A boy runs through a doorway and pauses on fallen leaves. He wears a grey touque over his short brown hair and a brown coat.

[Upbeat music plays]

A narrator says, MEET THOMAS.

HE LIKES TO CHECK THINGS
OUT AT A MICROSCOPIC LEVEL…

Thomas turns a dial on a microscope as he gazes at a slide.

The narrator says, …KNOWS HOW
TO CLEANSE HIS HOUSE AND HIS
BODY WITH CEDAR TEA AND LOVES
TO PLAY MANHUNT WITH HIS FRIENDS.

[Children shout]

The narrator says LET'S GO!

Photographs of children hang on an animated clothesline in front of animated foothills, mountains, and the sun. Text reads, “Raven’s Quest.”

[Birds chirp, raven caws, upbeat music plays]

Thomas says, AANIN, HELLO.
MY NAME IS THOMAS.

Text beside Thomas reads, “Thomas.”

He says, I'M EIGHT YEARS OLD.
I'M FROM CURVE LAKE FIRST
NATION, ONTARIO.

A dot on a map shows the location of “Curve Lake First Nation” in southern Ontario. Green text beneath water reads, “Mshkiigag Wetlands.” Thomas walks on a boardwalk as three adults trail behind him.

Thomas says, OH, IT'S MELTING.
COULD WE FIND ANY CREATURES?

WE FOUND A PAINTED TURTLE OVER
THERE AND THERE'S SNAPPING
TURTLES IN HERE SOMEWHERE.

WHEN TURTLES HIBERNATE THEY'LL
BURY THEMSELVES IN THE MUD AND
THEY'LL JUST GO TO SLEEP.

I REALLY LIKE JUST GRABBING SOME
CATTAILS AND THEN JUST LIKE
PEELING THEM OFF LIKE THAT.

IT'S REALLY COOL. IT'S JUST SO COOL.
I LOVE IT. LET'S GO.

Thomas stands on a wooden step leading up to a deck beside a house.

[Upbeat music plays]

He says, THIS IS MY HOUSE.
COME ON IN.

I'M GONNA SHOW YOU AROUND
MY BEDROOM.

Thomas stands beside model cars and trucks.

He says, I BUILT ALL OF THESE
BY MYSELF EXCEPT FOR THIS
ONE. THIS ONE MY BROTHER DID.

UP THERE IS A PICTURE OF THE
AQUARIUM THAT WE WENT TO
IN TORONTO.

Thomas points to a shelf with two carved wood animals and a wooden plaque with the text, “Wolfy” carved into it.

He says, THIS?

THE SHARK I GOT FROM JAMAICA.
THE CRAB I GOT FROM JAMAICA AND
THIS, THAT WOLFY THING, MY AUNT
SAM GAVE TO ME.

HERE'S MY MICROSCOPE.
I'M INTERESTED IN IT BECAUSE
IT SHOWS ME MICROSCOPIC STUFF,
THINGS YOU CAN'T SEE WITH
YOUR OWN EYE. YOU NEED TO
KIND OF FOCUS IT.

Thomas turns dials on the microscope.

He says, OH. THAT WAS WHY.

IT LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH OF WEIRD
TENDRIL LIKE THINGS.

Text beside a chameleon clinging to a branch reads, “Emerald.”

Thomas says, THIS IS THE CAGE
FOR MY CHAMELEON. HIS NAME
IS EMERALD. HE'S SO CUTE.

THE LIGHT IS FOR HEAT.

THE HEAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR HIM BECAUSE WITHOUT IT
HE'LL FREEZE AND HE WON'T MOVE.

HE EATS CRICKETS. WE FEED HIM,
LIKE, IN THE DAYTIME. WE ALSO
MIST HIM IN THE DAYTIME.

MY CHAMELEON NORMALLY WANDERS
AROUND CHECKING OUT DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT HE HASN'T SEEN YET
BECAUSE HE'S JUST A LITTLE BABY
BUT HE WOULD LIKELY STILL NIP AT
ME BECAUSE HE IS REALLY GRUMPY.
IT DOESN'T HURT. HE HAS NO TEETH.

Thomas says, THIS IS MY FAMILY.
THAT’S MY MOM.

Thomas’s mother wears her long blonde hair loose over the shoulders of her black sweater. She wears a blue shirt. Purple text beneath her reads, “Mom.”

Thomas’s mother says, AANIN.

Thomas’s father wears a baseball cap over his short grey hair. He wears a grey and black jacket over a bright yellow shirt. Orange text beneath him reads, “Dad.” Thomas’s brother wears his brown hair loose to the shoulders of his black sweater. Blue text beneath him reads, “Brother.”

[Slide whistles]

Thomas says, THIS IS MY DAD
AND THAT'S MY BROTHER.

Thomas’s brother says, AANIN.

Thomas stands beside a woodpile. His brother stacks chopped logs in Thomas’s arms.

Thomas says, WE HEAT OUR
HOUSE WITH THE WOOD. WE'RE
PUTTING WOOD INTO THE HOUSE
AND WE'RE PUTTING IT ON THE
LITTLE SHELF.

I THINK THIS ONE CAN FIT RIGHT
THERE.

AND WE USE THAT WOOD TO HEAT
THE HOUSE UP.

[Squeak, fire crackles]

Thomas says, MY MOM AND I ARE
GONNA PICK CEDAR BECAUSE
WE'RE MAKING SOME CEDAR TEA.

Thomas and his mother walk towards a cedar tree.

Thomas’s mother says, ALL RIGHT.
THIS ONE LOOKS GOOD.

[Rustling]

Thomas says, I LIKE IT.

WE'RE GONNA TAKE SACRED
TOBACCO AND THEN WE'RE
GONNA PUT IT DOWN TO PICK
THE CEDAR. TO GIVE THE
CREATOR SOMETHING BACK.

Thomas scatters tobacco by the roots of the tree before he picks twigs off of a branch.

Thomas explains, FOR TAKING
SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO GIVE
BACK SOMETHING.

Thomas says, THIS IS MY COUSIN LIAM.

Liam wears a black touque and a black sweatshirt. He stands beside Thomas in a kitchen. Yellow text beneath Liam reads, “Liam.”

Thomas says, WE'RE GONNA MAKE
SOME CEDAR TEA. WE TAKE THESE
OFF OF THIS STEM.

Liam says, WHEN I PICK IT, IT GETS
MY HANDS ALL STICKY.

Thomas says, IT SMELLS LIKE AN
EARTHY SMELL.

Liam says, THAT TICKLES MY NOSE.

[Water flows from faucet, upbeat music plays]

Thomas says, IT'S GOOD TO BOIL
CEDAR BECAUSE IT COULD CLEANSE
YOUR HOUSE AND IT COULD ALSO
CLEANSE YOUR BODY IF YOU DRINK IT.

[Water boils]


Thomas puts cedar needles in a pot full of boiling water.

He says, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA
DO, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THESE
AND PUT THEM IN THIS POT OF
BOILING WATER.

YOU NEED AN ADULT TO HELP
YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS.

AFTER WE'RE DONE WE TURN
OFF THE HEAT AND IT WILL
JUST HEAT FOR TWENTY MINUTES.

[Click]

Thomas says, NOW I'M GONNA
TEACH YOU HOW TO SAY CEDAR
IN MY LANGUAGE.

Thomas holds up a piece of paper that reads, “Shgob – Cedar.”

He says, SHGOB. CEDAR. SHGOB.

THE TEA IS ALL READY AND IT
LOOKS LIKE APPLE JUICE.

[Slurping]

Thomas says, MM, MMM, MM MMM.

[Laughter]

Thomas says, I'M LEARNING
TO SPEAK MY LANGUAGE AT
CURVE LAKE FIRST
NATION SCHOOL.

THOMAS NDI-ZHNIKAAZ AMIK
DOODEM CURVE LAKE ND
OO NJIBAA.

Blue text beside Thomas reads, Thomas ndi-zhnikaaz amik doodem Curve Lake nd oo njibaa.

He says, IF I TRANSLATE IT THEN
IT MEANS... HI, MY NAME IS THOMAS.
MY CLAN IS BEAVER. I LIVE IN
CURVE LAKE.

Purple text beside Thomas reads, “Hi, my name is Thomas. My clan is beaver. I live in Curve Lake.”

[Slide whistles]

He says, I REALLY LOVE MY
LANGUAGE AND I WANT TO KEEP
LEARNING AS I GROW UP.

A boy with short brown hair sits beside Liam at a kitchen table. Red text beneath him reads, “Jordan.” Jordan waves.

[Slide whistle]

Thomas says, THAT IS JORDAN.
HE'S VERY FUN AND HE'S
FUNNY, TOO.

MY PEOPLE USED TO MAKE ALL
KINDS OF THINGS USING CLAY.

SINCE WE DON'T HAVE CLAY,
WE'RE JUST MAKING IT OUT
OF DOUGH.

Jordan says, I'VE SEEN, LIKE,
POTTERY IN MUSEUMS FROM
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

Liam says, THIS PART MAKES ME
THINK OF EATING IT.

[Laughter]

Thomas says, DON'T EAT IT.

DO YOU WANT TO PLAY
MANHUNT IN THE SNOW?

Jordan says, ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO.

[Upbeat music plays, children shout]

Thomas says, WE'RE PLAYING
MANHUNT AND WE'RE USING
WALKIE TALKIES.

Thomas speaks into a walkie talkie, OKAY!

He says, MANHUNT IS LIKE,
KIND OF LIKE A GAME OF TAG.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET JORDAN.

GET HIM!

Jordan runs away from Thomas and Liam.

Jordan shouts, YEAH! I AM SPEED.

Thomas explains, ONCE YOU TAG
EVERY SINGLE PERSON AND ONE
IS REMAINING, THEY WON
THE GAME.

A girl says, OH. THEY'RE TOO
FAST. THEY HAVE LIKE TURBO
INSTALLED OR SOMETHING.

[Footsteps crunch in snow]

Thomas says, THANKS FOR
WATCHING. NGA WAABAMIN!
GOODBYE.

End credits roll.

“An Apartment Eleven Production.
Produced in Association with TVOkids.”

[Birds chirp, wings flap, raven caws]

Text reads, “TVOkids”

Child says, WEEE!

[Giggling]

Text reads, “Apartment Eleven Productions.”

[Squeak, ding, ding]