Tornait Character Analysis

Tornait is a golden plover (a species of bird that breeds in the Arctic tundra) that Miyax meets at her campsite. She names him Tornait after a song Kapugen used to sing at the Feast of the Bird back on Nunivak Island. Tornait is Miyax’s sole companion after she leaves her wolf pack to find her father, and the two of them develop a meaningful bond. When Miyax finally reunites with Kapugen, whom she has long believed to be dead, she offers him Tornait as a gift. After Miyax discovers the extent of Kapugen’s assimilation into Western culture, she decides to leave town with Tornait to live a more culturally authentic life in the solitude of the Arctic tundra. However, Tornait’s death prompts Miyax to change her plans and return to town.