Have you ever watched the ocean move in and out and wondered why it happens? In this Faithfully Explore episode, we journey to the misty coasts of the Pacific Northwest to hear a traditional story from the Tsimshian people about Raven—a clever trickster who helped bring the tides to life.

Through imagination, storytelling, and reflection, children and families discover how one bold (and sneaky!) act changed the world—and what it can teach us about sharing, fairness, and caring for the natural world.

What You’ll Experience in This Episode

• A vivid, sensory journey to the Pacific Northwest coast
• A traditional Tsimshian story about Raven and the origin of the tides
• An introduction to Raven as a trickster figure—clever, curious, and complex
• Thoughtful reflection on sharing, fairness, and community
• A “Mission for Explorers” to connect the story to the real world

Big Ideas Kids Will Learn

• Sharing Matters: Keeping important things to yourself can hurt others—sharing helps everyone thrive
• Creative Problem-Solving: Big problems sometimes need imaginative solutions
• Nature Has Rhythm: The tides remind us that the Earth is always moving and giving
• Right vs. Fair: Sometimes stories help us explore tricky choices and big questions

Try This at Home

• Watch water in motion—at the beach, a lake, or even a puddle
• Look up tide charts or videos to see how tides change throughout the day
• Create your own “why” story about something in nature
• Draw Raven, the tide box, or your favorite moment from the story

Keep Exploring

If your child loved this story, check out picture books and folktales featuring Raven from Indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest. These stories offer meaningful lessons and a deeper connection to the natural world.

A Note for Families

This story comes from the Tsimshian people, whose traditions and storytelling continue today. Sharing these stories with children is an opportunity to build respect, curiosity, and appreciation for Indigenous cultures and the wisdom they carry.

🎧 Thanks for exploring with us! Don’t forget to follow, share, and keep your Belief Backpack ready for the next adventure

Have you ever stood at the edge of the ocean and felt

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the cold water tickle your toes?

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If you stay at the beach all day, you

might notice something like magic.

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In the morning, the water is way up

high, splashing against the rocks,

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but by the afternoon, the water has

vanished, it's pulled back, leaving

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behind a treasure chest of tide pools,

slippery seaweed, and scurrying crabs.

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That's called the tide.

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The ocean breathes in and out

high and low every single day,

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but have you ever wondered why?

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Hello Explorers.

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Welcome back to Faithfully Explorer.

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I'm your host, Laura.

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Today we're traveling to the Misty Emerald

Green Coast of the Pacific Northwest.

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Imagine the smell of salty

air and giant cedar trees.

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We're here to see the Tsimshian people.

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And here, one of their most famous

stories about a very clever,

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very hungry bird named Raven.

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Faithfully Explore! Intro:

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faithfully Explore!

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is the name.

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Learning together is our aim.

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Beliefs around the globe we'll track,

filling up our Belief Backpack.

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Laura: Long, long ago, the

world was a very quiet place.

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The ocean didn't move at all.

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It didn't splash, it didn't roar.

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It just sat there still as a pond.

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Back then, all the tides were

owned by one person, an old woman

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who lived in a house made of heavy

cedar planks right by the shore.

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She was powerful and she

was very, very protective.

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She kept the tides locked

inside a special wooden box.

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She didn't want to share.

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Because she kept the water high and

still, the beach was always covered.

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Think about this, explorers.

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If the water never goes out,

you can't reach the delicious

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clams hiding in the sand.

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You can't find the mussel on the

rocks or the crabs in the pools.

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The Tsimshian people were very hungry.

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They watched the ocean, wishing they could

reach the gifts hidden beneath the waves,

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but the tide women just sat there by her

box and said, " No, this belongs to me."

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Now, enter Raven.

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Raven is what we call a trickster.

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He's smart, he's funny, and he's

usually looking for a snack.

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When he saw how hungry the people were,

he knew he had to do something, but he

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couldn't just walk in and ask for the box.

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He needed a plan, a sneaky plan.

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" Using his ancient magic.

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Raven shrank himself down, down,

down until he was tiny as a

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hemlock needle that's a little

sliver of a leaf from a tree.

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He floated through the air,

drifted through the smoke

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hole in the Tide Woman's roof.

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And plop.

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He landed right in her

daughter's water cup.

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When the daughter took a sip,

gulp, she swallowed the tiny Raven.

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Now in the world of legends, magic

works in mysterious ways because

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she swallowed that magical needle.

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A baby was soon born into the house,

but we know the secret, don't we?

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That baby was actually Raven in disguise.

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The Tide Woman loved her new grandson.

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She thought he was the

cutest thing in the world.

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But Raven was a very difficult baby.

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He didn't want rattles,

he didn't want blankets.

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He pointed his little finger

at the tide box and cried.

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Wha wha

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The Tide Woman shook her head.

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"No little one, the box is to important."

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But Raven cried louder.

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He kicked his feet.

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He made such a fuss that finally the

Tide Woman said, "oh, all right, but you

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must be very, very careful with that."

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She just wanted him to be happy.

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She placed the heavy wooden box

on the floor for him to play with.

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The baby stopped crying.

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He smiled a mischievous smile.

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He rolled the box toward

the door closer, closer.

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Suddenly poof.

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In a cloud of black

feathers and loud caw, caw.

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The baby vanished.

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In his place, stood the Great Raven.

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He snatched the box in his beak,

beat his powerful wings, and burst

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through the smoke hole into the sky.

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"Come back.

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Come back with my tides."

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The Tide Woman cried.

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But Raven was already

soaring over the sea.

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He reached down with his beak,

flipped the lid, and whoosh.

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The tides tumbled out of the

box and crashed into the ocean.

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The water began to move, rushing

out, then pulling back in.

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In and out.

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High and low.

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For the first time ever,

the beach appeared.

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The people ran to the sand, cheering as

they found clams, crabs, and seaweed.

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They weren't hungry anymore.

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Raven had set the ocean free.

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And that, my dear explorers, is

how the Raven made the tides.

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Now you might be thinking,

wait a minute, Laura.

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Raven lied to that grandma.

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Is he a bad guy?

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That is a great question.

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You see in Tsimshian culture, the

worst thing you can be is selfish.

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The Tide Woman was keeping something

that everyone needed to survive.

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Raven's trick was his way of

making sure the world was fair.

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What's inside our belief

backpack this week?

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Number one, sharing is power.

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When we keep things all to

ourself, like the tide woman,

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the world stays still and quiet.

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When we share our toys, our

snacks, or our help, we make

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things move and grow for everyone.

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Number two, think outside the box.

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Raven couldn't use force to get

the tides, so he used his brain.

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When you have a big problem, try

looking at it from a different angle.

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Is there a creative way to solve it?

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Number three, respect the rhythm.

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Every time you see the tide go out.

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Remember, it's a gift from the earth.

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It's the ocean's way of sharing with us.

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Before I go, I have a mission for you.

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The next time you see water,

whether it's the big blue ocean

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or just a puddle in your driveway,

I want you to watch it move.

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Think about the Tsimshian

story of Raven and the tides.

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Think about how that water connects

all of us, how it travels around the

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world, bringing life wherever it goes.

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Think about how that water connects

you to the Tsimshian people who still

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live in British Columbia and Alaska

today, and they tell the same stories.

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They remind us that we are all part

of one big splashing, moving world.

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So my dear Explorers,

what did you learn today?

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What will you remember

about Raven and the tides?

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Maybe you'll remember to share

what you have with others.

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Maybe you'll remember to be

creative when solving problems.

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Maybe you'll remember to appreciate

the natural world and all it gives us.

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Whatever you take away from this story,

I hope it helps you see the world in a

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new way, the way the Tsimshian people

have seen it for thousands of years,

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with wonder, respect, and wisdom.

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This is Laura from Faithfully Explore,

reminding you we all have something

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to share, and when we share it,

we make the world a better place.

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Just like Raven made the tides.

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Until next time, stay curious,

stay kind, and keep exploring

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the wonderful world around you.

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Faithfully Explore! Outro:

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Faithfully Explore!

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is about you.

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Let's grow kinder together it's true!