Ta-Na-E-Ka Test

The author suggests that children who returned from Ta-Na-E-Ka possess certain qualities.

Which two sentences from the passage best support the above statement?

• “Endurance is the loftiest virtue of the Indian,” my grandfather explained.

• “We couldn’t return until the white had worn off.”

• “Mothers were not allowed to weep over those who didn’t return.”

• “Many didn’t return,” Grandfather said. “Only the strongest and shrewdest.”

• “If a Kaw couldn’t survive, he or she wasn’t worth weeping over.”

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Read the sentence from page 48, line 59.

“Endurance is the loftiest virtue of the Indians,” my grandfather explained.

What does the word “loftiest” mean as it is used in this sentence?

• Imposing height

• Noblest

• Thick and resilient

• Overbearing manner

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Which line best supports the author’s idea that Mary has no intention of living on the reservation or continuing her Kaw traditions?

• “As my birthday drew closer, I had awful nightmares about it.”

• “I even complained to my teacher, Mrs. Richardson, feeling that, as a white woman, she would side with me.”

• “My fantasies were about knights in armor and fair ladies in flowing gowns being saved from dragons.”

• “And girls, as well as boys, were required to undergo Ta-Na-E-Ka.”

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What conclusions can be drawn about Mary borrowing five dollars from her teacher?

• It showed that Mary had a survival plan for Ta-Na-E-Ka.

• Mary could take care of herself.

• Mary was trustworthy in borrowing money from someone else.

• All of the above

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As my birthday drew closer, I had awful nightmares about it. I was reaching the age at which all Kaw Indians had to participate in Ta-Na-E-Ka. Well, not all Kaws. Many of the younger families on the reservation were beginning to give up the old customs. But my grandfather, Amos Deer Leg, was devoted to tradition. He still wore handmade beaded moccasins instead of shoes and kept his iron-gray hair in tight braids. He could speak English, but he spoke it only with white men. With his family, he used a Sioux dialect.

Grandfather was one of the last living Indians (he died in 1953, when he was eighty-one) who actually fought against the U.S. Calvary. Not only did he fight, but he was also wounded in a skirmish at Rose Creek- a famous encounter in which the celebrated Kaw chief Flat Nose lost his life. At the time, my grandfather was only eleven years old.

PART A: Which important idea does the author develop in the paragraphs above?

• Ta-Na-E-Ka is an unfair ritual that is feared by all Kaw children.

• Grandfather was a warrior at only eleven years old.

• Younger families on the reservation were smart enough to do away with outdated traditions.

• Grandfather was proud of his heritage and committed to continuing the traditions of the Kaw.

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Which sentence uses the word “skirmish” correctly?

• The countries had a huge skirmish.

• When the librarian wasn’t looking, the children had a short skirmish over a book.

• The mouse was a skirmish with people.

• The vomit in the hall made me skirmish.

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The author suggests that children who returned from Ta-Na-E-Ka possess certain

qualities.

Which two sentences from the passage best support the above statement?

• “Endurance is the loftiest virtue of the Indian,” my grandfather explained.

• “We couldn’t return until the white had worn off.”

• “Mothers were not allowed to weep over those who didn’t return.”

• “Many didn’t return,” Grandfather said. “Only the strongest and shrewdest.”

• “If a Kaw couldn’t survive, he or she wasn’t worth weeping over.”

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Many of these sentences would be good to include in a summary. Pick the two sentences you should not include.

• At age eleven, the Kaw go through ta-na-e-ka, a test of outdoor endurance and survival.

• After a month of training, Mary and Roger are sent into the wilderness to survive for five days.

• Mary tasted a bitter berry she found. She spit it out and a rabbit ate it.

• Grandfather taught us how to eat a grasshopper.

• Grandfather is initially upset that she survived without struggling, he then accepts her resourcefulness.

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PART A

Read this selection from “Ta-Na-E-Ka”.

“What are you doing here, kid?” It was a man’s voice. It was morning. I’d overslept. I

was scared. “Hold it, kid. You lost? You must be from the reservation. Your folks must be worried sick about you. Do they have a phone?” Ernie, the owner, asked. “Yes,” I answered. “But don’t call them.” I shook with cold. The man made me hot chocolate. I told him why I was on my own.

“I’ve lived by the reservation all my life. I never heard of this test before. Pretty silly thing to do to a kid,” he said. I’d thought that for months. But when he said it, I got angry. “It isn’t silly. Kaws have done this for hundreds of years. All my family went through this test. It’s why the Kaw are great warriors.” “OK, great warrior,” he laughed. “You can stay if you want.” He tossed me clothes that people had left on boats. “Find something to keep you warm.”

Why is Mary angry when Ernie says Ta-Na-E-Ka is silly?

• She is tired of all his jokes and questions.

• She realizes he hates the Kaw and their customs.

• He has insulted her heritage and she realizes that she is proud of being a Kaw.

• Mary never thought Ta-Na-E-Ka was silly.

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PART B

What evidence supports your answer?

• I’ve lived by the reservation all my life. I never heard of this test before.

• It isn’t silly. Kaws have done this for hundreds of years.

• “OK, Great warrior,” he laughed. “You can stay if you want.”

• “Pretty silly thing to do to a kid,” he said.

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