Eagle Drums

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Eagle Drums through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

A solitary family living up in the Artic.  A people untrusting of strangers, with legends of their own, and suddenly the youngest one finds himself caught up in one.   The question is: can this lad survive the experience?   Will he learn what he needs to?  How will it change life for him if he does?  Throughout this story, told in a…. what seems to me a very native way… one is left wondering… will he survive til the end? (and I’m not going to tell you if he does). 

The Basic Details of Eagle Drums

Title: Eagle Drums
Author and Illustrator: Nasugraq Rainey Hopson
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pages: 256
Intended Audience: Middle School
Genre: Native American tales, American folk tales, Myths, 
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Audio, hardcover, Kindle, 
Received: Advanced Reader Copy, softcover

About the Author and Book

The Author

Born and raised in the rural expanse of the North Slope of Alaska, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson grew up on fantastic tales from her unique and rich Indigenous Inupiaq culture. When she is not writing or creating art inspired by these stories, she is studying how to grow food in the arctic and is working at preserving traditional Inupiaq knowledge. She has a degree in Studio Art and has taught all levels of Art from kindergarten to college level. She lives in Anaktuvuk Pass Alaska with her husband and daughter, three dogs, and a small flock of arctic chickens where she lives off the land and the amazing bounty it provides like her ancestors did for thousands of years.

The Book

A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Inupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.

As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping – the same mountain where his two older brothers died.  

When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers.

What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.

What do you get?

Scattered through the story you’ll discover artwork that helps tell the story. The drawings are indigenous in their make-up giving glimpses into various aspects of the folktale.  They fit the story. 

An easy to read text, told in a manner I’ve heard Native Americans tell stories before.  Stories to show one’s history, and yet teach truths.   The sights and sounds of the Alaskan wilderness are evident throughout.  The story revolves around Pina and the things that he is learning.  We see how sometimes he has to dig deep into himself in order to keep going, learning how to deal with difficult people and situations. As he survived the realized the wisdom of his parents and even his dead siblings. 

Songs and words are highlighted in a different font and colour. Highlighting their importance and helping us to pay attention. His journey is not easy, but at the end of it, we know the importance of the songs, and we see his determination, and then the creation of the Messenger Feast. 

My Recommendation?

If you are doing a unit study on Native Americans, or on myths and folklore from around the world, Eagle Drums would be a good one to add to your pile.  Perhaps you want to understand the world of the Inuit more. 

Understanding the stories of a people gives you insight into who they are.   Since this story also includes insights into their faith system I would want my middle/high schooler to seek out where there are glimpses of God’s truth and then to think about where the faith system went wrong.  

Don’t misunderstand me.  Eagle Drums is a decent read on it’s own.  And I don’t want to ruin it by suggesting options for digging into it or only using it to gain some insight into a culture you may know nothing about.  I enjoyed the story and I think you might as well.   

But I do like to see beyond the story sometimes and Eagle Drum’s lends itself to seeing beyond the story.   So why not eh?  🙂   Killing two birds with one stone isn’t a bad thing is it?