Core 8
Vocabulary: “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” by Leslie Silko
Terms: assimilation and acculturation
1. Arroyo
2. Pueblo
3. Angelus
4. Adobe
5. Mesa
6. Cloister
7. Cassock
8. Perverse
9. Leper
10. Pagan
11. Parishioners
Guided Reading Questions
1. How do Leon and Ken prepare their grandfather’s body when they find it under
the cottonwood tree?
2. Why do Leon and Ken say, “Send us rainclouds, Grandfather”?
3. Why don’t Leon and Ken tell Father Paul that Teofilo is dead when they first see
him? How do you think they feel about the priest?
4. What are some of the traditional aspects of Teofilo’s funeral?
5. Why does Louise ask Leon about having the priest sprinkle holy water for
Grandpa when he is buried so he won’t get thirsty? Isn’t this a contradiction to the
traditional Indian rituals they have just performed?
6. What do you think Father Paul thinks of these Indians? Does he respect them?
Explain.
7. Why does Father Paul hesitate in agreeing to bring the holy water to Teofilo’s
grave site? Why doesn’t Leon insist? What makes Father Paul change his mind?
8. At the end of the story, Leon “was happy about sprinkling the holy water; now the
old man could send them big thunderclouds for sure.” Why is Leon happy? Has
he “sold out” to the white man by getting the priest to sprinkle the holy water?
Since rain comes from regular evaporation, what difference is there in using
Christian holy water?
9. Make a list of Indian customs, rituals, and beliefs that occur in this story. What
examples of assimilation are there? What examples of acculturation?
10. What is the main conflict in the story? Explain.