Words Do not Pay 1

1. In “Words Do Not Pay,” what is the main problem that Chief Joseph has with the “good words” that he has heard?

• a. They are spoken in an unfamiliar language.
• b. They are good only for white Americans.
• c. They do not recognize property rights.
• d. They are not backed up by deeds.

2. In “Words Do Not Pay,” what does Chief Joseph most clearly indicate that white Americans must do in order to live in peace with Native Americans?

• a. build Native American schools
• b. treat Native Americans as equals
• c. adopt Native American traditions
• d. return Native Americans to their homelands

3. In “Words Do Not Pay,” what does Chief Joseph most clearly indicate about the human condition at birth?

• a. All human beings are born to be free.
• b. All human beings are born to be faithful.
• c. All human beings are born to suffer harm.
• d. All human beings are born to want greatness.

4. According to “Words Do Not Pay,” which of the following should a free person be able to enjoy?

• a. freedom of religion
• b. freedom of the press
• c. freedom from the law
• d. freedom from poverty

5. Which of the following situations most clearly illustrates a misunderstanding?

• a. Emily tells a joke that everyone finds amusing, and only a few people laugh.
• b. Kara and Maribel pick up trash along the shoreline together.
• c. Rain is in the forecast for the weekend, so Denzel packs an umbrella and raincoat for his trip.
• d. Nick is supposed to meet Shauna at the library, but he goes to the north branch, and she goes to the south branch.

6. Which of the following is a misrepresentation about an event?

• a. joking about what might happen at the event
• b. saying who is on the guest list for the event
• c. leading people to believe there will be music at the event when you know there won’t be
• d. naming friends whom you are not looking forward to seeing at the event

7. What do the details in “Words Do Not Pay” suggest about the condition of Chief Joseph’s people at the time he made this speech?

• a. They were healthy and happy.
• b. They were wealthy but unhappy.
• c. They were suffering and poorly treated.
• d. They were rapidly losing their traditions.

8. Which of these quotations from “Words Do Not Pay” best supports the answer to question (7)?

• a. [Words] do not protect my father’s grave. They do not pay for all my horses and cattle.
• b. Good words will not give my people good health and stop them from dying.
• c. If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace.
• d. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.

9. What do the details in “Words Do Not Pay” suggest about American laws at the time Chief Joseph made the speech?

• a. They were not written down.
• b. They treated every adult American equally.
• c. They were made and enforced by members of the U.S. military.
• d. They were not the same for white Americans and Native Americans.

10. Which of these quotations from “Words Do Not Pay” best supports the answer to question (9)?

• a. Good words do not last long unless they amount to something.
• b. Good words will not make good the promise of your war chief General Miles.
• c. If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian he can live in peace. There need be no trouble.
• d. Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law.