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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 does Sa' thinks holds power over all living things?

2. How did the women sleep on the fourth night?

3. What had the women done with their walking sticks?

4. What migrating animal do The People follow?

5. What are their ropes made of?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the two old women decide that they cannot remain in the camp where they have been abandoned?

2. What painful memories does Chi'idzigyaak recall?

3. What do the younger men do for the two old women each time they move to a new campsite?

4. Where do the two old women decide to go when they feel they cannot remain in the camp where they have been abandoned?

5. Why are the two women feeling worse when they wake up at their new campsite in Chapter 4, "A Painful Journey"?

6. Why are the hunters always fed first?

7. What gets the two old women up in the middle of the night on the first night after their abandonment?

8. Why was Sa' finally banished from her group as a young woman?

9. What unusual character flaw do the two old women possess?

10. Why does Sa' say that the two women are like babies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain Velma Wallis' statement that young people may learn about their past, their people, and themselves from stories such as this one. How can such a specific story have such broad general impact?

Essay Topic 2

Ms. Wallis contends that those who write about a culture but are not part of it often misinterpret or misrepresent the culture. In your essay, explain why this story could or could not have been recorded by a member of a different culture. Explain your reasoning.

Essay Topic 3

A legend is defined as a story that is realistic and may be based on fact. It is told and retold over generations because it has some general application to humanity as a whole. What is it about this story that has such impact that Velma Wallis was determined to spend years preparing it to be read by those outside the immediate social group, the Athabascans? Why does this story qualify as a legend?

(see the answer keys)

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