05x04 - Feeling Sheepish/Chasing the Wind

[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: "Feeling Sheepish."

MOLLY [voiceover]: If you're ever looking for a really good hiding place,

a pile of hay probably isn't it.

[bleats]

To think, it all started

with some really hot mittens...

[phone chirps] Hey, everyone! Molly here.

We're in New Mexico now.

And you'll never guess where we're staying.

Grandpa's friend, Teahonna, has a Dine sheep corral,

and we've been invited to stay with her and her son, Kevin.

As our way of thanking them,

Shchada'ais giving Teahonna a drum he made.

And Mom and I made Kevin some beaver fur mittens.

I beaded Dall sheep on them so they can see

what Alaskan sheep look like.

They are so warm.

It's like having two tiny fireplaces for your hands.

GRANDPA NAT: Ooh, there's Shiprock, Molly!

Or as our friends call it, Tsé Bit'a'í.

MOLLY: Oh wow!

Let's pull over and have a look.

[phone chirps] Grandpa Nat is filming Tsé Bit'a'ífor his documentary.

I gotta see this! [phone chirps]

I can't wait!

[groans] Oh...

Whoa!

It is hot out here!

I didn't know any place could be so hot.

[chuckles]: I forgot,

my little Alaska Shgguya has never been

in this kind of heat before.

We're in the high desert now.

This time of year can be pretty toasty.

Burnt toasty.

[chuckling]: Okay.

Let's get you into some air conditioning before you melt.

[sighs]

[sighs]

[turns air conditioning on]

Phew.

GRANDPA NAT: You cool off.

I'm gonna walk around and get a few pictures.

[car door closes]

[camera shutter snaps]

[sighs] So nice to get out of the heat.

[gasps] Oh no! Hot mittens!

These are a terrible gift for someone who lives here.

[cellphone ringing]

Tooey! Help!

Molly?

Wait, why does your face look like it's melting?

I'm in a place so hot,

it makes your face look like it's melting.

But look at this!

This is the gift I made for Kevin.

And who needs mittens in a place hot enough to melt your face?

Right...

Have you got anything else

you can give him?

Uh...

A taped pair of sunglasses,

a wrinkly comic book, and...

[gasps] ...wait!

I have my beading kit!

Make a bracelet. They're not hot.

Yes! I can bead it on the way there!

[car door opens] Thanks, Tooey!

What'd you say?

Just saying a quick hi to Tooey.

Hi, Tooey. Bye, Tooey.

[engine starts] All set.

GRANDPA NAT: This might get a bit bumpy.

[rattling]

Come on, little bead.

[grunting]

Yes! It's done!

[slow motion] No!

[chuckles] Oh! You all right back there?

I'm fine.

But I can't say the same for Kevin's bracelet.

Ah, we're here.

[sighs]

Yá'át'ééh!

We're so glad you came to Shiprock.

Thank you for having us.

Mahsi'choo,Teahonna.

Molly, I'll give you a tour of our Dibé bi'ghaan!

You'll have to meet the sheep.

And you can see our blue corn field.

Wait. Blue corn?

Yup! And then I'll show you--

[chuckles] Let's bring them in and feed them first, Kevin.

Oh yeah!

Ooh! My mom made mutton corn stew.

I helped make the blue cornmeal mush.

Shgguya,they're sure treating us to some special dishes.

Let's give them their gifts after lunch.

Uh, sure, Shchada'a.

Be right in.

Just want to let, uh, Tooey know we made it here okay.

Tell him I said hi!

[phone beeping]

[phone ringing]

The beads were a bust!

Got any other gift ideas?

Uh, you could write him a song.

Yes! I'll call you right after lunch.

[sheep bleating]

KEVIN [sing-songy]: Molly?

[sing-songy]: Molly? Molly?

Whew.

[bleats]

Sorry for hiding in your lunch.

[phone ringing]

Hey!

Hi! How was lunch?

Great. But I was thinking of song lyrics the whole time.

Okay. How about this?

GRANDPA NAT: There you are! Ah!

Didn't mean to sneak up on ya.

Kevin and I have been looking for you.

Oh, sorry about that.

Are we giving our gifts now?

I'd planned to,

but Teahonna says there's a place we should try to see

before it gets dark out.

Phew! Uh, I mean where?

Some people call it Little Shiprock.

She said it's very special.

Was it formed by a volcano, too?

Yes.

It was made by the same volcanic field as Tsé Bit'a'í.

Cool!

We'll give our gifts as soon as we get back.

"Sorry, phone hung up.

"Driving to Little Shiprock.

Will try to finish song in car."

[humming]

I like your song! Ah!

My mom said I could come with you.

Uh, great!

♪

I see why people

call it Little Shiprock.

It's smaller than big Shiprock.

I mean, Tsé Bit'a'í.

We saw it on the way here.

Cool! Little Shiprock has a lot of names, too.

Its real name is Tsélkoin Diné.

But it's also called Mitten Rock.

Oh, it does kind of look like a mitten.

It's a special place for us.

There are lots of Diné legends about it.

Mahsi'choo for showing us, Kevin.

Yes, mahsi'choo.

We better get back to your house.

We have something special for you.

Oh, Kevin, would you mind putting the drone away?

Happy to help.

[car door opens]

Shchada'a?

I don't want to give Kevin

the beaver fur mittens we made for him.

Why not, Shgguya?

Mittens make sense in Alaska where it's so cold.

But it's so hot here.

[sighs]I feel bad giving him something he'll never need.

Huh, when you and your mom were making the mittens,

what were you thinking about?

I was thinking I'd like to make something very special

to honor Kevin for welcoming us to his home.

That's the most important part of gift-giving from our people.

That you are honoring the person you give it to.

And it sounds like you did that.

Yes, I did.

Hmm...

...maybe these mittens will remind Kevin of Mitten Rock,

and be special to him, too.

[chuckles] I'm sure they will be.

Ahéhee.

Thank you so much for this gorgeous drum, Nat.

Kevin, these are beaver fur mittens

my mom and I made for you.

I beaded Alaskan Dall sheep on them.

I wanted to thank you for making us feel

so welcome here on your land,

and on your Dibé bi'ghaan.

Mahsi'choo.

Wow, these are amazing, Molly.

I can't believe you made them!

Ooh, and they're so warm!

These will really come in handy

this winter when it's freezing out.

What! Freezing?

I thought the high desert was always this hot.

[laughs] No.

It gets super cold in the winter.

I'm sure glad I have these now,

and with Alaskan sheep on them!

Plus, it will always remind me of our trip to Mitten Rock.

I'm so glad.

That trip will always be special to me, too.

Can I ask just one more favor?

Sure!

I'd really love to hear that song

you were humming in the car.

Oh! [laughs]

That's the other gift I was making for you.

I was worried mittens would be to hot.

Shchada'a,will you drum?

♪ We thank you

♪ For welcoming us

[drumming rhythmically]

♪ And for the cornmeal mush

♪ So blue

Hey, everyone! Molly here to answer your questions

about life outside of Alaska.

Leo from Utah asks,

"What's one of the traditional foods of the Diné people?"

My friends can show you.

ALL: Hi, Molly!

My name is Andrea.

My name is Kimora.

My name is Wyatt.

My name is Giovani.

ALL: We're here in Shiprock, New Mexico.

ANDREA: Shiprock, New Mexico is on the traditional homeland

of the Navajo.

Today, we are learning to make kneel down bread with Alicio,

who's a farmer.

They call it kneel down bread

because you used to have to kneel down

to grind the corn.

Next, we are going to cut the corn from the cob.

You always have to use an adult when you're gonna cut the corn.

Why do you like to farm corn?

ALICIO: I like to farm corn

because it provides food

for my family and my community.

WYATT: Now it's time to grind the corn.

This is how we grind the corn, Molly.

Come on, come on!

[all gasp]

WYATT: Today we are mixing the corn with fresh peaches.

After we mix the corn and fruit together,

it's time to stuff the mix

back into the husk.

GIOVANI: I'm gonna do it now.

I finished. I finished!

KIMORA: And remember, we always have to have adult supervision,

and the adult has to make the fire.

WYATT: We put the bread in the ground next to the fire,

bury it and cook it.

GIOVANI: How long does it take for the fire to cook?

It should cook for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half.

ANDREA: It was good to learn

to make kneel down bread like our ancestors.

ALL: Hágoónee',Molly!

Mahsi'choo!

Thanks for asking and see you on our next epic adventure!

MOLLY: "Chasing the Wind."

Schroonchyaa! Whoa!

Look at all the markings on this silver jewelry.

The Diné have a long tradition

of telling stories through their art.

All kinds of art.

Oh, my mom wove that rug!

She's a great storyteller, too.

Whoa, look at that bird!

[gasps]

[groaning]

[groaning]

Okay, I found it, Nat.

Now I just gotta put it down...

[grunts]

Whew! This Tsé Bit'a'ípainting is bigger than I remembered.

Oh, beautiful, Emmett.

Tsé Bit'a'í? That's a painting of Shiprock?

It's a painting I did about the legends of Tsé Bit'a'í

from what I was told by several different Diné storytellers.

GRANDPA NAT: I asked Emmett if I could take a look at it.

Diné people have been passing down the story of Tsé Bit'a'í

and how it came to be for hundreds of years.

[camera chirps]

Emmett, are those big, white things glaciers?

Yup. Leave it to an Alaskan to spot the glaciers.

These glaciers are where the Tsé Bit'a'ístory begins.

The Diné people lived very far from here in quite a cold place.

The people almost forgot what warmth was,

they had been in the cold so long.

Suddenly, a great bird formed out of the very rock itself.

At first, the people were frightened,

but then they realized the great bird was trying to help them.

So they climbed on its back, and it flew away.

They traveled all day long,

and the people felt the air grow warmer and warmer.

Just before the sunset,

the bird found a place on the land that was just right.

As its claws touched the earth,

the bird turned back into stone

and became Tsé Bit'a'í, Shiprock.

Each day, the Diné people would walk down the gentle slope

of Tsé Bit'a'íto farm corn on the land below.

Each night, they would return to the top of Tsé Bit'a'í

to sleep.

But suddenly,

a great thunderstorm rolled over the land.

[thunder rumbling]

A lightning bolt struck Tsé Bit'a'í

and the gentle slope that allowed people to go up and down

tumbled away.

And that is why we don't climb Tsé Bit'a'íanymore,

not just because it is too dangerous,

but also because it is a sacred place to us.

Wow!

That's the best volcano legend ever!

[chuckles] It sure is.

Mahsi'choo,Emmett.

Diné stories and art have a lot to tell us

about the volcanic rock formation I'd like to study.

You're gonna study Diné art

and the science of volcanoes all in one trip?

That's what Grandpa's documentary is about!

Native ways of knowing about volcanoes

from all over the country.

That's right.

Native ways of knowing are very important

to what we understand about science.

After all, Native people have been studying the volcanoes

on this land for thousands of years.

Wait a minute...

The story says nobody

is supposed to climb Shiprock, right?

Uh-huh.

So, how can you study it if you can't go up it?

By getting permission from the Diné Tribal Council first.

I wrote someone ahead of time

and asked them to approach the council for me.

Who'd you write?

Her.

Well, Teahonna, what's the verdict?

The Diné Tribal Council would love

to have you interview the Elders about the volcanic field

and our traditional stories.

As long as you respect the storytellers,

follow our traditions and don't go onto Tsé Bit'a'í,

you have permission to film it.

Yes! Whoo! Yeah!

But how can you study

and record Tsé Bit'a'í without climbing it?

Just wait and see!

♪

[drone whirring]

Drones are so cool!

Tsé Bit'a'íis so cool.

I've got everything I need here.

Just gotta bring the drone back in

and we can go talk to the Elders.

MOLLY: What's that?

That's a dust devil.

It's like a tornado, but much, much smaller

and a little less powerful.

Uh-oh.

Uh-oh? Uh, what will it do?

[wind blowing, drone whirring]

Uh, that's what it will do.

[wind blowing, drone whirring]

[muttering]: Oh, come on...!

[groaning]

Ah! The wind is too strong for the drone.

I can't bring it back.

Oh no! You'll lose your footage of Tsé Bit'a'í!

And you won't be able to get more!

Unless we can find the drone.

Wait, didn't the drone send pictures to your camera

while it was up there?

Yes, it sends screen captures every few minutes or so.

Maybe we can use those photos sort of like a map

to figure out where the dust devil took the drone?

Huh, let's get out of the sun and have a look.

Here's an image from when the drone

was over Tsé Bit'a'í.

Here's the dust devil coming toward the drone.

So all the photos after that one

were taken after the dust devil took the drone away?

Hmm...

This first one is a, a boulder, I think?

But shaped like a "U."

Kevin, Emmett, do you know any rocks shaped like a "U?"

I don't think so,

but try rotating the picture to the left.

KEVIN: Hmm, maybe rotate it one more time?

It's like a ramp or a bridge.

Oh! That spot! KEVIN: Hey! I know that place!

GRANDPA NAT: That's the rock bridge all right!

So the drone definitely flew by here first.

What's the next photo?

Hmm, if you flip the photo to the right...

You know what? I think that might be a hogan.

Who's Ahogan?

[chuckles] It's not a person.

Hogans are traditional Diné houses.

KEVIN: They're round, just like this.

Oh!

There are a lot of them though.

Is there anything about this hogan that makes it different?

EMMETT: Well, not many of the hogans are near streams like this.

There's a stream over this way.

This seems like the right hogan near the right stream!

We're on the right track!

[chuckles] Let's see where the drone went next.

KEVIN: That's a corn field.

So cool that people still grow corn here,

just like in the Tsé Bit'a'ístory.

Yeah! Only there are a lot of corn fields here.

Yeah, it'll take days to go to them all.

Maybe the next photo will help us narrow it down.

MOLLY:Something seems familiar about this photo,

but I'm not sure why.

It does seem kind of familiar.

Can you turn the photo a little?

Turn a little more?

And turn a little more.

Turn a little more... A little more...

My wrist can't turn any further! [chuckles]

[Molly and Emmett chuckling]

[gasps] Nate the Grape!

Nate the Great?

No, Nate the Grape! Our sheep!

Oh...

That does look like a sheep-- kind of.

You call one of your sheep Nate the Grape?

[laughs] Sure do!

'Cause his name is Nate and he likes grapes.

How can you tell it's your sheep?

Well, first, if the drone flew that way,

it would have had to fly right over our corn field.

And we know from the photos

the drone went over corn before the sheep!

But see that purple bit?

I made a collar for Nate, and it had grapes on it.

Which are purple!

Exactly!

Well, only one way to find out.

TEAHONNA: Hey there!

How'd your drone filming go?

We're about to find out.

There's the corn.

[sheep bleating]

[closes gate]

And there's Nate the Grape!

♪

[bleating]

And there's the drone!

It isn't broken.

Looks like its batteries fell out when it landed.

So you'll be able to use the footage?

I will, indeed.

Yes! [laughs]

Gee.

You sure know how to make an adventure.

And I already know what my next painting is going to be.

What's that, Emmett?

The story of a little Alaskan drone

that got blown away by a dust devil,

traveled all over the Nation,

and made friends with Nate the Grape.

[Nate bleating, laughter]

[laughter]

♪