What caused the change in Matt and Attean's friendship in Sign of the Beaver?

Even though neither Matt nor Attean wanted to together at first, in keeping the terms of the "treaty" set by Saknis, both boys learn to respect each other, and eventually become friends.

Matt is uncomfortable about his daily meetings with Attean in the beginning, and Attean furiously expresses his displeasure at the arrangement, openly showing his contempt and dislike for Matt.  After a time, however, Matt begins to see that many of the beliefs he takes for granted, about the relationship between masters and slaves for example, just might not be true from another perspective.  Attean on his part overcomes his hatred for Matt, and out of genuine concern, teaches him skills he will need to survive on his own.  A turning point occurs for Matt when Attean takes him deep into the woods and shows him the Indian way of marking a trail.  Matt realizes then that, although he may not like Attean, he trusts him; the Indian boy's sense of decency and honor clearly override his feelings and desires.  When Matt and Attean are attacked by a bear, Attean is impressed with Matt's courage and quickness, and his newfound respect for the white boy grows when Matt shows he can hold his own in the rough games played by the Indian boys. 

When Attean invites Matt to come with them when the tribe moves to the West, it is a clear testimony that their friendship has come a long way from its beginnings in mutual distrust.  Matt has developed anappreciation of the world from Attean's disparate perspective, and Attean, who has every reason to hate the white man, has learned to see Matt as an individual he can admire.  Ironically, Attean gains the greatest respect for his friend because of Matt's refusal to join them, to keep a promise he made to his father.

The first encounter Matt and Attean have occurs when Matt is injured attempting to retrieve honey from a beehive. Since Matt has fallen out of a tree, he is partially unaware of who has rescued him at the time, so this might not qualify as a meeting.

A short time later, the two do officially meet when Attean and his grandfather, Saknis, return to Matt's cabin where they had taken him. Saknis brings Matt food and cares for his bee stings and injury from the fall out of the tree. Attean accompanies Saknis to the cabin. When Matt tries to give them a book, one of his few possessions, in return for the care they give him, Matt realizes they cannot read English. Saknis reveals that he wants Matt to teach Attean English. It is at that time that Matt and Attean meet on a deeper level and get to know each other better.  

In The Sign of the Beaver, what did Matt and Attean learn from each other?

The close friendship that develops between Matt and Attean becomes an education for both of them. As well as teaching Matt crucial survival skills, Attean also gives him an unprecedented insight into tribal culture and traditions. Most white people at the time viewed Native Americans with considerable suspicion and hostility, and this is the tradition which has surrounded Matt his whole life. Through his interactions with Attean, Matt comes to gain a profound respect for Native Americans, their heritage, and their way of life.

Matt teaches Attean how to read by using Robinson Crusoe as an instruction manual. However, Matt also learns something himself through reading the story, namely, that there is something not quite right about the imbalance in power and status between Crusoe and Friday. Attean also learns to become more trusting of white people through his friendship with Matt. Like Matt, he realizes that there is a shared sense of humanity beneath the outward differences of race, culture, and heritage.

The Sign of the Beaver revolves around the unexpected friendship between Matt, a young white settler living alone in the wilderness while his father returns to pick up his mother, and Attean, a young Indian brave. They meet when Matt has a painful encounter with a beehive in the woods while looking for honey. Attean and his grandfather rescue Matt and nurse him back to health.

Matt attempts to give Attean's grandfather, Saknis, a book to repay him for his help but realizes that neither of them can read. Saknis decides that Attean will come to Matt's cabin for reading lessons so that he can read English. In exchange, Attean provides Matt with food and other provisions.

As Attean learns English from Matt, the boys develop a friendship. They spend their days in the wilderness hunting, where Matt begins to learn about the Indian way of life. He learns to respect the wilderness and to hunt, track and survive like an Indian. When Attean and Saknis, his grandfather, attempt to convince Matt to leave with them on a hunt because his father has been gone months and may never return, Matt teaches them about faith in family. Matt  insists that he will wait at the cabin for his father, who eventually does arrive back home.

What did Matt learn from Attean in The Sign of the Beaver?

Though the only thing Attean is to give Matt in return for teaching him how to read is food, the two begin to spend time together in the wilderness, where Attean teaches Matt Indian ways of hunting, fishing and survival.

One of the first things that Attean teaches Matt is at Matt's request after he realizes that the rabbit Attean brings him to eat has no bullet hole. Matt asks how Attean killed the rabbit. Attean shows Matt how to trap rabbits with a snare made from plant roots. When Attean attempts to show Matt how to fish with a spear, he finds it difficult. Attean then shows Matt how to create a fish hook from twigs. Later, Matt wants to learn how to use a bow and arrow, so Attean teaches Matt how to make his own and use it. While participating in all these activities in the wilderness, Attean shows Matt how to recognize the signs that all the tribes leave in the wilderness for each other. Woven throughout all of the things Attean teaches Matt is the underlining concept of respecting nature and each other.

What does Matt learn at the beaver wigwam in The Sign of the Beaver?

Matt learns a number of things when Attean takes him to the beaver wigwam. It is the first one that he has ever seen, and he is startled to discover that with their tails, the beavers make a sharp noise that is similar to a rifle shot. Most importantly, however, Matt learns from Attean the importance of the beaver wigwam to his people. Near the house, engraved in a tree, is a sign that shows that the hunting ground belongs to Attean's tribe, the "people of the beaver." Attean tells Matt that any Indian who sees the "sign of the beaver" will respect this fact, and will not hunt there. For their part, Attean's tribe will hunt the beaver with utmost respect for nature, waiting until the young beaver are ready.

On the way back from the trip to see the beaver wigwam, Attean takes concrete steps to teach Matt to find his way in the woods. He sternly emphasizes that this is a skill Matt needs to learn, and teaches him how Indians make signs when traveling through the forest "to tell the way." The Indian trail marks are more subtle than those made by the white man, so that their wherabouts will not be so easy to detect to the untrained eye. Attean cautions Matt that he must make signs when traveling through the woods, so that he will always be able to find his way back.

Perhaps the most important lesson Matt learns on the journey to the beaver wigwam is that he can trust Attean. Attean is hostile towards white men in general, and Matt is suspicious of him, but despite themselves, the boys are slowly getting to know each other as individuals. On the trip to the beaver wigwam, Matt realizes that

"for some reason he could not explain to himself, he trust(s) Attean. He (doesn't) really like him...but...something (has) changed...They (don't) like each other, but they (are) no longer enemies" (Chapter 11).

In "The Sign of the Beaver," what did Attean say that impacted Matt?

Attean says that Matt moves quickly, like an Indian, to save them when they are confronted with a mother bear and her cub. This is very meaningful to Matt.

Throughout approximately the first half of the book, Matt struggles to gain Attean’s respect. Though Matt teaches Attean to read English, he knows that Attean does not value this skill as much as the Native American survival and hunting skills he shows Matt as they hunt and walk through the woods. Matt focuses on learning some of these skills from Attean.

Attean teaches Matt to use a bow and arrow. The first time Matt kills a rabbit with it, Attean is there. This makes Matt proud, but right away, another event occurs that is more meaningful. As they move through the woods with the rabbit, they encounter a mother bear and her cub. When the mother bear appears ready to charge them, Matt instinctively throws the rabbit at the bear to distract her. At that time Attean charges the bear and kills her. Even though Attean kills the bear, he insists that Matt saved them when he initially threw the rabbit to distract the bear. Attean says that Matt acted quickly, "like an Indian." Matt is touched. He knows he has earned Attean’s respect.

What did Attean and Matt teach each other in The Sign of the Beaver?

In The Sign of the Beaver, Matt Hallowell is a boy who gets left alone in for months in the wilderness of 18th century Maine. While he is only twelve-going-on-thirteen years old, Matt has been entrusted with guarding his family's newly built cabin while his father makes the journey to retrieve the rest of their family from Massachusetts.

After unfortunate incidents involving a thief and a bear, Matt finds himself with very limited resources for food. One day, he makes an attempt to get some honey from a beehive, and is attacked by the bees inside. Matt hurts his ankle while running away and falls into a pond, but is saved and taken back to his cabin by a man named Saknis. Saknis and his grandson Attean are Native American, and while Saknis is very accepting and open, Attean hates Matt at first.

Saknis arranges a deal where Attean will bring Matt food in exchange for Matt teaching Attean how to read in English. The two have reading lessons every day, and while Matt teaches Attean how to read, Attean also teaches Matt a lot of things, including the following:

• How to trap rabbits
• How to fish with a spear
• How to make and use a bow and arrow
• That his people mark their area with the sign of the beaver, which lets other tribes know not to hunt on their land
• Words of Attean's language and stories from his tribe's religion

However, the most important knowledge that Attean gives to Matt is a new perspective on the relationship between white men and Native Americans. As he spends more time with Attean, his family, and the people of his tribe, Matt sees how much white settlers have taken from them. He realizes that Attean's way of life is inherently respectful of nature and other people, rather than "savage," as he had been taught in the past.

What activities do Matt and Attean enjoy together in The Sign of the Beaver?

As Matt and Attean moved on from the student and teacher roles forced on them by Attean's grandfather, a friendship formed. At first, they had to be together so that Attean would learn English from Matt. Soon however, Matt started to ask Attean questions about the Indian way of doing things that they both enjoyed. Attean showed some of these ways to Matt after reading lessons.

One of the first activities they found that they shared was hunting. Matt hunted mostly with a gun, but Attean showed him how to make snares to trap small game. He later helped Matt make a bow and arrow as their friendship grew.

Another activity they both enjoyed was fishing. Attean again shared some of the Indian ways of fishing. The boys also both enjoyed tracking through the wilderness looking for signs of animals and other tribes.

What are three to five ways Matt and Attean learn from each other in "The Sign of the Beaver"?

Matt and Attean are initially forced into a working relationship in chapter 6 when Attean's grandfather, Saknis, insists that Attean allow Matt to teach him English. Eventually their relationship evolves into a friendship. The learning begins with Matt attempting to teach Attean the alphabet in chapter 7. In chapter 8, Matt decides to skip the alphabet because learning it frustrates Attean. He then moves on to reading the story of Robinson Crusoe to him.

In chapter 9, Matt asks Attean how he killed a rabbit without a gun. Attean shows Matt how to make a simple trap from a tree root. In the same chapter, the reader learns that Matt has now been successful in teaching Attean the alphabet. Attean continues to learn to read as Matt continues the story of Crusoe.

In chapter 12, Attean teaches Matt to use a bow and arrow and makes one for him. In chapter 13, Attean begins to teach Matt about the signs the various tribes leave in the forest to mark their territory. By chapter 14, the Crusoe story is finished. Matt then begins to teach Attean the stories of the Bible, the only other book that Matt has. Chapters 15 and 16 are turning points in the story as Matt begins to use some of the Indian skills Attean has taught him. Matt learns to use a bow so well that he kills a rabbit. In chapter 17, Attean teaches Matt about daily Indian life through a visit to his village where he learns that the men, women and children all have very distinct roles.