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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. What is the message taught by the Pecan Council in "The Council of Pecans"?

2. Who stated that “objects . . . will remain plentiful because they are treated as gifts" (43)?

3. What is the scientific name for sweetgrass?

4. What color are the flowers of the witch hazel plant?

5. What is the scientific name for the pecan hickory tree?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the significant aspects of the Potawatomi language that the author points out in “Learning the Grammar of Animacy”?

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

3. What is one of the significant morals of the Skywoman story?

4. How does the author compare the Skywoman story with the Christian story of Creation?

5. What is significant about the production of harvests among pecan trees?

6. How did the author go about making maple syrup with her daughters?

7. What morning ritual does the author describe her father performing in "An Offering"?

8. How is the Thanksgiving Address recited?

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

10. What is the predominant theme in Tending Sweetgrass?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

How is motherhood treated as a theme in Braiding Sweetgrass? What symbols and metaphors relate or connect to this theme? How has motherhood influenced the author in her examination of nature and her traditional heritage?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the narrative style of Braiding Sweetgrass. From what perspective are the essays related? How would you describe the style of writing of the work? Why is narrative style important in a work such as this?

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