The creation myth
The creation myth is an allegory for the Kiowa people, not a literal statement of fact. The allegory is that the people were born from the cool, dark space in the center of a decaying log. The soft, damp earth in the tree gave birth to the Kiowas, meaning that the Kiowas are light-seekers. They worship the sun god and they move from darkness to light.
The sacred pilgrimage to a new home
The allegory of a pilgrimage is perhaps the most fundamental story structure for humans, perhaps because of our history as nomads. This story is no different, and the religion of the Kiowas depends very significantly on their journey from Montana to Oklahoma helped by the Crow people. This is not unlike the important Hebrew story of their escape from Egypt.
The journey of self-discovery
There is a simultaneous relationship between Momaday and his identity as a partially Kiowan person, and the sacred journey of his ancestors. When he notices this, he willingly participates in his own version of that story. This is an allegory for his discovery of identity walking in the shoes of his ancestors. He has aligned himself with his ancestory.
The motif of animals and gods
There are many animal stories in the Kiowa legends, and in many, the gods seem like native peoples until they are transformed into their animal likenesses, at which point they seem to be transcendent and divinized. This happens with buffalo, bears, and even tree spirits.
The motif of death and finality
The story teller is careful to introduce the death of the grandmother early in his narrative, because in this way, the story is about death itself. It doesn't end with death, it begins with death, making Momaday grieve and dispair about the death of his grandmother, his tribe, his culture, and the memory of the true evil of the way they were treated. He must question why the universe ends good things.
