Silko's novel centers on the theme of an individual's connection to the community's story. To recover from the trauma of war, Tayo must revisit his people's narrative and reestablish his bond with the land and its spiritual figures. In one scene, he is shown a painting on a cliff face of A'moo'ooh. T'seh explains, "Nobody has come to paint it since the war. But as long as you remember what you have seen, then nothing is gone. As long as you remember, it is part of this story we have together."

Pueblo cosmology is dominated by three principal figures: Thought-Woman, Corn Mother, and Sun Father. These figures are intertwined and reliant on one another. Thought-Woman begins the novel and is credited with creating the story. Through her words, she crafted the universe, forming the fifth world (the earth) and the four worlds beneath, where spirits of the departed dwell. She is a recurring presence in Pueblo mythology and the narrative. Tayo must connect with her and his people's story to present a narrative to the elders within the kiva. He tells them he has seen her, and "They started crying/the old men started crying...."