Birchbark House Ch 8

Quote from page 108: "If he didn't, if he couldn't, he would have to wait in camp until the ice was solid and he and his men could pull their toboggans of stretched furs across to sell to the traders." What is a toboggan?

• a trader

• furs

• a sled

• tools

"Omakayas and Angeline admired the intricate way that the snow trimmed the dried reeds of cattails and the brown furry heads were capped with tiny white mounds." What does intricate mean?

• simple or plain

• very complicated or detailed

• snowy

• a flowering plant

At the Catholic mission school, Angeline remembered her Grandmother's advice: "Take their ways if you need them," she said, "but don't forget your own. You are Anishinabe." What did Nokomis mean by that?

• It is important for Angeline to deny her Anishinabe roots so she can go to school.

• Angeline should give up her Native American way of life to adapt to the chimookoman way of life.

• Angeline should become Catholic and take their ways.

• It is important for Angeline to keep her Anishinabe roots and traditions, even if she learns the ways and language of the chimookoman.

On page 112, we read that Fishtail was learning to read the chimookoman’s tracks. Why did Fishtail attend a mission school?

• To learn about his heritage and traditions.

• To learn the language of the white man so he would be able to trade, read agreements, and converse without being taken advantage of by them.

• To learn to become a Catholic missionary.

• To trade with the chimookoman for supplies and food for the winter.

“I went to the priest’s school. To learn to read the chimookoman’s tracks. That way they can’t cheat us with treaties.” (page 112) What is a treaty?

• A declaration of war between nations.

• A formal agreement between nations.

• A border between nations.

• a diplomat between nations.

"Angeline pointed to the book, the sheaf of chimookoman paper, the evidence in Fishtail's hand that he had another motive in attending the school." (page 111) What does motive mean?

• A reason

• A walkway

• A class

• A person

"Although snow had fallen, Omakayas thought, it couldn't be truly winter until Old Tallow put on her remarkable coat." (page 114) What other words could be used to describe Old Tallow's coat?

• simple, plain

• undesirable, unattractive

• light, airy

• amazing, extraordinary

"Old Tallow was looking at her the same way she

looked at her dogs!" (Page 115) What evidence supports the claim that this wasn't a bad thing?

• "She looked eager as her dogs..."

• "She didn't know why she knew that, but she just knew."

• "In Old Tallow's look there was true affection,

  something she didn't feel for other humans."

• "The aroma had Old Tallow pacing back and forth

  hungrily."

What is important about Fishtail's interaction with Omakayas and Angeline?

• He tells the girls that he was there to become a missionary. This shows that he trusts the white man.

• He tells the girls that he was there to learn the white man's language so he could go to college and become a lawyer for the Ojibwe. This demonstrates to the reader that the Ojibwe people needed lawyers.

• He tells the girls that he was there to trade with the white man. This proves that the white man was fair in his deals with the Ojibwe.

• He tells the girls that he was there to learn the white man’s language so that the Ojibwa can not be cheated on treaties. This reveals to the reader that there is no trust between the

  two groups.

Old Tallow was closely connected to her dogs. On page 115, Omakayas noticed that “Old Tallow was looking at her the same way she looked at her dogs!” From this, what can the reader infer (or conclude)?

• That Old Tallow treats Omakayas like a dog.

• That Old Tallow feels a connection to Omakayas.

• That Omakayas is scared of Old Tallow.

• That Old Tallow doesn't like Omakayas.