(Cheerful piano music begins)
♪ You are the best you the world will see ♪
♪ Come along now and share you with me ♪
♪ Let's learn something new and share feelings too ♪
♪ 'Cause these are the things to do to be the best you ♪
(cheery music)
(magical chime)
- Oh, oh, oh, hello, friends.
And hello, Possum.
- Hi, Auntie Lena.
Oh, what are you doing?
- Oh, I'm weaving a mat for my fruit bowl to sit on.
- Oh. What's weaving?
- Hmm, well, weaving is a lot like braiding
where you twist two, three or more strands together
to make a pattern.
Some patterns are round like a rope.
Some can be flat like my mat,
or others may be curved like a basket.
- Where did you learn how to weave? It looks really hard.
- Yeah.
Well, I learned from my friend Miss Ana
on the Tulalip Indian Reservation.
It was difficult at first,
just like when I first learned how to crochet,
but I told myself the same thing I tell you, Possum,
we can do hard things.
So I kept practicing.
- Why would you wanna learn something hard
if you don't have to?
- What do you mean, Possum?
- Well, I have to practice my spelling
and math to get good grades,
but I don't think I would wanna practice
if I wasn't going to school.
- Oh, I see.
What you need is motivation, Possum.
- I do?
- Yes. Motivation is like a trampoline.
It pushes you up to do things and set goals.
- So why did you want to learn how to weave?
- Because I like learning about traditional tribal customs.
I want to help bring more awareness
to the beautiful tribal arts of the Coast Salish
as a way to honor and respect the first people
who lived on the land.
- And art can help do that?
- Yes, it definitely can.
- Auntie Lena, can you teach me how to weave?
- Ooh, I could do better than that, Possum.
Let's go to Hibulb Cultural Center with our friends.
Miss Ana can show us how.
(magical chime)
- Hi friends.
I'm Miss Ana here at the Hibulb Cultural Center.
Today we will be making a small cedar mat.
Cedar comes from the cedar tree,
which can actually grow up to 250-feet tall
and a thousand years old.
This is kind of what it looks like
after we take it from the cedar tree,
but the pieces we'll be using today
are the smaller pre-cut pieces,
and we will be using raffia to tie our cedar mat together.
This is a more advanced cedar mat,
so this is what it looks like.
It has edging and you can kind of see the raffia around it.
And then we'll also be using some scissors.
The first thing we do with cedar is soak it.
And so we have pre-soaked cedar with warm water.
It helps it be more flexible and just get ready to weave.
So today we're gonna be using eight pieces,
and we're gonna arrange them and get them ready to be woven.
So we're gonna start with four pieces going down
and four pieces across.
And we always start either over and under.
So this piece is over the first piece.
And then we're gonna put the second piece.
So it's over this piece under the second piece.
So then under the next piece,
under, over, under, over.
Then we'll take the next piece.
Since this one is over, we'll go under,
well, kinda messing it up a little bit, but that's okay.
Under, and then it'll go over this second piece.
Then it'll go, this third piece will go under.
And this fourth piece will go under.
Cedar weaving can be very hard.
You saw me struggle, and it's just a small little mat.
So working on bigger projects is even harder,
but in the end, it's worth it.
And I'm just making sure that it's tight
by kind of squishing it all together with my fingers.
It's one of the most important parts of cedar weaving.
We don't really want any holes.
In the olden days,
the mats could be bigger than this table.
Sometimes they could be used to make blankets.
We use them to make clothes like hats, capes,
skirts, jewelry.
All parts of the cedar tree were used,
so it had spiritual power and it was also used for medicine.
And then we are gonna take our raffia, which is this string.
You can use any string.
Sometimes we can use yellow cedar.
This is red cedar.
Those are two different types of trees,
and they do have different colored bark,
but this is just raffia.
We're just gonna pull it so that it's, like, even in half.
And we're gonna start,
we're just gonna wrap it around one piece.
And it's pretty simple.
We're gonna take this piece on the right,
we're gonna take it to the front right here.
And this piece on the left,
we're gonna twist it around the piece
and it's gonna go behind that piece.
And we're just gonna keep going.
So this piece on the right,
it's gonna go right in front of this piece.
And the piece on the left,
we're gonna take and turn it behind that piece.
And then to turn the corner,
we just kind of do a little twist.
We're just gonna cross these two strings.
And then it ends up in the front again, behind, in front.
So if you don't have cedar at home,
you can use any kind of paper.
And if you don't have raffia,
any kind of yarn or string will do.
So, cedar weaving can be very challenging,
but one thing that keeps me motivated to keep going with it,
not just with cedar weaving,
but with anything in life, is thinking about our ancestors
and how they worked hard to persevere
and to keep our traditions alive.
I am just about done right here.
To end it, we are going
to do the last piece.
You can go over it twice if you want to,
but I'm just gonna go over it once,
and then I'm just gonna tie the raffia
and just like a little knot.
And before I cut it, I'm just going through it
and tightening it with my fingers.
Just gonna trim it.
And these pieces are kind of long on the side,
so I'm just gonna take my scissors and trim them.
But not too short,
because otherwise the cedar will come apart,
and it won't be woven together anymore.
And this is the finished product.
The cedar looks a little different once it's wet,
but once it's dry, it'll look like this.
I really hope that you enjoyed making this cedar mat with me
and learning more about our cultural traditions.
Thank you. Bye, friends.
- Auntie Lena, my weaving doesn't look very good.
Maybe I should try something else.
- Ooh.
Well, Possum, now where is your stick-to-it-ness?
- I think it got up and left.
- Well, let's see if we can get it back.
Tell me, why do you want to learn to weave?
- Well, I wanna show my class
what I learned about the Coast Salish people
at the next show and tell.
- Your motivation is spot on.
Now you just need to stay motivated.
You know, talking to yourself helps.
I know it sounds funny,
but it's important to tell yourself, "Yes I can,"
when something is hard.
- Is that why you say, "We can do hard things"?
- Exactly.
It can help you feel better when you're stuck
so that you don't give up on a good idea.
So tell me, what can you say
to motivate yourself when you feel discouraged?
- Oh.
Oh, I've got it.
Watch me blossom 'cause I'm awesome possum.
- That's a great little rhyme to say to yourself. Well done.
Your saying reminds me
of a traditional Coast Salish story about a little girl
who had to try, try, try again at weaving.
It's called "Her First Basket" by Michele Balagot,
as told to her by Vi Hilbert.
- Can we read it with our friends, Auntie Lena?
- Of course, Possum.
Let's go back to the Hibulb Cultural Center and listen.
(both speaking in foreign language)
(Jasmyne speaking in foreign language)
(kid speaking in foreign language)
- And today we're here at the Tulalip Cultural Center,
and we will be reading "Her First Basket".
(speaking in foreign language)
"Her First Basket".
A long time ago,
a little girl was sitting at the base of a cedar tree.
She didn't have any friends.
Sadie, who else in our stories doesn't have any friends?
- Lady Lai.
- Yeah. (speaking in Coast Salish)
(speaking in Coast Salish)
The cedar tree told her,
"You are going to make a cedar-root basket."
This little girl said,
"I don't know how."
She was told by the cedar tree,
"First, take my roots."
(speaking in Coast Salish)
[Miss Ana] This little girl took the cedar's roots,
and made her basket and made it.
(speaking in Coast Salish)
She was told, "Now go down to the river
and you dip up some water."
(speaking in Coast Salish)
She returned to the cedar tree.
There was a little water remaining in the basket.
The tree said, "Your work is not tight enough.
Do it over."
What do you think she did when she was told
that she has to do it all over?
- Make it again.
- Yeah. Did she give up?
- No.
(speaking in Coast Salish)
- She made it again.
Again she went to the river.
Her work was not tight enough.
Again she made it.
Again she went to the river.
Again it was not tight enough.
So she made it again and went to the river again.
(speaking in Coast Salish)
The fourth time, now.
She was told again,
"You go down to the river
and you dip up some water into your basket."
(speaking in Coast Salish)
She came back to the cedar tree.
"Oh, your basket is really good now."
(speaking in Coast Salish)
"You will present it to the oldest lady
at the place where you live."
And that's why we still do this to this very day.
(speaking in Coast Salish)
(kid speaking in Coast Salish)
- That's the end.
(both speaking in Coast Salish)
- Wow. The girl tried so many times to get her basket right.
- Mm-hmm.
She made up her mind that no matter how many times
she had to try,
her basket was going to hold water.
- Mm-hmm. She was really motivated.
- Yes, she was.
A bit of stick-to-it-ness
with a dash of patience and practice
is a good recipe for success.
- Did you just say recipe, Auntie Lena?
Oh, I sure hope so,
because I'm feeling motivated to munch.
- Oh, you are, are you?
Well, I think Ms. Ana has a yummy treat to share with us.
- Oh, what is she making?
- Let's find out with our friends.
- Hi, friends. - Hi, friends.
- I'm Miss Ana.
- And I'm Sloane.
- And we're here at the Hibulb Cultural Center.
And today we are gonna be making yogurt bark.
So Sloane, what ingredients do we need for yogurt bark?
- [Sloane] Yogurt, blueberries,
strawberries, honey, chocolate and coconut oil.
- And we're gonna start by taking our yogurt.
You can help put this in the bowl.
- All of it?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- [Miss Ana] We are using 16 ounces of yogurt.
Any yogurt you like.
- This looks good already.
- And then we're gonna add two tablespoons of honey.
So we're gonna put the mixers down.
I do one and then you do one.
- Okay.
- Okay. We're gonna add two tablespoons.
So I'll add one tablespoon.
I'm gonna get stuck to the spoon.
- [Sloane] I love honey.
Okay.
- And then we're just gonna mix our honey
and yogurt together.
Do you wanna do that, Sloane,
while I get started on the other ingredients?
- [Sloane] Yes. - Okay.
So I'm going to take half a teaspoon of coconut oil.
One fourth of a cup of chocolate chip.
- [Sloane] Smells good.
- A teaspoon.
And then just mix it a little quick and the oil in there.
And then we are gonna put this in the microwave
for 30 seconds.
Can you do that for me, Sloane?
- Yeah.
( bright music)
Here is the melted chocolate.
- Thank you, Sloane.
We're just gonna give it a good mix
to make sure it's all melted.
And then we are gonna spread the yogurt out
onto our baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Okay.
- Let me help you out with this spoon a little bit
or this spatula.
And we're just going to spread it on.
- Oh, I just gonna grab this.
- Yeah.
We're just gonna make a nice blob shape.
Then we are just going to drizzle the chocolate on there
with a little stir stick or a spoon.
- [Sloane] Oh, that looks so good.
- I'm just gonna use the stir stick
to create these little waves.
And we are gonna add our berries.
We have 1/3 cup of blueberries and strawberries.
So we're just gonna sprinkle them on top.
- [Sloane] Just spread that out.
- Spread them out. Yeah.
And then we are gonna take this into the freezer
for about three hours.
- Oh, that looks good.
- It does.
Thank you, Sloane.
We can take our cookie cutters
and just press right into our yogurt bark.
Oh, this yogurt is kind of really hard to cut out.
I think it'll be worth it.
- Yeah.
- What about you, Sloane?
Have you ever done something that was hard to do?
- Yeah.
I remember when I was playing soccer
and I wanted to do goalie,
but then I lost the first game,
and I kinda felt sad.
But then, like, over the days, I got better at goalie,
and I was really good at goalie.
- And how did that make you feel, Sloane?
- That made me feel proud that I knew how to do goalie now.
- And these are our finished product.
- This is good.
- Mm. What do you think, Sloane?
- I can taste the chocolate,
and I can taste, like, the berries and stuff.
And it really has a really good flavor,
and I totally recommend that you should do this.
- Thank you everyone for joining us
and making this yogurt bark today.
- Bye, friends. - Bye, friends.
- [Possum] It's time for "Movement Minute".
(Possum bouncing)
- Hey friends. Welcome to "Movement Minutes".
My name is Coach Alicia from Rainier Health & Fitness,
and I am going to show you a core exercise for your core.
And it is a V-up.
First thing you gotta think about is hugging your knees
'cause you love yourself.
Hug your knees.
Here we go. One more.
The next version you're gonna think about laying flat
and reaching towards your toes.
Straight leg and reach.
Whew. It's a tough one, but you did it.
Thank you for joining me.
This is "Movement Minute",
and hope to see you next time.
Bye-bye.
- Possum, I hope you'll keep working on your weaving.
Staying motivated to keep going when you make mistakes
is something that everyone has to learn.
- Well, it helps to know that I'm not the only one
who has to practice.
- No, you're not.
I admire you, Possum, for how you stay motivated
to push yourself, to keep learning new things every day.
You study for your spelling test,
you play the concertina,
and you are a great community helper.
- Oh yeah. I kind of forgot about all those things.
- It's easy to forget the things we're good at
when we're worried about what we're not doing well.
So remember to talk to yourself kindly, no matter what.
- Oh, I will,
and watch me blossom 'cause I'm awesome possum.
Oh, thank you, Auntie Lena.
- You are welcome, Possum.
And friends, thank you for taking the time
to look, listen and learn with us today.
Remember, you are the best you that the world will ever see.
- Bye for now.
- Bye-bye.
(cheery music)
Please stay tuned after the credits
for Auntie Lena's parent tip.
(bright music)
- [Announcer] Brought to you by Public Health,
reminding you to keep your family's protection strong
with updated COVID vaccines.
Resources and information available
at kingcounty.gov/vaccine.
(cheery music)
- How do you feel when you haven't met your goal,
or lived up to your expectations?
If you're like me, it doesn't feel too good.
The itty-bitty negative committee
can really make me feel like giving up.
But on the other hand, how do you feel when you succeed?
I tend to feel more open, happy,
and I have a sweet sense of pride.
Teaching our little ones to think about how they feel
and deal with their setbacks is important
to developing their self-motivation and self-efficacy.
These are essential building blocks for lifelong learning.
As caring adults,
we help our early learners grow their stick-to-it-ness
by giving them opportunities to complete routine tasks
and set goals.
And as they master new skills,
make sure that you share your expectations,
offer encouragement,
and give specific feedback along the way.
Like Auntie Lena, invite your child to come up
with a fun and motivational saying,
something that reminds them
that they're awesome like Possum
and inspires them to always be the best that they can be.