"StereotypeThis"

What is the theme of the poem?

• Both generational trauma and inner strength can be passed down through the family tree.

• Alcoholism is a pervasive problem in Native American communities that is difficult to address.

• There is a great deal of trauma in Native American history, but it is time to focus on the future.

• We cannot move past atrocities committed against Native Americans until we learn to discuss them.

What impact does line 5 have on the stanza's tone?

• A. It shifts the poem toward a silly tone.

• B. It shifts the stanza toward a lighter tone.

• C. It begins the poem with a vengeful tone.

• D. It begins the stanza with a sorrowful tone.

Which line best supports the idea that depriving Native children of their ancestral practices was harmful?

• A. "Today a boarding school sat like a lump in my throat" (Line 7)

• B. "With butchered hair and broken Christian wings," (Line 9)

• C. "How do I tell him that I feel the Trail of Tears like hard sand in my veins?" (Line 14)

• D. "Because today only burning flags could be found at the ghost dance of my people" (Line 29)

How does the poet use figurative language in lines 14-17?

• A. She describes real events to give the poem credibility with readers.

• B. She uses personification to help the reader visualize the speaker's thoughts.

• C. She creates similes and metaphors to illustrate the depth of the speaker's pain.

• D. She chooses strong verbs to help the reader better understand the speaker's feelings.

How does the author's cultural background impact the speaker's point of view?

• The author does not know much about her own heritage, so the speaker is created from the author's research.

• The author does not know much about her own heritage, so the speaker's point of view is unreliable throughout the poem.

• The author shares a similar heritage with the speaker, but she has tried to make the speaker as different from herself as possible.

• The author shares a similar heritage with the speaker, as is apparent in the speaker's knowledgeable and passionate point of view.