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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 scientific name for the white spruce tree?

2. According to the beliefs of the author's people, what does East represent?

3. What grew from the heart of Skywoman's daughter, according to the author in "Epiphany in the Beans"?

4. Where is the Mohawk River located?

5. What does South represent to the author's people?

Short Essay Questions

1. What uses for cattails did the author teach her students in “Sitting in a Circle"?

2. How did Laurie's advisors respond to her thesis subject in “Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass”?

3. What findings did Laurie's thesis produce in “Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass”?

4. What did the author discover when she attempted to apply reciprocity when shopping for writing supplies in "The Honorable Harvest"?

5. What preconceptions did the author have about Lionel? How were they proven wrong?

6. What does the South represent symbolically to the Anishinaabe people?

7. What is an ideal black ash tree for harvesting for basket making?

8. How does the author describe the process of harvesting sweetgrass in the opening of Picking Sweetgrass?

9. Why is it important for native peoples to ask for permission when harvesting or hunting? How do they do so?

10. What are the Three Sisters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the meaning of sweetgrass to the Potawatomi people. What does sweetgrass symbolize? How is it used? How is it tended and harvested? What lessons can be learned from sweetgrass?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the botany and relationship of lichen. What is lichen comprised of? How does it interact and complement its different parts? What lesson is taught through lichen in Braiding Sweetgrass?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 924 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample