Colors of the Wind

(Pocahontas Soundtrack)

Neytiri studied the warrior dreamwalker called Jake Sully in front of her. He knew much; she couldn't deny that. For this dreamwalker had traveled far from his home planet to now be standing in front of her. He knew of a whole other world that she would never begin to imagine. And now she was to teach him all she knew of her world. First though, she had to make him See it. For as long as he thought she and her People were just mindless savages, they would get nowhere. Jake Sully knew much, yet he Saw so little.

You think I'm an ignorant savage
And you've been so many places
I guess it must be so
But still I cannot see
If the savage one is me
How can there be so much that you don't know?
You don't know ...

She wondered how the Sky people thought that they a right to own the land. This was the first myth she must correct for Jake to See. Neytiri impatiently grabbed his hand and led him out to the thick forest, leaping from branch to branch to test and expand his physical and mental strength. As she pointed to each living thing she called out its name and briefed the dreamwalker on its purpose in the Eywa's balance. She called out to a pa'li, an old, patient mare, and helped Jake mount her and form the bond. The Na'vi princess couldn't help but grin as she saw his face light up in awe as he felt the connection of his spirit with the pa'li's. Jake now had his first taste of being what it meant to be Na'vi. He was learning.

You think you own whatever land you land on
The land is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

Later holding up two of her fingers to her mouth to signal silence, Neytiri motioned Jake to come forward and look at what was beyond the green that she gently pushed aside. When she had first met him, he had been attacked by a pack of nantang. She remembered his bemusement when she had scolded him for thanking her after she had killed them to save him. Second myth she must correct for Jake to See: his kind was the only People. They had little brothers and little sisters all around them living in harmony with one another. When Jake kneeled beside her, Neytiri guided his gaze slightly to the left. Then he saw them: a mother nantang with her young, most of them nursing as the mother tried to hold one still as she bathed him with her tongue. Neytiri heard Jake hold back a snort of laughter and grin as he watched the cub attempting to avoid his bath. Her pupil was learning.


You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

Continuing on, Neytiri taught him tracking, pointing out each of the smallest signs. A fresh footprint could mean that your prey was near. A rustled bush could mean a predator was near. A simple howl could mean sign of a ready harvest. Third myth she must correct in order for Jake to See: Nature's signs were useless. Freezing, Neytiri once again grabbed her pupil's hand and tugged him behind the thick trees. Ignoring Jake's surprised expression, she peered out from the trunk and watched as a palulukan walked passed where they had just stood, clearly coming back from a hunt. Ordering her pupil to smell, Neytiri asked Jake if he knew any others were behind the one that just passed. Sighing, Jake took in a deep breath, taking in the smells of the forest. Looking back at her, he shook his head. Neytiri nodded in approval; that was exactly her conclusion as well. Jake was learning.


Have you ever heard the palulukan cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning prolemuris why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

She once again had her student test his mental and physical strength as the two of them traveled by swinging through the vines. Ordering Jake to let go after he her, Neytiri released her vine and used the leaves below her to slow her fall and guide her way to the forest floor. When she landed, she grabbed a piece of fruit and took a bite as she looked up to watch for Jake… only to see his bow crashing at her feet. Oh Eywa…sure enough, Jake Sully came crashing down after his bow; Neytiri winced as she heard the resounding thud as he hit the ground. Despite his fall, Jake got right back up, and Neytiri tossed him a piece of fruit. Another myth she had to correct for Jake to See: the worth of riches were everything. Neytiri smiled as she saw Jake grin as he took a bite of the sweet juices. He was learning.


Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

Next she showed him the wonders of the water and of the air. Fifth myth she had to correct for Jake to See: Everything was out to kill you and there was no wonder. Together they swam through the waters and Neytiri had Jake gently touch each plant and each fish. Later she grabbed her flying gear and took Jake up into the canopy. Calling Sese, her ikran, she told Jake of the bond of hunter and ikran, explaining that they would carry only one hunter for life. Mounting Sese, she let out a shrill cry of joy as she soared through the air. Meeting Jake's eyes for a moment, she saw his excitement at the idea that one day that would be him upon the wind. Neytiri grinned and gently guided Sese to fly right over Jake to tease him. Her pupil was learning.


The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The pa'li and the ikran are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

Jake was always amazed at how big every plant was, especially Hometree. Neytiri couldn't help but grin each time she saw those amber eyes light up in wonder. A myth that she must correct for Jake to See: assume you know the answers. Once, Jake had asked her if Hometree was done or if it had more time to grow. The princess was surprised by this question but calmly replied that she didn't know. When the dreamwalker had gone on to tell her how they had cut down the trees on his planet, Neytiri shook her head in shock. Sky People were insane. But each and every time Neytiri and Jake returned to Hometree, Neytiri would glance at Jake's look of awe at the ancient tree. Her dreamwalker was learning.

How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the palulukan cry to the blue corn moon

Quietly, Neytiri approached Jake and reached out for his hand. The dreamwalker looked a little bewildered but took his mentor's four fingered hand into his five fingered grasp. "I'm proud of you Jake," The princess told him softly, almost as if she was afraid of saying anything more. "You have learned to See." Looking back down at her pupil's hand, she watched in silent amazement as a soft wind blew over their clasped hands, Jake's hand turned from a rough blue to a soft pale white. But this vision disappeared as fast as it came and Neytiri didn't speak of it. Then she realized that there had been another myth… one that they both had to teach each other in order to See: Cultural and racial differences mattered. But they didn't. It wasn't the body outside that counted, it was the spirit within. She met Jake's intense amber gaze and then looked away. Without knowing it, this dreamwalker had taught her to See… in learning, Jake had taught her as well.


For whether we are white or cobalt skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

Neytiri used to hate all Sky People. For Sky People had reached out to them like friends… only to invade and kill her kin and home. Yet, in front of her was a dream walker, a sky people. And he had learned to See. He had learned to be Na'vi. He would choose his ikran the next sunrise and Neytiri couldn't have been prouder. Jake Sully had taught her more then she could have possibly imagined herself teaching him.


You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind