The Medicine Bag

Which statement best describes a change in Martin at the end of the story?

• "So when grandpa came, I was so ashamed and embarrassed I could have died.

• "My friends kept asking to come see the old man but I put them off."

• "Two weeks later, I stood alone on the lonely prairie of the reservation and put the sacred sage in my medicine bag.

• "I kept the bag until my son, your mother's father was a man and had to leave us to fight in the war."

Why is Martin unwilling to accept the medicine bag?

• He only wants to accept his Caucasian heritage.

• He feels disconnected from his grandpa.

• He wants his grandpa to pass the medicine bag to his sister Cheryl.

• He is worried that his friends will make fun of him.

Which statement expresses the main theme of "The Medicine Bag"?

• One's culture and the traditions associated with it are something to be proud of, not ashamed.

• Younger generations tend to not have the same respect for traditions that the older generation does.

• People can often be cruel or unkind towards people and practices that they don't understand.

• Physical objects can help people feel connected to their loved ones, even once they are gone.

Which of the following describes the medicine bag?

• It is a pouch being passed down to Martin because his grandpa is dying soon.

• It is being passed down to his sister because Martin has a "white man's name."

• It is a pouch passed down to the oldest child when he reaches a certain age.

• It is a pouch for Martin to keep his most valuable possessions.

What does Martin do at the end of the story to show that his feelings for his grandfather and the medicine bag have changed?

• He wears the medicine bag to school.

• He buries the medicine bag with his grandfather on the prairie.

• He puts the medicine bag away so that no harm will come to it.

• He puts sacred sage from the prairie in his medicine bag.

What does the medicine bag symbolize to Martin at the end of the story?

• his decision to go and live on the reservation

• his feelings of embarrassment for Grandpa

• his desire to please his Grandpa

• his grandfather and his Sioux heritage

How does hearing his grandpa's story about the medicine bag affect Martin?

• It causes him to believe his grandpa about the medicine bag's protective powers.

• It makes him fearful of what might happen if he refuses to wear the medicine bag.

• It helps him understand the significance of the medicine bag and be more accepting of wearing it.

• It causes him to be skeptical about whether or not the medicine bag can truly protect him.

Which quote from the text best supports the answer to the previous question?

• 'He was afraid that he would lose it. He died in a faraway place' (par. 72).

• 'Again Grandpa was still and I felt his grief around me' (par. 73).

• 'I closed my eyes and waited for him to slip it over my head' (par. 78).

• 'It would not be right to wear it in this time and place, where no one will understand' (par. 79).

How does Martin first feel about receiving the medicine bag?

• He is frustrated that he has to take it.

• He is nervous about accepting it.

• He is disgusted by the idea of wearing it.

• He doesn't understand why it's important.

Why isn't Grandpa giving the medicine bag to his eldest son?

• He doesn't think his son deserves it.

• His eldest son died in a war.

• He thinks Martin needs it more.

• His eldest son didn't want it.