Quiz on Animism and American Indian Culture

What is animism?

• a belief that social position is determined by age

• a belief that animals and natural forces have spirits

• a custom that marks a young person passing into adulthood

• a custom that is passed down from one generation to the next

Which Indian group is least likely to have a Green Corn Ceremony?

• Inuit

• Mound Builders

• Navajo

• Woodlands

Read this Yokut Indian creation story. Then answer the question. Long ago, a great flood had covered Earth. While it was still covered with water, nothing lived upon the land. Then one day, a giant eagle carrying a black crow on its back flew out of the sky, looking for a place to land. This is an example of what?

• ancestors

• customs

• folklore

• potlatch

Which statement accurately compares roles in traditional American Indian groups?

• Children gathered water and firewood while women played games.

• Children told stories to their parents who made kachina dolls.

• Men chose the women who performed religious ceremonies.

• Men hunted animals that women prepared and stored.

Which statement accurately compares folklore and tradition?

• Traditions involve folklore—the customs, stories, and beliefs of a people—that is passed down from one generation to the next.

• Folklore includes some aspects of traditions, which are the systems or ways that people make decisions as a group.

• Folklore is the system of decision making and power sharing for a group that wants to change the rules and make new traditions.

• Traditions are more important than folklore because they are passed down from parents to children.