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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. For how long does the author say the commodity economy has been here on Turtle Island in "The Gift of Strawberries"?

2. What is the animate form of "to be," in the author's people's language?

3. What does the author describe in "The Council of Pecans" as "fungal strands that inhabit tree roots" (30)?

4. What does the author say "A gift creates" in "The Gift of Strawberries" (38)?

5. Upon what creature's back did the woman spread the mud in "Skywoman Falling"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the predominant theme in Tending Sweetgrass?

2. How does the author describe sweetgrass in relation to gifts?

3. Who is described collecting pecans in “The Council of Pecans”? What is the importance of this story?

4. What gift did the author bestow on Hazel in "Witch Hazel"?

5. What is the narrative dedicated to in "A Mother's Work"?

6. How does the author discern between a gift and a commodity?

7. How does the Pledge of Allegiance differ from the Thanksgiving Address?

8. What is significant about the narrative style in "Witch Hazel"?

9. Who is Nanabozho? Why is his story important?

10. How did the U.S. government go about enlisting Native American children in schools aimed at assimilation? What were the impacts of this process?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the tenets of the Honorable Harvest. How were these principles misinterpreted by white settlers in the New World? What is the scientific basis of the Honorable Harvest? How can we apply these tenets to our lives in contemporary society?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the meaning of gifts in Native American culture. How was this concept misinterpreted by white settlers in the New World? How do gift economies differ from market economies? How can we go about reconciling the two?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Hazel in the story "Witch Hazel." How is this individual portrayed? Why and how did she bond with the author? What is the significance of witch hazel as a symbol in this story?

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