Nature
Nature is the underlying motif in the novel. The narrator lives on a property surrounded by nature and fields his family uses for cattle and farming. It is in contrast with the city atmosphere where the narrator feels the most alienated and is relieved upon going back home. His connection to nature is especially pronounced at the climactic ending when he lies in the mud in the summer storm, while hearing the sound of a magpie and realizing that not many people would be able to enjoy a moment like that.
Tobacco pouch
In the Epilogue, upon burying his grandmother the narrator holds a tobacco pouch in his hand and later throws it on her coffin. This moment is significant and can be interpreted as having a few different meanings. Previously in the novel, while his grandmother is still alive, there is a scene where he puts the tobacco into her mouth and the old woman slowly inhales the smoke. Therefore the tobacco could be seen as simply a representation of their silent connection despite the narrator insisting that he doesn't feel anything for the people around him. It could be also seen as a way of him burying her truth with her because he found out that she was with Yellow Calf and had Theresa with him. It could also be seen as a way of him throwing away his heritage, because at that moment he decides that he will go after the Cree girl and this time he might even marry her, a decision his grandmother would be strongly against because the Cree tribe is the enemy of Blackfeet tribe.
Injured leg as a memento of a dreadful moment
The narrator has a permanently injured leg as a result of the dreadful night he lost his brother Mose. He is troubled with guilt and has a living, constant reminder of his loss. At the end, his decision to go after his girl, before she forgets him, instead of fixing his leg shows that he is ready to move on, that him going forward to his happiness has become his priority.
