The Traditional Life of the Anishinaabe
An observation exercise based on the novel The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

At the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C., there is an exhibit about the Anishinaabe. Use these photos to answer the questions. Printer friendly

Step 1. Select a photo. Click on each picture to see a larger version of it.

Step 2 Make a list of all the things you see in the photo that you recall being mentioned in the story.

photo 1	photo 2

Step 3 - Do you see something in the photo that was not mentioned in the story?
If yes, what is it?

Step 4 - If the exhibits were based on the book, which of the character(s) do you believe each photo shows?

Photo 1 -

Photo 2 -

Step 5. Based on Erdrich's descriptions of life in the story, which home would this be: a summer home or a winter home? Explain.

Step 6. Write a caption for the photo you chose in Step 1.Anishinaabe Exhibit National Museum of the American Indian. Smithsonian Institute. Washington D.C. 2005

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

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