The Pueblo belief system, centered on reciprocity, did not include the concept of evil. They believed that since everything was interlinked, fulfilling their role in the agreement was sufficient. For example, when a hunter takes a deer's life, he offers cornmeal to the spirits. Similarly, if dances and ceremonies are conducted, the crops are expected to thrive.

As time went on, the Pueblos sought to explain the presence of evils that seemed to contradict their reciprocity theory. Rather than introducing a devil into their belief system, they attributed evil to witchery, seeing it as the exploitation of life's elements for selfish and harmful purposes. Moreover, Native Americans who become disconnected from their cultural narratives or try to replace these stories are believed to practice witchery. Therefore, only Native American medicine and storytelling have the power to combat witchery. One story about witches suggests that Native Americans put on animal skins to temporarily transform into that animal.

In the novel, witchery is already influencing events before the war, persuading young men to enlist to prove their patriotism. The uniforms, much like animal skins, offered them a fleeting experience of life as a white American. However, once the uniforms were removed, instead of reconnecting with their heritage and the land, they loitered in bars, sharing tales of witchery—how it was more appealing to chase white women and fight "Japs." This severed their connection with the Corn Woman. Emo embodies witchery by encouraging these stories, manipulating his friends to disdain life on the Reservation, harbor resentment, and succumb to alcohol.