Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

Book One – Bih’kee-yan, Bih’kee-yan, Bih’kee-yan: Part 1

Keeper: A Prologue, pp.1-5

1. What do you learn about the character of Keeper in the first four pages?

2. What do Keeper and his people call themselves? (p.1)

3. a) How did the Ojibway measure time? (p.3)

b) How does this differ from the way time is generally measured now?

4. Keeper says, “Any damn fool can get people’s attention but it takes a storyteller to get their
attention and hold it” (p.5). How does Keeper hold your attention?

5. a) Where does Garnet live? Describe the setting.

b) How does Garnet’s description of the land he lives on also tell you how he feels about it?
Quote an example from the text to support your answer. (pp.5-7)

6. What happened to Garnet when he was three years old? (pp.12-16)

7. How did the building of a dam affect the way Garnet’s family made their living? (p.13)

*8. Were the Ojibway people welcomed when they had to seek out work in town? Why? (p.13)

9. Why does Garnet lack knowledge about the history of Aboriginal peoples in North America?
(pp.16-17)

*10. a) What are some of the negative images about Aboriginal peoples that Garnet grows up
with?

b) Who or what are the sources of these images? (pp.17-19)

c) How do they affect him? (pp.19-20)

11. What are some of the identities Garnet adopts? (pp.19-20)

12. Why does Garnet identify with “the blues” style of music? (p.20) Do you identify with a
particular kind of music? If so, what genre is it, and what accounts for your identification with it?

13. a) Which identity has Garnet adopted when he arrives at White Dog? (p.49)

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Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

b) How do you respond to Garnet’s description of himself when he arrives at White Dog?

*14. Which member of Garnet’s family welcomes him when he arrives? How does Garnet
describe this reunion? (p.51)

15. Contrast rural life and urban life as you know it in Canada.

16. Describe Garnet’s experience of urban life.

17. Describe Garnet’s return to a rural area on pages 4-5. Predict how this urban-raised person
will fit into rural life.

*18. What is Ma’s description of what it means to be Anishnabe? (p8)

*19. How did cultural differences in terms of an understanding of what makes a good upbringing
for children factor into Garnet’s apprehension by the social worker? (p10-11)

20. One of the major themes of this book is what it means to be Indian. Up until this point, how
had the world defined Indian-ness for Garnet? (p13)

21. List some reasons that people try to be things that they are not. Why do you think that
Garnet tries to be things that he is not? (p18-19)

*22. According to Lonnie and his family, why is family important? (p22)

23. What might Garnet learn from hanging around Lonnie’s family? (p23)

24. Explain the quote “see us, we know you can’t make a beaver from a bear” as it applies to
Garnet’s life.(p36-37)

25. Many cultures adapt their lifestyle to suit the modern world, while keeping their values and
beliefs the same. Keeper says “If you got the spirit of the old way in you, well, you can handle
most anything this new world got to throw around.” Apply this concept of holding onto old
spiritual or moral ways of being in modern society to other cultures or to your own life. How
many examples can you think of? (p36-37)

*26. According to Keeper, what is the process of learning to become Indian? (p39)

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Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

Book One- Part 2 questions

Keeper’s narrative – pp.52-57

*1. What terms does Keeper use to describe the traditions of the [Ojibway] Anishanabe? (pp.54-
55)

2. What does Keeper say about the way Garnet learned the traditions? (pp.56-57)

Garnet’s narrative – pp.57-85

3. What is Garnet’s sister’s name and how does she welcome him? (p.59)

4. Who is the “old man with so many wrinkles he looked like he was folded up wet and left
overnight?” (p. 41)

*5. What do you think it means when Stanley says to Garnet “We all want lots for you but
nothing from you”? (p.64)

6. What do Jane and Stanley tell Garnet that indicates how much his mother loves him? (pp. 66-
68)

7. What happens to Garnet’s father after his children are taken away from him? (pp.71-73)

*8. What does the title, Bih’kee-yan, mean? (p.85) Why did the author choose to use this word
as the name of the chapter?

9. Make up one question to pose to your classmates about book one of the novel, pp.1-85.

10. Explain the metaphor of the jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. How do you think Garnet will
go about finding the missing pieces?

11. Describe the role of children in Ojibway marriage. What might the impact of losing children
have on a marriage centered on children?

12. Compare and contrast the Ojibway role of children in a marriage with that of the role of
children in marriage in your community. What are the pros and cons?

13. Compare and contrast the Ojibway role of children in the marriage with that of the role of
children in a popular television drama or reality show that you regularly watch.

14. Explain how the entire community was affected by the apprehension of children from the
community.

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Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

15. What was Keeper’s life like before Garnet returned? (p64-65)

16. Research the pipe ceremonies, sacred tobacco offerings, the sweat lodge practice, and
sacred sweet grass smudging. Write a paragraph about what you learned.

17. What does midewewin mean? (p67-69)

*18. Using the metaphor of spiritual hunger, explain why Garnet had been starving. (p68-69)

*19. Explain the symbol of the drum. Are there any lessons that you can learn from the drum
and apply to your own life? (p71)

21. What does Beedahbun mean? How do you think this relates to the novel?
Assignment 1 - Create a form of presentation about a character.
CC 20.2
Create visual or multimedia presentations using dramatization or role-play, including a presentation of an
interview of a literary character (or author or historical or contemporary person) from a First Nations,
Métis, Saskatchewan, Canadian, or international text
CC A10.2
Explain and present to a familiar audience the key ideas and events (actual or based on a text studied)
through an appropriate combination of charts, diagrams, sound, models, drama, and print.

Book 2- Part 1

Garnet’s narrative – pp.87-107

1. According to Keeper, once a person faces the truth that they are an Indian, a three step
process of learning how to be a good Indian. What are the three stages?

2. Look up some rounddance songs on the internet! You can use the search term ‘round dance,’
‘round dance contest,’ or ‘rounddance pow wow’ (My personal faves are Leo Charlie’s ‘One of
these days’ which is on Youtube, and Tribute to Lester by Lard Thomas, also on Youtube) (p92-
93) What did you find out?

*3. What do you learn about Keeper’s background? (p.92) Write a few sentences about what
you learned.

*4. What do you think Garnet’s mother means when she says “that ol’ guy’s got somethin’ he
wantsta tell you. Might help you find your way around”? (p.93)

*5. List the metaphorical horses that Stanley says the Anishnabe should steal? Compare
Stanley’s metaphor of stealing horses on pages 94-95 with Chief Dan George’s Lament to
Confederation (easily found online). (p94-95)

6. How does Keeper get his name? (pp.100-3)

7. How does Harold, Garnet’s grandfather, see that Keeper has courage? (p.101)

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Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

8. What is the significance of the drum? (p.102)

9. How does Keeper see that Garnet has courage? (p.104)

10. Keeper says of Garnet that he “learned lots by bein’ silent.” What does this mean? (p.105)

11. Using the internet, define lateral violence and internal racism. How do these terms apply to
some of the issues brought up in the novel, but especially in pages 106-107?

*12. What does S’Beedahbun mean? How is it related to Beedahbun? How does this relate to
Garnet’s journey so far? (110-111)

Keeper’s narrative – pp.107-112

13. What is the difference between the missionaries’ “Big Book of Truth” and the source of truth

for the [Ojibway] Anishanabe people? (p.107)

Garnet’s narrative – pp.112-161

14. What does “Anishanabe” mean? (p.113)

*15. How does a sense of humour help the Anishanabe people deal with their struggles in life?

(pp.125-26)

Book 2- Part 2

16. What does Keeper say that helps Garnet to mend his relationship with his brother Jackie?
(p. 142-44)

17. What does Beedahbun mean? (pp.106, 112-13, 159-61) How does it relate to the novel?

18. Make up a question of your own to pose to classmates about book two of the novel, pp.87-
161.

Book Four – Lookin’ Jake Part 1

1. Why are “land claims” so important to the Anishanabe? (p.223)

2. a) What is Garnet’s personal ritual? (p.225)

b) Why does Keeper think this is important? (pp.234-35, 259-60)

3. How does Garnet describe the “music” of the forest? (pp.225-26)

*4. What do Garnet’s tobacco offerings symbolize? (pp.255-56)

5. What is the significance of the eagle feather that Garnet finds after making his offerings?
(p.257)

6. What are the origins of storytelling as teaching? (pp.260-61)

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Name: Book 1 Questions ELA 10/20

*7. What values are important to the traditional “Indyun way”?

pp.54-56, 107, 114, 165, 168, 185, 199, 232, 258, 260-61

*8. What does “Stayin’ on that good red road” mean? (p.273)

9. What is the significance of Keeper giving Garnet the eagle feathers? (pp.274-75)

Book Four- Part 2

10. How does Stanley explain the meaning of ceremony, rituals, and customs? (p.283)

11. How do Garnet’s people honour him at the feast? (pp.298-99)

12. What gifts do Garnet’s family give him at the feast? (pp.300-2)

*13. What is Keeper actually the Keeper of? (pp.100-3, 216-21, 238, 275, 304)

14. What are the seven directions of travel? (pp.306-7)

*15. What does “lookin’ jake” mean? (pp.282-83, 307-8)

16. Make up a question of your own to pose to your classmates about book four of the novel,

pp.223-309.

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