Eagle Drums: Chapters 1–3

by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson
While walking toward the mountains to gather obsidian, young Piŋa is chosen by the eagles to learn their ways of telling stories through music and dance so that he could unite the Iñupiaq people of the Arctic tundra.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–20, Chapters 21–25
40 words 37 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    Piŋa took note of which caribou were left standing, acting as sentinels for the herd, and crept forward again, slowly pulling his bow out and placing it in front of him.
  2. mewl
    cry weakly or softly
    When the last sitting caribou died, it let out a soft mewling noise, alerting the herd.
  3. obsidian
    glass formed by the cooling of lava without crystallization
    He opened the bull’s still-warm mouth and placed a pinch of lichen on the tongue, then he took his sharpest obsidian knife and severed the third vertebra, releasing the bull’s earthbound spirit to be born again.
  4. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    With years of experience guiding his hands, his knife found all of the familiar spots to slice and cut and pry, and soon the animals were quartered expertly, wrapped in their own skins to keep the meat clean of tundra debris.
  5. robust
    sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction
    The meat would not hurt the dogs, as their stomachs were much more robust.
  6. sinew
    a band of tissue connecting a muscle to its bony attachment
    His brother had chosen well. The sinew had to be changed often, but the wood itself never discolored or cracked. When Atau had disappeared long ago into the mountains, all that his parents found was his bow.
  7. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
    The carefully designed etchings depicted a love of the mountains, a reverence for hunting, and land animals in various poses.
  8. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    He knew that his mother, seeing all the caribou, would be ecstatic at first, but he knew also that grief would wrap itself around her joy like fall-time darkness.
  9. prowess
    a superior skill learned by study and practice
    She would go on about the amazing hunters they had been and how proud she was of their prowess.
  10. attribute
    a characteristic that distinguishes objects or individuals
    The boy would sit there and nod as he always did, letting her list all the wonderful attributes his brothers had had.
  11. cache
    a hidden storage space
    After making sure the meat was safely stored in temporary stone caches, he traveled home and grabbed the pack dogs, fashioned a travois from willow branches, and hauled all of his catch back with their help.
  12. deter
    try to prevent; show opposition to
    He ignored her and continued to examine the wall, hoping his silence would deter her from more conversation.
  13. grate
    make resentful, irritated, or angry
    Sometimes her need to fill the space with sound grated at him, like the droning of bothersome insects.
  14. insistent
    demanding attention
    “Aren’t you going to say something?”
    From her insistent tone, he knew he had to respond soon or he would be scolded.
  15. larder
    a small storeroom for storing foods or wines
    Soon enough, the underground larder was half-full.
  16. allotted
    given as a task or a portion
    Piŋa straightened and stretched the muscles between his shoulders as he finished distributing the allotted meat to his family’s pack dogs.
  17. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    The air carried the scent of plants turning in the fall-time weather, heavy with notes of water and fog and vague, fleeting promises of snow.
  18. enticing
    highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire
    He changed the direction he was walking when he caught the smell of a cooking fire and the enticing smell of a meal.
  19. deft
    skillful in physical movements; especially of the hands
    With the deft twist and turn of her hands, his mother tied her hair up in a quick braid and secured it with a slim ivory pick.
  20. tender
    easy to cut or chew
    He took a bite; it was so soft and tender that it barely needed chewing, and it practically melted on his tongue.
  21. chide
    scold or reprimand severely or angrily
    He was the master of that domain—he knew the ocean better than any man before him. But he never chided the boy for loving the land instead of the sea, even though he’d lost two sons to it.
  22. hone
    sharpen with a whetstone
    Their knives maintained their finely honed edges, even after days of butchering.
  23. camaraderie
    the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
    He remembered the camaraderie and the closeness he had had with his brothers, and he wondered what it would be like to get to know a stranger.
  24. broach
    bring up a topic for discussion
    When they did mention it, it was always with carefully thought out words, as if they knew broaching the subject would stir up unanswered questions.
  25. boggy
    (of soil) soft and watery
    He planned to move fast and did not want to get slowed by boggy tundra or unwieldy weapons.
  26. unwieldy
    difficult to use or handle because of size or weight
    He planned to move fast and did not want to get slowed by boggy tundra or unwieldy weapons.
  27. tundra
    a vast treeless plain where subsoil is permanently frozen
    He could smell the sharp fragrance of ice and snow that rolled down from them, mixing with the warmer, earthy smell of the tundra.
  28. buffet
    strike against forcefully
    The golden eagle hurtled toward him with alarming speed, a mere five feet above the ground, so close that the boy could see the slight adjustments it made midflight for the buffeting winds.
  29. accent
    a detail or feature that adds visual emphasis or contrast
    Its body gleamed gold in the sun, copper accents flashing at each feather tip.
  30. determination
    firmness of purpose
    Dread flooded his mind like cold water, but with determination and resolve—and more than a little fear—he leapt up into a crouch, knife held low in front of him.
  31. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    The great bird scrutinized the boy, shifting its head side to side, holding its razor-sharp beak agape, wings pulled away from its body in readiness, muscles tense, body poised to launch.
  32. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    The great bird scrutinized the boy, shifting its head side to side, holding its razor-sharp beak agape, wings pulled away from its body in readiness, muscles tense, body poised to launch.
  33. slough
    cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
    Small feathers drifted to the ground as the bird tossed its head from side to side, and the topmost part of it began to peel away. The feathers receded as if being sloughed off, and with one final shake, the bird’s face came down like a hood around its shoulders.
  34. straddle
    range or extend over; occupy a certain area
    A being like this would never reveal themselves unless they had a purpose. Those who straddled the spiritual worlds did not interact with normal, everyday people like him.
  35. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    His body tensed at the sudden vulnerability, and he forced his hands to unfurl. The sweat on his open palms began to dry in the cool autumn air immediately.
  36. piercing
    very perceptive
    The piercing brown eyes watched his every movement, but the man gave no indication what he was thinking.
  37. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    “Elder,” he said, making sure his tone was soft and as nonthreatening as he could muster.
  38. undercurrent
    a feeling or tendency that is not explicitly expressed
    “Foolish.” Amusement tinted the man’s voice, but there was an undercurrent of disdain.
  39. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “Foolish.” Amusement tinted the man’s voice, but there was an undercurrent of disdain.
  40. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    The grief he held for his brothers rose in his chest and gripped his heart, making this already surreal situation darker. He clenched his jaw at the flippant way the man described them.
Created on Wed Apr 17 14:44:55 EDT 2024 (updated Thu Apr 18 12:58:18 EDT 2024)

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