RC Problem Set #2: Passage #12

[moshei24]

Hi!

On question 9, I chose (D), because I thought that the first paragraph was discussing what caused the offering of the readjustment, and the future development being what occurred in the clash between the two sides and the new developments in Native American leadership.

Why is the answer (A)? Wasn't the basis of the conflict that the natives felt that they would be hurt like they were many years previously if they took to the readjustment?

Also, for question 12, I got it right, but the treaty only gives them an annuity and pending land claims. How does that make it a safeguard to certain Oneida rights and privileges? Also, when it talks about the annuity, what kind of annuity is it actually referring to? (I've taken accounting and finance classes, but not recently and it's worded confusingly - or it not really important to the passage what type of annuity it is?)

Thank you!

-Moshe

[Nikki Siclunov]

With regards to question 9, the first paragraph contrasts the policy of readjustment (lines 1 - 12) with the Native Americans' efforts to reaffirm tribal identify (lines 13 - 19). This conflict provides the basis for the arguments presented during the negotiations described in the second and third paragraphs. In fact, lines 16 - 19 prove that answer choice (A) gives the most accurate description of the function of the first paragraph.

(D) is incorrect, even though the first paragraph does mention some of the reasons behind the policy of readjustment. However, the first paragraph does not predict a future development; it merely states that the clash of these two trends can be traced in (i.e. it is exemplified by ) a particular historical development. Furthermore, (D) misses the point of the first paragraph entirely, which is to contrast the federal government's position to that of the Native Americans.

For question 12, it is clear that changing the terms of the treaty was perceived as potentially hazardous to the pending land claims based upon it (lines 50 - 53). It is not a stretch to conclude that the treaty functioned as a safeguard of certain Oneida rights and privileges. You don't need to know what an annuity is - it's a land claim guaranteed in perpetuity that the Oneida considered somewhat special.