Stealing Little Moon: Introduction–Chapter Three

by Dan SaSuWeh Jones
In this work of biographical nonfiction, Dan SaSuWeh Jones recounts his family's history at Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, starting with the kidnapping of his grandmother, Little Moon There Are No Stars Tonight.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction - Chapter Three, Chapter Four - Six, Chapters Seven - Ten, Chapter Eleven - Conclusion
15 words 124 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. heritage
    practices that are handed down from the past by tradition
    The U.S. government had established Chilocco and other boarding schools in order to force young Indian children to abandon their heritage.
  2. disciplinarian
    someone who demands and enforces strict conformity to rules
    Disciplinarians ordered the children to rise early; to march everywhere they went; to eat scanty, insect-infested food; and to cook and clean.
  3. upkeep
    the activity of maintaining something in good working order
    Such cemeteries have become sacred places to American Indians. Generally, the nearest tribes will try to care for them, but the cost of upkeep is great.
  4. outlook
    an attitude that determines how you respond to situations
    Today, slowly, the American outlook is shifting toward this ancient American Indian belief: Take only what you can replace.
  5. anguish
    extreme distress of body or mind
    In this book you will experience the anguish faced long ago by other young people your age.
  6. deplorable
    of very poor quality or condition
    By the late 1920s, ongoing reports of abuse and deplorable conditions had leaked out from the schools to government ears.
  7. cherish
    be fond of
    Its cultures and beliefs are so complex that white society could not understand them enough to cherish them.
  8. convert
    cause to adopt a new or different faith
    The schools’ duties would be the same: to teach white ways to Indian students, including converting them to Christianity.
  9. flourish
    make steady progress
    Indians shared their lands and helped white men’s culture flourish.
  10. shorn
    having the hair, fur, or wool cut short
    His “after” picture is of a boy with a shorn head, in a drab military uniform.
  11. quarry
    a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate
    Soon limestone dug from local quarries and hauled to the site was lifted into a structure that towered three-and-a-half stories above the prairie.
  12. distraught
    deeply agitated especially from emotion
    Watching her disappear, her distraught parents clung to each other.
  13. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    Light permeates the names of the women in my family.
  14. inflection
    the modification of pitch, tone, or volume when speaking
    A single word might have two or more meanings depending on the inflection a person uses when saying it.
  15. revere
    regard with feelings of respect
    We are two different cultures that both revere our stories, our families, our celebrations and traditions, and our sense of self.
Created on Wed Nov 19 08:48:57 EST 2025 (updated Tue Dec 23 17:22:07 EST 2025)

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