Molly of Denali
Molly of Denali, a new animated series that debuted nationwide in summer 2019 on PBS
stations, the 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and PBS KIDS digital platforms. Produced by WGBH
Boston, Molly of Denali is an action-adventure comedy that follows the adventures
of feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Ӱ Native girl. Molly of
Denali is the first nationally distributed children’s series in the U.S. to feature
an Ӱ Native lead character. Molly helps her mom and dad run the Denali Trading
Post, a general store, bunkhouse, and transport hub in the fictional village of Qyah,
Ӱ. Each episode follows Molly, her dog Suki and her friends Tooey and Trini on
their daily adventures in Ӱ, from fishing to building snow forts to delivering
a camera to friends on a volcano via dog sled.
Molly of Denali is designed to help kids ages 4-8 develop knowledge and skills for interacting with informational texts through video content, interactive games, and real-world activities. A foundational aspect of literacy education, informational texts are designed to convey information, and include written words, images, and oral language. In each episode, Molly’s life and adventures are enhanced, illuminated, and broadened by using and creating a variety of informational texts, including books, online resources, field guides, historical archives, indigenous knowledge from elders, maps, charts, posters, photos, and more. Molly also shares the information that she gathers through a vlog, offering short-form videos in which she shares aspects of her life in Ӱ with kids in the lower 48 states and around the world.
Premiere Interstitial for “Grandpa’s Drum”, directed and produced by Maya Salganek, along with students, alumni, and faculty from the University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
“Ice Carving” Directed and Produced by Maya Salganek, along with Students and Alumni from University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
“Jig Dance” Directed and Produced by Maya Salganek, along with Students and Alumni from University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
“Museum Artifacts” Directed and Produced by Maya Salganek, along with Students and Alumni from University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
“Awesome Ӱn Kids: Blueberries” Directed and Produced by Maya Salganek, along with Students and Alumni from University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
Feb 21, 2021 Follow Anabah on another awesome adventure in Fairbanks, Ӱ! This time Anabah goes to fish camp, a place her family gathers every year to catch, smoke, and preserve fish! Directed and Produced by Maya Salganek, along with Students and Alumni from University of Ӱ Fairbanks.
Press
New Mexico In Focus, a Production of NMPBS Published on Jul 19, 2019 July 19, 2019 – Correspondent Antonia Gonzales talks with producer Maya Salganek about a new PBS KIDS series about a 10-year-old Ӱ Native girl, called “Molly of Denali.” The show weaves together literacy skills and Native values. It’s the first nationally distributed children’s television series to feature a Native American lead character. Salganek was born and raised in Santa Fe.