The origin of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast (an ancient tradition for native Alaskans) is retold in the magical middle grade novel Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson (Roaring Brook Press, 2023). Piŋa is a resourceful and helpful young man for his father and mother, but when he goes to the mountain to collect obsidian rock, he is kidnapped by a majestic golden eagle. In the man-eagle takes him to his even more remote Arctic aerie, where Piŋa is, where he is taught to sign, drum, and dance. With his isolation and training, Piŋa learns that he is to take these arts to his people, encouraging community to help give life to their people with camaraderie and joy, even in the dark winter days.
But Piŋa’s task is not easy. First, he worries about his parents, who lost their first two sons on the mountain in similar circumstances. They had fought the eagle, but Piŋa was wiser and respected the eagle as a spiritual and powerful part of nature. Piŋa’s isolation, loneliness, and homesickness is his greatest challenge while in his training. He also doubts his abilities to take the talents back to his people and teach them to sing, drum, and dance as he knows he must. In the end, his own observations and resourcefulness helps him get through the final challenges of his internship.
Because so much of the book centered on Piŋa’s isolation with the distant and (dare I say it?) cold eagle people, I found the book a little bit frustrating to read. It felt lonely! This was the author’s point, however, in emphasizing the need for community. What a joy the community celebration was. According to the tradition, Iñupiaq were isolated and suspicious of each other until this eagle teaching happened. That was when they learned the power of community, trust, and support as a means to survival and “staying young.” So, the togetherness felt all the more sweet after the isolation, both for Piŋa and for me, the reader.
While Eagle Drums wasn’t a favorite of mine, it fills an essential role for telling and continuing on the traditions of the Iñupiaq people. Anyone who loves mythology, indigenous traditions and culture, and a creative magical story like this will enjoy reading this origin tale.
Eagle Drums was awarded a Newbery Honor for 2024. I rate it “Pretty Good” and say “Keep it and read it!”
Newbery rating scale: FANTASTIC | REALLY GOOD | PRETTY GOOD | OKAY | BLAH
What to do with this Newbery: KEEP IT AND READ IT | MAYBE IF YOU HAVE TIME | DON’T BOTHER
