Read the following native american myth “the corn woman” from the cherokee tribe and answer the question that follows.
selu lived with her husband, kanati, and two sons. everyday, she would go away from the house and return with a basket full of corn. the boys wondered where the corn came from, so they followed her one day. they saw her go into a storehouse, and they peeked in and watched her.
there they saw her place her basket on the ground and shake herself. the corn started falling from her body into the basket. they thought that their mother must surely be a witch and that they must destroy her!
selu could read the boys’ thoughts. she told them that after they put her to death, they would need to follow her instructions carefully so that they would continue to have corn for nourishment.
“after you kill me, you must clear some ground in front of our house. drag my body in a circle seven times. then, you must stay up all night and watch.”
the boys did this, but they got the instructions backwards. they cleared seven areas of ground, and dragged her body twice in a circle. where her blood dropped, corn began to grow.
because the boys were careless in listening to the instructions, corn must now be planted and taken care of in order for it to grow. and to this day, it only grows in certain spots and not the entire earth.
what inferences about cherokee culture can be made based on this myth?
a.
cherokee mothers were irresponsible, and corn must have been easy to grow.
b.
cherokee mothers were viewed as selfless, and corn must have been difficult to grow.
c.
cherokee mothers were seen as selfish, and corn must have been an important part of their diet.
d.
cherokee mothers were responsible for feeding their children, and corn must have been an important part of their diet.
select the best answer from the choices provided
a
b
c
d