Where Wolves Don't Die: Chapters 13-17

by Anton Treuer
In this novel, Ezra Cloud, a 15-year-old Ojibwe boy, is falsely suspected of arson and sent to stay with his grandfather during the investigation, where he learns more about his culture, his family, and his responsibilities.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1-6, Chapters 7-12, Chapters 13-17, Chapters 18-24, Chapters 25-30
15 words 18 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cinch
    pull, fasten, or tie something tightly
    We used ratchet straps to cinch everything down.
  2. unencumbered
    free of anything that impedes or is burdensome
    I drifted off into deep and unencumbered sleep.
  3. famished
    extremely hungry
    I knew the eggs and pork chops wouldn’t last long while we were out here, and I was famished.
  4. feign
    give a false appearance of
    I looked down, feigning interest in my boots.
  5. escarpment
    a long steep slope at the edge of a plateau or ridge
    I gazed at the lakeshore to the top of the escarpment.
  6. millennium
    a span of 1000 years
    “We know these things because our ancestral knowledge has been passed on for millennia, just like I am passing it to you right now. We don’t need white scientists or archaeologists to tell us. We have our own knowledge and our own ways of knowing. For eleven thousand years, an alpha timber wolf has made that ridge the center of the pack’s territory. That’s why we call it Chief’s Ridge. The chief isn’t a human. It’s the alpha — the leader of the pack. He’s more powerful than any human.”
  7. ferocious
    marked by extreme and violent energy
    “The fisher is the most ferocious animal in the forest,” Grandpa Liam laughed.
  8. admonish
    warn strongly; put on guard
    She made me haul a full five-gallon pail of sap in each hand, admonishing me not to spill a drop, then throwing snowballs at me, knowing I couldn’t set them down.
  9. fickle
    marked by erratic changeableness in affections
    I whispered, “Buster, you’re a fickle traitor. You were supposed to sleep with me!”
  10. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    The snare wire was taut, but I couldn’t see any animal until Grandpa Liam gave the wire a firm tug, pulling the frozen form of a large lynx from the snow.
  11. meticulous
    marked by extreme care in treatment of details
    The skinning and stretching of hides were slower and more meticulous.
  12. wily
    marked by skill in deception
    One party tried to track him, but as huge as he is, he is just as wily as he is mean.
  13. mundane
    found in the ordinary course of events
    I felt a surge of adrenaline as I moved with determined precision through the mundane tasks of brushing my teeth and donning my hunting clothes.
  14. vermilion
    of a vivid red to reddish-orange color
    It got bigger as we went, a crescendo of vermilion jets unmistakable in the pure, white snow.
  15. portage
    overland track between navigable waterways
    There’s either a creek or portage between each one, so go slow there.
Created on Fri Jul 04 04:15:52 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Aug 13 11:53:54 EDT 2025)

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