How People Got Fire

Gr 4–8—This elegant animated short recreates an ancient trickster tale from the Tlingit Nation in Canada's Yukon Territory. Grandma Kay, based on an actual elder named Kitty Smith, invites the village children into her cozy kitchen. They discover that myth and reality blend seamlessly in the elder's home as oral traditions mysteriously come to life. Grandma Kay not only gives her visitors tea and bannock, the traditional food of her people, she also nourishes their spirit with tales of their traditions. Twelve-year old Tish is particularly drawn to the mysteries of Grandma Kay's house, where past and present seem to come alive and the mythical and real world are intertwined. The film is a story within a story, as the contemporary story of Grandma Kay and her young visitors morphs into the mythical tale of how Crow brought fire to the people. The filmmakers use a combination of atmospheric charcoal drawings juxtaposed with rotoscoped animation, an understated style that is appropriate for the subject matter but is quite different from the today's flashy computer animated feature films. A good choice for units on Native Americans and mythology where budgets permit.—Margo Tanenbaum, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, CA