View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What refers to "the natural process of nutrient enrichment that comes with age," and what happened to the author's pond in "A Mother's Work"?

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

3. What kind of bird's nest did the author find in the willows around her pond in "A Mother's Work"?

4. What does the author say the word for sweetgrass is in her people's language in the Preface?

5. What does appreciation beget, according to the author in "Allegiance to Gratitude"?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Trace the relocations of the author's ancestors. Where did they originate and where are they now?

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

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

5. How is the Thanksgiving Address recited?

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

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

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

9. What did the author discover when she returned home in "The Consolation of Water Lilies"?

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

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 maple trees for the author and her people. What do maple trees represent? How do their actions influence humankind? How might we learn from maple trees?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's depiction of Lionel. Why did the author have preconceived prejudice against Lionel before meeting him? How did her feelings about Lionel change? Why did they change?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 978 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample