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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 word from the Preface refers to a book containing a list of medicinal drugs with their effects and directions for use?

2. The author states in "Skywoman Falling" that when her people braid sweetgrass, they are braiding what?

3. What was Sha-note renamed?

4. What is the "boom and bust cycle" of nut trees called, according to the author in "The Council of Pecans" (23)?

5. What is said to be a "radical proposition" in a consumer society in "Allegiance to Gratitude" (136)?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How do trees communicate?

5. How does the concept of gift-giving differ between viewpoints of a private property economy and a gift economy?

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

7. What does witch hazel symbolize in the narrative?

8. Who is Skywoman and what is the basic outline of her story?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Discuss the structure of Braiding Sweetgrass. How does the author set up the arrangement of the book? Why is this important? What metaphor is laid out in the arrangement of the book's structure?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the stories of Nanabozho from Braiding Sweetgrass. Who is Nanabozho? What morals are gleaned from his stories? What does Nanabozho represent to the author's people and how is he seen today?

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This section contains 998 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample