03x04 - Art From the Heart/Gold Strike Out

[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: "Art From the Heart."

[brooms drop]

[sighs]

Don't you love the smell of cedar chips?

[sighs]

I could live in this smell forever.

RANDALL [laughing]: Well, you're in luck.

There's more to sweep inside.

Come on.

RANDALL: Whew!

Gunalchéesh for helping me

clean up Uncle Jack's shed.

I want everything to look nice

for their anniversary tomorrow.

Happy to help.

TOOEY: Wow.

These are beautiful. What are they?

Oh, they're my Northwest Coast designs.

Or the beginnings of them,anyway.

What's Northwest Coastdesign?

It's the traditional art form used by different Native people

along the coast of Alaska and Canada.

We use this type of artwork

for storytelling, identifying clans,

honoring our ancestors-- lots of stuff.

Whoa.

This shape here

is called an ovoid.

And this one is called a U-form.

[sighs]

What's wrong?

I wanted to make Uncle Jack and Aunt Merna

a drawing for their anniversary,

but I can't decide what to put in this heart shape.

I've been working on it for days and now I've run out of time.

[gasps]

Maybe we can help you.

Yeah!

With three of us working together,

I'm sure we can finish it in time.

Really?

That'd be great.

Then I'll have time to get a frame and wrapping paper.

Do you have any books we could use for inspiration?

Hmm...

There's one in the house called

"Northwest Coast Design: Stories Through Art."

It's full of awesome artwork.

Oh!

I better get to the store before it closes.

See ya soon!

Okay, let's get that book.

But we can't let Uncle Jack and Aunt Merna

know what we're up to.

Right.

We have to act calm and natural.

♪

[grunts]: Whoa! [yelps]

Oh!

Hey, Uncle Jack and Auntie Merna.

We're just, uh, looking for something to read.

Uh-huh.

Help yourself.

[whistling]

[groans softly]

[books hit floor]

[clears throat][barks]

Uh, looking for something specific?

Um, nope.

[whispering]: Tooey, I think that's it.

Hey,

uh, can we borrow that one?

This one, huh?

Sure.

When I'm finished.

Um, when do you think that will be?

Hm, about a week or so. [chuckles]

I like to take my time.

[Uncle Jack laughs]

She's only teasing you.

[chuckles]: Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Here you go.

Gunalchéesh.

We're just gonna read it in the shed.

It's, uh, so quiet there.

Those two are up to something.

When aren't they?

[whines]

[barks]

MOLLY: Okay.

We're looking for two animals

to fit inside of Randall's heart shape.

Right, one for Auntie Merna and one for Uncle Jack.

TOOEY: Hey!

How about we put a pair of wolves

inside the heart?

Auntie Merna is totally a wolf.

Do you want to do wolves 'cause

your name means wolf in Koyukon?

What? No way.

[barking]BOTH: Huh?

[yaps][both exclaim]

Oh, no!No!

[growling]No!

Dolt'ol, we need that!

MOLLY: Get back here, you rascal!

[gasping]: Oh!

[growling]Dolt'ol, stop!

Aww, get back here!

[objects crashing]

[Molly grunts]

[groans][growling, barking]

[yelps and grunts]

[growls]

Here, girl! Want the stick?

[barks]

Go get it!

[barks]

[sighs]

What's that?

I think it's Randall's sketchbook.

How can you tell?

His name's on the cover?

Huh.

[laughs]

TOOEY: Whoa, there are even more

Northwest Coast designsin here,

and notes about how to draw them.

It's so much more helpful to have this and the art book

to choose which animals to draw.

MOLLY: What about a pair of frogs?

Yeah, but look, there's a note.

"The frog signifies wealth, knowledge, and power."

And that's really cool,

but I don't think it's right for

Uncle Jack and Auntie Merna's anniversary.

Uh, I guess you're right.

Let's keep looking.

[sighs]: There are so many designs.

It's impossible to choose.

I know, but we'd better hurry up and start drawing.

How about we put two of these butterflies in the heart?

Hmm...

Maybe we should go back to wolves.

[groans]

I actually think the frogs would be better.

But we already agreed it doesn't feel right.

I know, but I changed my mind.

I say we should do wolves.

Well, I say we should do frogs.

Wolves!

Frogs!

Uh, am I interrupting?

No, no, we were just...

Reading.

Huh.

[chuckling]: Gotcha.

Hey!

You kids did a real good job cleaning the shed.

Oh, thanks, Uncle Jack.

Yeah.

We're happy you like it.

Hey, how about you two take a break from reading

and get some fresh air with me?

Come on.

[calling and chirping]

[breathes deeply]

Smell that fresh sea air.

BOTH: Hm.

No really, smell it.

Come on, take a deep breath with me.

[inhales]

[both inhale]

[all exhale]

Nice, right?

[birds chirping]

[raven cawing]

UNCLE JACK: You know,

you two kids remind me of those two birds up there.

Really?

Why?

'Cause we both like to eat fish?

[laughs]

No, not just because of that.

There's lots of Tlingit stories about eagle and raven.

Eagle,

or ch'aak,

is always strong, proud,

not afraid of anything.

♪

While raven, or yéil,

is very smart, wise,

and has a plan for every situation.

♪

[cawing]

The two birds are very different,

and they don't always agree with one another.

But even with their differences,

they always respect one another,

and lift each other up.

And that's how we should treat each other, too.

We should always be respectful and understanding.

Well, see you kids for dinner.

Don't be out here too late.

Sorry I got kinda bossy back there.

Me, too.

But I think I have the perfect idea

for Uncle Jack and Aunt Merna's drawing.

[gasping]:So do I.

BOTH: Eagle and raven!

[laughing]

♪

There!

Hey, guys!

How's the design going?

Whole-A!

This is amazing!

You two did such a great job.

Mahsi. Gunalchéesh,Randall.

Now, it's time to paint it.

♪

AUNTIE MERNA: Thank you, everyone.

I'm so happy to have you all here with us.

What a great anniversary.[moans]

[barks]

RANDALL:Wait!

There's one more gift for you to open.

Oh, wow.

[laughs]

[gasps]

You made this?

Yup.

But I couldn't have done it without my art crew over there.

We learned about Northwest Coast art

from that book you were reading, Auntie.

And from Randall's sketchbook we found,

thanks to Dolt'ol.

[barks]

We thought eagle and raven

would be the best way to represent you both,

because you two always support each other,

just like they do.

TOOEY: And

like Molly and I do.

Do you like it?

I love it.

♪

Hey, everyone! Molly here to answer

your questions about life in Alaska.

Aspen from Glide, Oregon, writes,

"How can I learn more about Northwest Coast design?"

My friends in Juneau can show you.

ALL: Hi, Molly!

We're in Juneau, Alaska,

Tlingit-ani.

My friends and I are learning about Formline

from artist Crystal Worl.

Hi, I'm Crystal.

I'm the artist that painted this mural here.

GIRL: Can you tell us a little bit about this mural?

Do you guys know who Elizabeth Peratrovich is?

Back in the s, she advocated and helped pass

the first anti-discrimination law

in the United States.Can you tell us

about this artwork?

So, this is called Formline,

which is specific toTlingit,

Haida, and Tsimshian tribes

along the Pacific Northwest Coast of Alaska.

Can you teach us more about Formline?

Absolutely.

Let's go.

So all Formline is constructed from

one basic shape called the ovoid.

♪

When we draw an ovoid,

the bottom part's gonna be flat,

almost like a deflated basketball.

GIRL: When looking at Formline, ovoids can be found

inside the animal's body.

Well, your guys's ovoids look really great.

Gunalchéesh,Crystal.

Let's go find some ovoids in the wild.

Look!

There's some Formline over here on the sidewalk!

We even found Formline ovoids above our heads.

Look at those huge ovoids up there!Up at the top!

GIRL: There are so many ovoids on this design.

We counted at least .

There are ovoids everywhere!

ALL: Bye, Molly!

Mahsi'choo!

Thanks for asking and see you next time.

"Gold Strike Out."

[device bleating]

What was that?

I don't know, but it's amazing!

TOOEY: You know what's amazing?

These bad boys.

[girls laughing]

I can't believe the bunkhouse visitors

leave all this cool stuff behind.

Were they eating pie in bed?

That would be a big pie.

TRINI: Hey!

Someone left a book.

TOOEY: The Alaska Gold Rush.

What's that?

That's when lots of gold was found all over Alaska.

Look.

TOOEY: "In the s, men discovered gold

in the empty Alaska wilderness."

Alaska is definitely not empty.

It's been full of people for thousands of years.

TOOEY: "People came from all over the world to

claim land and strike it rich."

You could strike it rich? How?

TOOEY: They used gold pans

and made these things called sluice boxes.

Hey,

that kind of looks familiar.

I think this is a gold pan.

The visitors staying here

must have been trying to find gold.

Do you think they found any?

They left their pan behind.

[gasps]

Maybe they got so rich, they didn't need it anymore.

I wonder where they looked.

Wait, I bet you I know the place.

TOOEY: Gold Creek!

Of course.

It must be called that 'cause people found gold here.

I bet if we just follow what it says in the book,

we'd find gold, too.

Let's try.

Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to look.

How hard could it be to find gold in Gold Creek?

♪

Whew!

I don't know if they named this creek very well.

Not a single speck of gold.

[grunts]: Maybe we're not doing it right?

[Tooey sighs]

We've done everything

the book says those gold panners did.

Get the rocks and silt in the pan,

swirl it around a bit,

and then you just see if there's any...

[gasps]: Gold!

BOTH: Gold?

It worked.

Woo-hoo! We're gonna be rich.

Rich?

Off of those two little gold flakes?

There's probably lots more.

More?

Grandpa Nat says

you should only take what you need

from the land,

like enough berries for the winter,

or enough fish for your family.

We don't really need a whole bunch of gold.

But think of the things we could get for people.

My dad was just saying he needs more books for the library.

And my dad needs a new kennel for Luca.

[gasps]

And my mom's plane needs repairs.

And I need the new deluxe six-speed

super-charged cuter scooter.

Uh, I mean, if there's any extra?

[laughing]

I guess that would be pretty cool.

But it took us a long time to get

just a little bit of gold.

Does the book say how they got a lot?

TOOEY: It says they built

these things called sluice boxes to save time.

The water runs over the dirt and helps uncover the gold.

"Most gold panners made their own sluice boxes."

If they could do it, why can't we?

Uh-huh.Yes!

♪

♪

[exclaiming]

[yells, falls in water]

[laughing]

It's beautiful.

TOOEY: Our sluice box looks

just like the one in the book.

MOLLY: The water is pulling the dirt away,

and leaving little gold specks.

It's working!

Wow.

Now we just need a lot more dirt.

How much gold will we need to buy all that stuff?

Hmm...

I bet if we fill up this bottle, that would be enough.

Well, better get to work, then.

Whew!

Panning for gold

sure isn't easy.

But look how much gold we have now.

I can't wait to see Dad's face when we get that new kennel.

[grunts]

[laughing]

Uh, those salmon sure have it out for me.

How about a break?

Some of my special blueberry lemonade, maybe?

Yes!Yes!

[slurping]

Ooh, blueberry lemonade!

Is there enough to go around?

Of course, Shchada'a.

Hi, Nina!

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

That's just what I need after that long hike.

Where did you hike?

We were way up by Fish Lake tracking my salmon project.

I've been helping Nina with her salmon count.

You count all the salmon?

Isn't that pretty hard?

Good question.

I have a tool that helps.

See this map of the area?

There's an electronic fish counter

under the water near the lake

that counts the fish

and sends the information to my tablet.

The salmon count is really low today.

We thought the counter might be broken,

but it's working just fine.

Something else must be keeping the salmon

from getting to the lake.

Like what?

It could be a lot of things,

like something could be blocking Gold Creek.

Uh, blocking Gold Creek?

[quietly]: You don't think...

[quietly]: I hope not.

You hope not what?

Come on, I think we better show you.

[fish splashing]

Yep, that could be the problem.

We didn't realize our sluice box could block the salmon.

We're so sorry.

Yeah, the book didn't say anything about salmon.

What book is that?

Huh.

The Alaska Gold Rush.

It's all about how

people came from all over the world to Alaska

and got rich.

I've seen this book before.

It's missing a lot of things

about the story of the Gold Rush.

You mean the book left important stuff out?

It sure did.

How about we take down this sluice box,

and then you kids come to my cabin,

and I'll show you a book I've been working on?

Ah!

"Karla Rachelle interview."

Who's Karla Rachelle?

She's someone I interviewed a while ago.

I was just a little girl

when the gold panners came to Qyah.

My family lived on the land by Liq'a K'etnu,

but the gold panners forced us to leave

so they could find gold.

[mouse clicks]

They made people that lived here leave?

The book didn't say anything about that.

The gold panners made a lot of Native people move.

Some books leave those parts of history out.

[mouse clicks]

Because of all the people during the Gold Rush

building around the creek, the salmon stopped coming.

We didn't have as much food to eat.

Many members of my family got very sick.

[mouse clicks]

I never learned about this history.

And Karla mentioned Liq'a K'etnu.

What is that?

See if you recognize it.

That's Liq'a K'etnu?

It looks just like Gold Creek.

It is Gold Creek.

Liq'a K'etnu is its original name.

When the gold panners came up here,

they took over and renamed it.

Whoa.

I'm glad you're sharing Karla's story with us.

I didn't know any of this.

I've been collecting stories from all sorts of people

about the Gold Rush.

It's important to know the real history of our land.

We're so sorry, Shchada'a.

We just wanted to get some nice things for our parents.

Aw, I know you did.

But if you got enough gold for a few gifts,

what would happen to the salmon?

We wouldn't have as many?

That's right.

In fact, the whole community would get less salmon.

Everything we do makes a difference

to those around us.

Do you think the salmon will come back

now that the sluice box is gone?

There's only one way to find out.

Now that the creek is clear,

we have to wait and see if the salmon are making it

all the way to the lake.

♪

Come on, little fishies.

Swim!

[all cheering]

[beeping]

MOLLY: The fish counter is going up!

[cheering]

Look at that!

And we'll never

block up Gold Creek again.

You mean Liq'a K'etnu.

Mm-hmm.

TOOEY: Hey...

That gives me an idea.

GRANDPA NAT: "Liq'a K'etnu."

What a great idea, Tooey.

Now everyone will know the creek's real name.

It was always the salmon's creek.

We're just reminding people.

[laughs]

Well, you're welcome!

[laughing]

♪