Gifts vs Commodities

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How did the author and their siblings earn spending money?

By selling homemade gifts
By working in the wage economy
By receiving gifts from the earth
By picking strawberries for Mrs. Crandall (correct)

What did the author's family do for Christmas gifts?

They made homemade gifts (correct)
They exchanged no gifts
They received gifts from the earth
They bought store-bought presents

What was the difference between the strawberries in the fields behind the author's house and the strawberries at Crandall's farm?

The strawberries at Crandall's farm were more expensive
The strawberries in the fields belonged to themselves (correct)
The strawberries in the fields were not as good
The strawberries at Crandall's farm were bigger

Where did the strawberry plant originate from?

It was brought by Skywoman (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role does the author suggest one should have in receiving a gift?

To be open-eyed and present (D) Signup and view all the answers

What feeling does the author associate with finding a patch of wild strawberries?

Surprise and gratitude (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the currency of a gift economy?

Reciprocity (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between Western thinking and a gift economy when it comes to property?

Private land has a bundle of rights, while in a gift economy it has a bundle of responsibilities. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the author's main realization about the market in the dream?

The market had transformed from a market economy to a gift economy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the cardinal difference between a gift and commodity exchange?

Gifts establish a feeling-bond between two people (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of wild strawberries in the text?

Wild strawberries are considered gifts and should not be sold (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why does Wally 'Bear' Meshigaud not pay for sweetgrass at powwows and fairs?

Sweetgrass cannot be bought or sold and still retain its essence for ceremony (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between gratitude and reciprocity?

Gratitude and reciprocity can increase the evolutionary fitness of both plant and animal. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of treating the natural world with respect and reciprocity?

Treating the natural world with respect and reciprocity leads to an increase in evolutionary fitness. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of gift exchange with nature?

Gift exchange with nature acknowledges our participation in and dependence upon natural increase. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the author's view on the relationship between gratitude and reciprocity?

Gift exchange is the commerce of choice, for it is commerce that harmonizes with, or participates in, the process of [nature's] increase. Signup and view all the answers

What is the author's suggestion on how to understand the earth as a gift again in our modern world?

We could start by listening to Wally. There are those who will try to sell the gifts, but, as Wally says of sweetgrass for sale, 'Don't buy it.' Refusal to participate is a moral choke. Water is a gift for all, not meant to be bought and sold. Don't buy it. When food has been wrenched from the earth, depleting the soil and poisoning our relatives in the name of higher yields, don't buy it. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the commodity economy and a world of gifts according to the author?

If all the world is a commodity, how poor we grow. When all the world is a gift in motion, how wealthy we become. Signup and view all the answers