04x15 - Reading the Sky/Salmon in the Smoke

[bunniefuu]

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

♪ Molly of Denali ♪

Let's go!

♪ She's Molly of Denali ♪

[laughing]: Whoo!

♪ 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: "Reading the Sky."

Ooh. [grunting, panting]

Hurry, Shchada'a!

You've got to see this sunset.

♪ It's amazing ♪

[panting]: You hear that, Cliff?

[panting] The boss says we have to hurry.

[chuckles] [panting]: Ah.

I was only walking slower for you.

Ha! For me?

I'm younger than springtime.

[chuckles]

Wow. It's gonna be a beautiful day tomorrow.

Hmm?

How can you tell, Uncle Cliff?

From the sky.

Aaha' shree gwik'ii'aii k'iinjik neegwaa'in.

GRANDPA NAT: That means "the sunset looks back towards us."

The elders told me,

"When the sky is red at night, the next day will be beautiful."

And after years of watching the sky,

I can say the elders are right.

We should try to catch some fish tomorrow.

Better set our alarms early.

Cliff is never wrong about the sky.

[alarm beeping]

[alarm stops]

[yawns] [panting]

[barks, whines]

[gasps]

Look, Suki.

Uncle Cliff was right.

It is a beautiful day!

Yay!

We're going fishing.

[water splashes]

Hoo-hoo.

What a beauty.

Wish we had some morel mushrooms and wild onions to go with it.

Dee... licious.

[both laugh]

Why does a red sky at night mean nice weather the next day?

Well, scientists say a red sky is a sign of high pressure.

[fishing line whirring] High pressure systems mean nice weather.

[water splashes] Weather tends to come at us from the west, where the sun sets,

and moves east, where the sun rises.

Oh...

Okay. [grunts]

If the sky is red at night during the sunset...

[line whirring, water splashes] ...nice weather is coming towards us.

[grunting, line ratcheting]

[grunting]: But if it's a red sky in the morning,

in the east, then...?

The nice weather is moving away from us?

[laughs] Very good, Molly cub.

[chuckles] That's my Shgguya.

[giggles]

[mutters, line ratcheting]

[grunts, line whirring, water splashes]

Is that how scientists predict the weather, too?

By looking at the color of the sky?

Yeah, that's part of it.

But they use a lot of special equipment, too.

And a key method of scientific study is to simply observe.

When this happens, then that happens.

Just like our ancestors did,

centuries before modern equipment existed.

What else can you tell by looking at the sky?

So many things.

Thin, wispy clouds way up high

mean nice weather for a long time.

Scientists call those cirrus clouds.

MOLLY: Cirrus clouds.

Ah.

"Cirrus clouds mean nice weather

for an extended period of time."

Small, disc-shaped clouds way up high mean a wind is brewing.

[line ratcheting] Scientists call those lenticular clouds.

MOLLY: Len-tic-u-lar clouds.

Ah. It says the same thing Uncle Cliff said!

"Lenticular clouds are indicative of strong winds

and a possible storm!"

Ooh, what are you looking up now?

I'm looking to see if weather sites say anything

about how Indigenous people predict the weather. See?

I searched for "Indigenous ways of predicting weather."

But... nothing here.

Or here.

This doesn't say anything either.

It just talks about barometers and satellites and radar.

[sighs]

Scientists may not acknowledge our ancestors' ways of knowing,

but isn't it nice that we know

what might happen with the weather?

Without having to carry around a huge satellite.

[giggles] That would be soheavy.

[bird screeches]

[wind blowing, bird screeches]

Birds can tell you a lot about the weather, too. Really?

MOLLY: And then Uncle Cliff said

songbirds stop singing when it's about to rain.

I've never noticed that before.

Oh! And he said chickadees come near

when you're berry-picking if it's about to rain.

And he also said his Uncle Trimble told him

that you can tell it's going to rain when the Dil,

this bird, sings "tsin, tsin, tsin"by the edge of the lake.

Uncle Cliff said it's asking the wind and rain

to blow the bugs from the middle of the lake to the shore,

so the Dilcan eat them.

I wish I could do that with pizza.

Tsin, tsin.

Bring me a large pepperoni with mushrooms.

[gasps] Mushrooms.

I know. They're so yummy!

Uncle Cliff said he wished he had some morel mushrooms

and wild onions to eat with his fish!

If I could find some, it'd be a great way

to thank Uncle Cliff for sharing all his knowledge.

Want to go mushroom hunting?

Yes!

What can I say?

I'm a "fun guy."

[laughs]

[giggles]

But... do you know where to find mushrooms?

Between mush and mushy in the dictionary.

[groans]

[chuckles]

All kidding aside, I know just the spot.

We'll meet you at the Trading Post bright and early tomorrow.

[bell chimes]

What's the matter?

Did you change your mind about hunting for mushrooms?

No, it's just the sky is red.

Uncle Cliff says that means it's going to rain.

Uh, I don't see any rain clouds.

I don't hear any thunder.

Hmm...

The songbirds are singing,

and I don't see any disc-shaped clouds.

I think we'll be okay.

Hey, do you girls know

why toadstools grow so close together?

Nuh-uh. Why?

Because they don't need mush-room.

[giggling] [giggling]

[groans]

DANIEL: Oh, oh, oh!

Why do mushroom children behave so well?

Don't ask why.

Uh... [grunts, nervously chuckles]

Because they don't want to get into truffle.

[laughs, sighs] [laughing]

TRINI [groaning]: Molly, stop encouraging him.

[Molly gasps]

Look. Morels!

They are indeed. Oh, oh, hold on.

If you see anything else

you want to pick, show it to me first,

so I can make sure it's safe, okay?

You got it, Dad.

We will.

Mahsi'choo,morel mushrooms.

Thank you for being the perfect gift for Uncle Cliff.

Yes. Mahsifor letting us find you.

♪ ♪

Dad? Look!

Are these wild onions?

They are.

Ooh.

Uncle Cliff likes those, too.

He said white fish with morels and wild onions is delicious.

Well, I have an extra bag.

Mahsi'choo,onions.

Uncle Cliff will be so happy we found you.

[bird chirping]

Aw, you have a birdie friend.

Aw.

[chirping]

Uh-oh.

It's a chickadee.

Why "uh-oh"?

Do they eat onions?

No.

Uncle Cliff said they come near when it's going to rain.

Oh, no.

Those disc-y clouds.

Uncle Cliff said that means a big wind is brewing.

I think we should head back.

Good idea.

What?

The songbirds.

I don't hear any songbirds.

That's the problem.

Uncle Cliff said they stop singing when it's going to rain.

[panting, bird chirping]

I hear a birdie now.

[chirping] It's the Dil.

It's calling for the rain and the wind

to push the bugs towards him.

We should run.

[chirping]

[wind blowing]

[thunder rumbles]

[thunder rumbling]

[bell rings] Hurry!

Hurry. It's going to pour!

Whew!

We just made it!

[panting]: Thanks to Uncle Cliff.

It all happened just like you said.

The chickadee came close.

And there were disc clouds.

And the birds stopped singing, except the Dil.

He called, "tsin, tsin, tsin!"

Mmm.

Nothing could make me happier than hearing

that you used what I taught you to stay safe and dry. [sighs]

Not even morels and wild onions?

[squeals] Oh-h*-h*-h*-h*!

[bell rings] Have I ever told you that you are my favorite grandniece?

[pants] We helped, too!

Then you are my favorite friends of my favorite grandniece.

Hey, Uncle Cliff.

Do you know why mushrooms grow so close together?

No, why?

Because they don't need mush-room.

[laughs] [groans] Molly...

[all laughing]

Hey, everyone.

Molly here to answer your questions

about life in Alaska.

Keisha in Alabama says,

"A friend of mine in Atka says her favorite food is kasuqis.

What are kasuqis?"

My friends can show you.

ALL: Aang,Molly!

We are in Atka, Alaska.

CHILD : Today, we are going to

go to the beach and get some kasuqis.

They are yummy sea animals.

Let's go. Let's go.

CHILD : Our directions say, first, "Go to the beach."

Okay, that's where we are.

CHILD : Two,

"Make sure it is low tide."

CHILD : 'Kay, it's low tide.

Third, "Look on the side of the big rock and under the kelp."

I found one! [gasps] I found some, too!

[gasps] Ooh, look! Uh-oh.

[grunts] It won't come off.

Now, the directions didn't say anything about bringing

any tool to get the kasuqis off the rocks.

We're gonna go see if there's any tools in the car.

It's right here.

I found a big one.

Luckily, we had a screwdriver in the car that we could use.

CHILD : The directions say "Make sure to get enough for everybody."

[imitating falling object]: Boo...

All done!

CHILD : We improved the instructions

by adding a note to bring a tool,

so next time we won't have a problem.

Now we are getting the kasuqisready to eat.

This is the tongue.

CHILD : Can I have some? A little bit?

This is the milk.

How you eat it is you slurp it like this.

[slurping]

Mmm.

That's very sweet and delicious.

Ukudigaasada,Molly.

Mahsi'choo.

Thanks for asking, and see you next time.

MOLLY: "Salmon in the Smoke."

Hey, everyone. It's me, Molly.

And I'm super excited.

Qyah is having a potlatch to welcome home the Luk Choo.

That's what we call King Salmon.

People make so much delicious food.

And there are competitions to see whose is best.

And this year, I'm helping Aunt Merna

make her prize-winning salmon strips.

Woo-hoo!

It's a big deal.

Auntie Merna really wants that blue ribbon,

which means I can't mess anything up.

I'm probably worried about nothing.

I mean, what could go wrong?

[dog barks] [gasp]

[growls] [groans]

Ready to make salmon strips?

[squawking]

MOLLY: What are they doing here?

Making salmon strips, same as us.

[whispering]: But they're the competition!

[barking] Shouldn't they go somewhere else?

[laughing]

[laughing]

Our competition is all in fun.

The important thing about the potlatch

is that we're celebrating

the return of the salmon. [barking]

AUNT MERNA: And showing respect

and gratitude to them for feeding our people

all these years.

It's not until we brine that things get serious.

What's brine?

AUNTIE MIDGE: It's something you soak fish in to give it flavor.

You remember how to clean?

Sure do. Be careful.

AUNT MERNA: A good brine uses lots of salt.

I put three big handfuls in mine.

AUNTIE MIDGE: I add two handfuls of salt.

But last year, I added brown sugar, too.

AUNT MERNA: Now, we put the strips in the brine.

And let them soak for a while.

Then we air-dry them until they have a glossy sheen.

We'll smoke them for two days in a fire made from

old cottonwood.

AUNTIE MIDGE: When you're done bagging them, bring the batch to our house.

And my batch to the Trading Post.

And don't you take your eyes off those salmon strips.

The gulls will polish them off

in a minute if you're not careful. [seagulls squawking]

Got it. We will!

[Suki sniffing]

They smell good, don't they?

[barks]

Suki, no!

They're not for you!

[Suki whining]

[Molly panting]

[panting]: Please, Suki.

Auntie Merna will be so upset. [panting]: Whew.

[panting]

[gasps] Oh, good girl, Suki.

[seagulls squawking] Huh?

[squawking]

[gasps]

[barking]

MOLLY: No! OSCAR: Go away.

No! Inee!

[Suki barks]

Oh, no.

Auntie Merna said this would happen.

No one's ever going to trust us to do anything again.

We can fix this.

Come on.

OSCAR: How?

The potlatch is in three days!

Just enough time to make new salmon strips.

I'll ask my dad to bring more Luk Choo

while we grab the ingredients from my house!

[stairs creaking]

[lightly snoring]

[whines]

[whispering]: We'll never get that salt past her.

Guess we'll have to try Plan B.

[sneezes]

[whispering]: Is there a Plan C?

Maybe.

You said you were in a hurry,

so I threw all our spices in the wagon.

Mahsi'choo,Trini! [Walter grunting]

This is the rest of the Luk ChooI've caught.

And I called in a fish-cutting expert to help you.

MOLLY: Mom!

Oscar.

Molly.

Thank you for your help.

Now it's time to brine!

Thanks, Mom and Dad.

This part is top secret.

[laughs] Okay.

Call us when you need to smoke the fish.

Grandma's hands are bigger,

so maybe I need to add a whole lot of salt.

Oscar?

Can you pass over the salt?

[salt case rattles]

Oops. I think I used it all.

Maybe Trini has more.

Hmm.

Black lava salt?

I guess I can use this.

It's still salt.

One, two, and three handfuls of salt.

Brown sugar... brown sugar...

[gasps]

This looks like it.

Uh... Oscar?

The black salt made my salmon turn grey.

Hang on.

Just want to taste mine.

[coughs, exclaims]

Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot! [panting]

Here, drink this.

That is not sugar.

There's a label inside.

Cayenne powder.

[panting]: What's that?

"A picante spice, tastes great with fish."

What's picante mean?

MOLLY: It has a picture of a pepper on it.

Peppers can be spicy.

Maybe picante mean spicy?

I had some salsa once that said picante on the jar...

[chuckling]: ...and it was spicy.

Oh.

That explains why my tongue is on fire.

[laughs] But Grandma's brine is supposed to be sweet.

Trini didn't bring any sugar.

Uh, what about molasses?

Is it sweet?

The label says it's a "product of refined sugar cane."

Hmm, I'm not sure what "refined" means,

but I know "fine" means high quality.

Maybe "refined" is extra high quality?

You try it.

My tongue is still cooling off from the first taste.

[slurps] Mmm.

It's spicy, but really good.

Kind of barbecue-y.

[sighing]: Oh.

How do we fix my zombie salmon?

What if you add something red to the brine?

Like... a-ha!

Pickled beets?

The juice always turns my hands red.

Oh, great idea, Oscar.

[slurps]

Ooh, salty and pickle-y sour.

I like it.

Let's ask my dad to start the fire.

Mmm... yum!

Bag 'em and get 'em to the Tribal Hall.

AUNT MERNA: Hmm.

My salmon strips look darker than usual.

That's funny. I was just thinking mine look different.

I guess we should probably tell you...

In third place is...

[drumroll plays]

...Mr. Rowley!

[chuckles] That lemon zest was refreshing.

And in second place is...

[drumroll plays]

...Mr. Patak!

The soy sauce was a real surprise.

And now,

the winner is...

[groans] [groans]

GRANDPA NAT:Midge!

And Merna!

[cheering] [gasps, squealing]

Nice to see you branch out

with the pickle-y flavor this year, Merna.

And that cayenne pepper, hoo!

Gave your strips quite the kick, Midge.

Mmm.

Mmm. Okay.

We should explain.

We got distracted, and seagulls got the salmon strips,

just like you said they would.

So we had to make new strips.

Only we ran out of the right kind of salt.

And Oscar thought cayenne pepper was brown sugar.

We had to figure out something different

because we couldn't show up without any salmon strips.

So we tried to fix our mistakes.

We're sorry.

Yeah. So sorry.

Mmm. Well, we're glad to know

you can carry on our traditional recipes.

But it's also good for us to learn new things from you, too.

I hope you remember what you put in these.

We'll have this competition locked up for years!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪