexico, asks,

"What kinds of Native dances are there in Alaska?"

My friends can show you one now.

Hi, Molly!Hi, Molly!

GIRL: Today we're at the Alaska Native Heritage Center!

Which is on Dena'ina homeland.

We're gonna learn about Yup'ik dancing.

Waqaa.

Waqaais how you say hello in the Yup'ik language.

I'm from St. Lawrence Island-- do you girls know where that is?

GIRL: This is a map of Alaska.

Here is St. Lawrence Island, and here is the Yup'ik region.

All right, so you guys ready to learn a dance?

YAARI AND GIRLS: Yes!

So when we are singing, when we're dancing,

you're painting the picture of the story.

[singing in Yup'ik]

What's that song about?That song

is called "The Walrus Song."

These are the tusks of a walrus-- let me see you do that.

[Yaari singing]

We're gonna practice using our knees first.[drum b*ating]

Yaari told us to bend our knees to the b*at of the drum.

If the drum was loud,

we should bend our knees more.

GIRL: When you bend your knees, you bounce.

[drumming, singing]

♪

[drumming and singing continue]

At the very end of the song,

we sat down and pretended to be walruses.

[barking]

YAARI: Good job, girls.

ALL: Bye, Molly!

MOLLY: Mahsi'choo!

Thanks for asking, and see you next time!

MOLLY: "Raven Saves the Birthday Party."

[cawing]

Shh!

[chuckling]

[both chuckling]

[raven caws]

UNCLE JACK: You see that raven?

We call him yéil in Tlingit.

Maybe yéilis here for Grandma's birthday, too.

[caws]

[animal chitters]

Is that a butter lid?

Huh.

[knocks rapidly]

[group shushing, laughing quietly]

[mimics cawing]

ALL: Surprise! Happy birthday!

Oh, forever, Jack and Merna!

I haven't seen you since Superman was a boy.

Get in here before all the cold beats you to it.

[Uncle Jack chuckles]

[laughing]

[chuckles]: Okay, birthday girl.

I've got a Raven story I bet you haven't heard yet.

Yes!Whoo-hoo!

Oh, I've heard a lot of those.

Raven brings luck.

This one isn't about luck.

It's about not always thinking with your tummy.

We were hoping you'd tell us a story.

[chuckles]

That's our job, to tell stories to the young people.

And someday, you'll be the old people telling them to kids.

We will?

How will we remember them?

We tell them over and over.

When you listen with your heart, they become a part of you.

My uncle used to tell me long stories,

and then he'd ask me to tell them right back to him.

If I'm gonna tell this Raven story one day,

I should probably write it down.

See if you can remember it without writing it down.

[stammering]: Uh, okay, I'll try.

[shifting logs]

A long time ago,

Raven lived in a stone house.

UNCLE JACK: The village nearby was going to have a big potlatch.

[knocking]

They sent someone to invite Raven to the potlatch,

and they asked him to give a big speech.

Raven practiced and practiced his speech.

In his mind, he was wonderful.

[people cheering and applauding]

At the big potlatch, Raven ate all kinds of food:

salmon, deer meat, a big bowl of berries--

the works!

Then, he saw a big bucket of ooligan grease.

[caws]

♪

[laughs]

The Raven, he loves ooligan grease.

He thinks, "I'll dip my beak in and slurp it up."

So he dips his beak down in the bucket,

but it wasn't ooligan grease at all.

It was spruce pitch!

Spruce pitch?

What's that?

AUNTIE MIDGE: That's the sticky stuff

that comes off the trees.

Super-sticky!

UNCLE JACK: Raven pulled and pulled

and finally got his beak out of the spruce pitch.

But sticky pitch had sealed his beak shut.

Just then, everyone shouted,

"Speech, Raven, speech!"

[group applauding, pounding table]

Raven stood up to give his big speech,

but could only say...

[making muffled sounds]

...while shaking his head around.

[making muffled sounds, group clapping]

[laughs]

[making muffled sounds][laughing]

Yan shuwatán-- that's how that one ends.

[laughing]: Ah, you were right,

I never heard that one.

That's a keeper.

Are Raven stories told all over?

Yep, from Utqiagvik to Kodiak,

from Atka to Sitka,

and all points in between.

Hmm.

And is it the same raven?

I think it is, but he behaves in different ways.

Sometimes he tricks people, and sometimes he helps them.

So is Raven, like, a good guy or a bad guy?

Well, he's a little of both.

He's complicated, just like people.

But we keep telling stories about him,

and those stories connect us.

My Uncle Isaac used to say, "When I was a boy,

"I would see the old people going around,

"always looking for someone to laugh with.

Now that I'm an old person, I'm just doing the same."

MOLLY: So we tell stories to remember,

to connect us, and to laugh.

Are there other reasons?

Yes, to keep our culture alive.

[cawing loudly]

Well, look who's here!

Thanks for coming, deetryah.

Guess we should have saved him a slice of cake.

[laughing]

OSCAR: I, uh, I...

I want to be a storyteller someday.

You already are one.

It's in your blood.

Want to tell that Raven story back to us?

What?

Right now?

Uh, huh...

[chuckling]: That's okay, Oscar.

You can tell us when you're ready.

All this talk of ooligan grease is making me hungry.

Snacks, anyone?

Ooh! I brought salmon spread.

AUNTIE MIDGE: Good stories always give me an appetite.

AUNTIE MERNA: Break out the pilot bread!

Huh?

[caws]

[tapping glass]

And it turns out they ate their socks

that were drying over the fire.

[laughing]

Oh, my.

[laughing]

[Auntie Midge sighs]

How do you know when it's the right time to tell stories?

Is it the right time when

everyone is done laughing from the last story?

That's a good start.

My uncle used to take me aside and tell me this:

"A storyteller knows a lot about people."

How so?

There's always a good time for a story.

You need to know which one fits.

Like a funny story when people want to laugh?

That's right.

And a serious one when people need some help or healing.

Thanks for answering all my questions.

Asking questions is the right thing to do.

You are learning.

And we are teaching you the way we were taught.

[exhales]

Okay, I have a story to tell.

That's great!

Ooh, let's hear it.Way to go, Oscar!

But it's kind of a new story.

Is that okay?

That's wonderful!

An Oscar original!

We can make new stories

while we learn how to memorize the old ones.

Okay, here we go.

[breathes deeply]

One day, there was a birthday party.

It was for the village leader.

Her name was...

Midge!

Hey, that's me!

[laughing]

Everyone made their favorite food to share.

They had moose stew, bags of dry fish,

and boxes of pilot bread crackers.

That's my kinda party!

But something was missing.

[gasps]

The people started dishing up,

but then they saw

there was no butter for the pilot bread!

Oh, no butter?

Someone's gonna get a dry mouth.

When Raven realized he forgot the butter,

he, uh, yelled...

Uh...

[cawing]:No!

The butter!

[caws]

[laughing]

He heard the cry for butter

and wanted to help the people.

He couldn't let them eat dry pilot bread.

[cawing]

Raven is here to help!

So, Raven ran down to the, um, the...

To the old food cache by the river.

Right! The old food cache.

But it was all empty.

UNCLE JACK: Ha.é![Molly and Auntie Merna laughing]

Where else can I look?

So, Raven hopped, hopped, hopped.

[laughing][cawing]

He hopped to,

uh...

The Trading Post!

The Trading Post!

And there, he finally saw...

Butter!

Oh, marvelous butter!

He grabbed the butter and flew to the birthday party.

[laughing]

OSCAR: He made it back to the party

and was about to knock on the door when

he saw that the lid had fallen off!

Oh, no!

You're gonna get dirty butter.

So, Raven flew back to the Trading Post

and found the lid.

But...

It was frozen in the snow!

He tried to scratch it up with his claws.

It wouldn't budge.

Aganáa!

[gasps]: Say it ain't so.

Then Raven remembered one time

when his beak was stuck together with spruce pitch,

which made his beak strong, like a hammer!

So he shut his beak

and hammered at one end of the lid.

[grunting]

It worked!

He freed the lid![caws]

He put the lid back on the butter

and flew back to the party.

[exhales]

[chuckles]

[panting]

And that, folks,

is how Raven saved the birthday party.

Yes!Go, Oscar!

Good job, Oscar!

[others exclaiming]

[laughing]: Oh, I'm so proud of you.

This is the best birthday present I ever got.

I can't wait to hear all the stories you are going to create.

[caws]

♪