09x03 - The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Hi.

Look around.

What do you see?

This is a very special time
that happens every day,

When colors deepen
and shadows lengthen

And the earth speaks softly
of her beauty.

It's almost sunset.

Dominic arquero
is a native american artist

Who's trying to capture
the beauty he sees in this sky.

[Arquero]
I love sunsets
because of the colors.

They're never the same.

I look into my memory

Of all the sunsets
I've seen,

And I remember
the colors--

A white to a yellow to an orange
to a red spectrum,

Into the darker blues
and violets.

My name
is dominic arquero.

I'm from cochiti pueblo
in new mexico.

My indian name
is kish-shi-wa.

It means runner.

It was given to me
by my grandfather.

Painting,
to native americans,

Has held a special place
in our lives

Since the beginning of time.

We painted out of a need,

@
Just as we sang, danced,
and prayed.

I still paint
out of a need--

A need to create,

To feel colors and motion.

All paints come
from mother earth--

All paints, all colors.

Black is usually taken
from a burning process

Of certain weeds

And adding water
to that.

Red can be obtained
directly from the ground

Through clays
or mineral veins.

Yellow can be obtained

From different types
of minerals,

Like iron oxide.

When the sun sets,

It gives birth
to a new variety of animal.

They come out and feed
throughout the night.

[Crickets chirping]

I say, "go where
your heart is needed.

Let your inside self be
the master of the brush."

Did you ever see
something so beautiful

That you wanted
to hold on to it forever?

Well, a boy named
little gopher did.

At first,
he didn't know how,

But he listened
very carefully

To the earth.

Finally, she showed him the way
in this story,

The legend of
the indian paintbrush.

Many years ago,

When the people
traveled the plains

And lived in tepees,

There was a boy
who was smaller

Than the other
tribe children.

He couldn't keep up
with the other boys,

Who always rode and sh*t bows
to prove their strength.

But the boy,
little gopher,

Was not without
a gift of his own.

He loved to decorate stones
with the juices from berries.

The wise shaman
of the tribe

Understood that little gopher
had a special gift.

"Don't struggle,
little gopher.

"Your path won't be
the same as the others'.

"They will grow up
to be warriors.

You will be remembered
for a different reason."

In a few years,

Little gopher went
to the hills

To think about
becoming a man.

This was
the tribe's custom.

There, a dream vision
came to him.

The sky filled with clouds,

And out of them came
a young indian maiden

And an old grandfather.

She carried
a rolled-up animal skin.

He carried pots of paint

And a brush made
of fine animal hairs.

The grandfather spoke.

"My son,
these are the tools

"By which you shall
become great among your people.

"You will paint pictures
of the warriors' deeds

"And the shaman's visions.

The people shall see them
and remember them forever."

The maiden unrolled
a pure white buckskin

And placed it
on the ground.

"Find a buckskin
as white as this.

"Keep it, and one day,
you will paint a picture

That is as pure as the colors
in the evening sky."

As she finished speaking,
the clouds cleared,

And a sunset of great beauty
filled the sky.

Little gopher looked
at the white buckskin.

On it, he saw colors
as beautiful

As those made
by the setting sun.

Then the sun sank
behind the hills,

And the dream vision
was over.

The next day,

Little gopher began
to make brushes

From the hairs
of different animals.

He gathered berries
and flowers

And rocks
of different colors

And crushed them
to make his paints.

And he began
to paint pictures

Of great hunts,

Of great deeds,

Of great dream visions,

So that the people
would always remember.

Many months before,

He had found
his pure white buckskin,

But it remained empty

Because he could not
find the colors

Of the sunset.

He used the brightest flowers,
the reddest berries,

And the deepest purples
from the rocks.

Still, his paintings
never satisfied him.

He went to a hilltop
each evening

And looked at colors
in the sky

To try and understand
how to make them.

One night,

He heard a voice
calling to him.

"Because you have been
faithful to the people

"And true to your gift,

You shall find the colors
you are seeking."

The next evening,

Little gopher went
to the hilltop

As the colors of the sunset
spread across the sky.

There on the ground
all around him

Were brushes
filled with paint,

Each one a color
of the sunset.

Little gopher began to paint
quickly and surely,

Using one brush,

Then another.

As the colors in the sky
began to fade,

Little gopher gazed
at the white buckskin,

And he was happy.

He had found the colors
of the sunset.

He carried his painting
down to the people,

Leaving the brushes
on the hillside.

And the next day
when the people awoke,

The hill was ablaze
with color,

For the brushes
had taken root

And multiplied
into plants

Of brilliant reds,
oranges, and yellows.

And every spring
from that time,

The hills and meadows
burst into bloom.

And the people no longer
called him little gopher,

But "he who brought the sunset
to the earth."

It's morning,

And the mountains of new mexico
are sparkling with snow.

Here is the taos pueblo,

Home to the taos people
for over 1,ooo years.

They call themselves
the red willow people,

And they call the earth
their mother.

Every part of their lives is
somehow connected to the land.

Even their homes are made
from the ground.

Called adobe,
the bricks are made

From mud, water, and straw
baked in the sun.

They believe that all life
comes from the earth.

It's where their art
begins, too.

This red clay
will be shaped

Into some of the most
beautiful pottery in the world.

Maybe we should...

The naranjo family--

Dolly,
her mother rose,

And her daughter jody--

Make pots from this earth
on the santa clara pueblo

As their grandmothers did
before them.

[Different speaker]
the mixing of the clay

Is one of the special parts
of making pottery.

It's cold.

The two types of clay
are mixed together

To give the red clay
substance.

I am dolly naranjo.

My family has been
making pottery for generations.

Ok?

Yeah.
I'll go ahead.

Oh, it's cold.

The first moment
of stepping into it,

How cold it is.

After a few moments,
it warms up.

Your body responds to it.

This matter
that's extremely silky

And soft,

It becomes a part of you.

It's not quite
mixed yet

Because there are
white flecks in there.

If you don't get
the white flecks mixed in,

Then when you're
making the pots,

It leaves holes.

When you've got your feet
or arms in clay,

It truly does feel like you're
in chocolate pudding.

[Chanting
native american song]

I learned
how to make pots

In the same way
that every child

Who makes pottery in the pueblo
learns to make pottery,

Which is by watching
and doing.

The clay is so,
so special,

And you never waste it.

You never, never throw
any of it away.

You never are disrespectful
to the clay in any way.

Pottery allows me to feel

That I am a part of the world
that we live in,

And it allows me
to be creative,

And it allows me
to express myself.

[Chanting
native american song]

When you begin working
and making a pot,

It forms itself.

When the pot is ready to close,
then it comes together.

When it's finished,
it's finished.

But it's impossible to try
and make a pot

Be something
it doesn't want to be.

Good. It's done.

[Chanting]

I have many, many,
many polishing stones.

The stones that I have
were given to me by my mother

When I first started
making pottery.

The f*ring is
to harden the pots.

It makes the pots
permanent.

The tin is right there.

Pottery-making is just simply
a part of your daily life.

It's what we do.

It's who we are.

It is our connection
to the earth.

The first winter snow--

A magical time
for the pueblo people.

They are grateful for this snow
because it will melt

And feed this creek.

Listen to
the red willow creek.

Its music and movement
provide inspiration

To the taos
red willow dancers.

Benito concha and his family
use all the earth's gifts

To create a living art--
their dance.

[Different speaker]
my family and I dance

So then the songs
and the dances

Will be passed on
to generations and generations.

They will also feel the beauty
and love and sacredness

In the dances.

My name is benito concha.
I'm from taos pueblo.

My people are
the red willow people

Who live in the mountains
of northern new mexico.

When I was first coming
into dancing as a child,

I remember my father
dressing me.

He told me the purpose
for each part of the outfit.

When my father
dresses up my nephews,

He's doing the same thing
he did for me.

Each person's outfit

Is expressing their feelings
that come from within them.

Their shawl,

Their moccasins,

Their leggings,

Their dress,

Their braid ties
and feathers

They wear in their hair--

They all have a purpose.

All of it comes from the earth.
It's representing the earth.

Whenever there is ceremonies,

We wear this face paint.

It is a red paint

That my people
have always acquired

Through the land.

And the red represents
thearth itself,

And the white represents
the people on the earth.

[Speaking
native american language]

I learned the eagle dance
at a very early age.

All native americans feel
the significance of the eagle

As a highly honored being,

For it carries our prayers

And it's the being
that can fly the highest.

The movement of the eagle
is my teacher.

When I dance,
I feel like I'm an eagle.

Every time I put on
the eagle wings to dance,

I do it in honor and respect
for the eagle.

[Blows whistle]

[Chanting
native american song]

The story of little gopher

Is a legend
of the plains indians.

There are many
native american tribes,

Each with its own legends
and history.

Here are some
of my favorites.

Once upon a time,

Long before humans
were in this world,

Crows were beautiful
and as colorful as a rainbow.

This legend tells
their story.

It's called rainbow crow.

In those days,
the weather was warm

And the animals
were happy.

Then snow began to fall.

It became deeper
and deeper.

Soon the animals
were covered with snow.

The animals decided the only way
to save the day

Was to send a messenger
to the great spirit.

Crow was chosen.

The great spirit
liked crow

And gave him
the gift of fire.

I'm barbara mui,

And I really loved
the magical legend

Of the rainbow crow.

I think you will, too.

Hi. My name
is jimon martinez.

Do you know
about native americans?

You'll be surprised
about how much you'll learn

In the new true book series
about indians of the americas.

Each book in the series
tells about a different tribe--

Tribes like the cheyenne,

The navajo, the apache,
and the hopi.

The pictures tell
what indian life is like.

If you'd like to read
about native americans,

Get this series!

Hi. My name is segree.
I love horses.

This story is about a boy
who wanted a horse so much

That he made one
out of mud.

It's called the mud pony.

One day,
the boy got lost,

But something wonderful
happens.

His mud pony
comes to life.

The pony said,

"I am made
of mother earth.

I'll take care of you."

The pony helped the boy
find his parents.

This story made me
feel happy.

I think you should
read it, too.

Listen

To the whisper of wind
on eagles' wings.

Listen

To the voice of the clay.

Listen

To the peaceful sounds
of sunset.

If you're quiet

And you open your heart,

The earth will speak
to you.

She is always generous
to people

Who ask
for her inspiration.

Watch and listen
to these last moments of sunset.

Can you hear a whisper?

[Speaking
native american language]

[Singing
native american song]

Today's reading rainbow
books are...

The legend of
the indian paintbrush,

Retold and illustrated by
tomie depaola,

Published by
g.p. Putnam's sons.

Rainbow crow,
retold by nancy van laan,

Illustrated
by beatriz vidal,

Published
by alfred a. Knopf.

Indians of the americas
from the new true book series,

Published
by children's press.

The mud pony,
retold by caron lee cohen,

Illustrated
by shonto begay,

Published
by scholastic hardcover,

An imprint
of scholastic incorporated.