The Medicine Bag Worksheet

In 'The Medicine Bag,' why does Grandpa say he has arrived for a surprise visit with the family?

• He wants to see where his only existing descendants live, and he wants to give Martin the medicine bag.

• He wants to teach his grandchildren lessons that will help them respect the old ways.

• He wants to see his family in person to discuss the resentment he has felt for years.

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As Grandpa explains in 'The Medicine Bag,' how is the medicine bag to be passed down from generation to generation?

• only through males

• only through females

• only through firstborn children

In 'The Medicine Bag,' before Grandpa comes to visit, how does the narrator feel about talking to his friends about his Lakota grandfather?

• He makes fun of how Grandpa dresses and where he lives to amuse his friends.

• He becomes angry when the other children make fun of Grandpa’s heritage.

• He likes the fact that his stories about Grandpa appeal to the other kids.

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This question has two parts. Answer Part A first. Part B: Which quotation from 'The Medicine Bag' best supports the answer to Part A?

• He was my great-grandfather, and he didn’t live in a tipi; he lived all by himself in a part log, part tar-paper shack on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota.

• Our friends, who had always lived in the city and only knew about Indians from movies and TV, were impressed by our stories.

• He taught me a Lakota chant to sing while I beat the drum with a leather-covered stick that had a feather on the end.

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Part A: Which statement most clearly describes Martin in the early part of 'The Medicine Bag'?

• Martin worries about his friends’ opinions.

• Martin is cruel and insensitive toward others.

• Martin appreciates and respects Grandpa’s behavior.

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Part B: Which sentence from 'The Medicine Bag' best supports the answer to Part A?

• We usually had some authentic Lakota article to show our listeners.

• I watched the group as it slowly came closer and saw that in the center of the strange procession was a man wearing a tall black hat.

• His getup wasn’t out of place on the reservation, but it sure was here, and I wanted to sink right through the pavement.

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Which quotation from 'The Medicine Bag' shows most clearly that Cheryl’s reaction to Grandpa’s visit differs from Martin’s?

• As we supported him up the steps, the door banged open and Cheryl came bursting out of the house.

• So even after she married my dad, who’s not an Indian, and after Cheryl and I were born, Mom made sure that every summer we spent a week with Grandpa.

• Nothing bothered Cheryl about bringing her friends to see Grandpa.

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Near the end of 'The Medicine Bag,' Grandpa gives Martin the medicine bag and says, '[You] need not wear it.' What do these words show most clearly about Grandpa’s thinking?

• Grandpa realizes that the medicine bag will be more meaningful at a later time.

• Grandpa feels sad that Martin does not want to wear the medicine bag.

• Grandpa understands that Martin is uncomfortable about his heritage.

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At the end of 'The Medicine Bag,' for which of the following is the medicine bag most clearly a symbol? Choose two options.

• Martin’s desire to please his friends.

• Martin’s respect for his grandfather.

• Martin’s dislike for his Lakota heritage.

• Martin’s acceptance of his family heritage.

• Martin’s feelings of embarrassment about Grandpa.

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In “The Medicine Bag,” Grandpa describes a piece of iron his father once found. What does the piece of iron most likely symbolize?

• his father’s purpose in life

• his father’s death in a coming war

• his father’s refusal to learn from his elders

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