Whistling
The act of whistling is symbolic of the voluminous fears of Native American people. Throughout countless tribes' history, Native Americans feared that whistling at night would bring them bad things, like destructive monsters that were bent on destroying them and their culture. This symbol shows how many Native Americans had to live in fear because of outside forces.
Transforming monsters
A common motif throughout the novel is monsters who can transform into different things. For instance, the novel explores Lechuza, a witch who can transform into an owl. Lechuza, and the other monsters that can transform, are reflective of a potent fact in life: evil can come in many different (and often changing) forms.
Dreams
Another significant motif in the novel is dreams being premonitions for (and foreshadowing) things to come. For the characters in the novel, dreams, and visions act as a bridge between the physical world and the spiritual realm, which becomes important for the characters.
Animal Spirits
Animal Spirits are symbolic of the way that many Native Americans interacted with their religion. For them, animal spirits are a way that they can interact with deceased people in their family and otherwise. They are emblematic of the Native American religion, which placed a special emphasis on connectivity to the past.
