Throughout we read of trees, lakes, fish, turtles, stones and pine needles. There is very little non-natural imagery used. This is deliberate, as the poet is attempting to convey that the natural world is part of Native culture, and to find one's culture is to embrace the natural world for its traditional role. It serves as a source of everything -- in this case the natural world in the form of stones, pine needles and leaves is the key that unlocks the doorway into one's past generations and culture. It is important, the narrative implies, that the culture and the natural world are seen as extensions of each other, and not separated the way they are in the dark, tethered world where land is property.
The poem also conveys this spiritual re-awakening as a journey, whose passage is marked by a beginning and end that juxtaposes one's view of...
The fish are monsters in the beginning but at the end are nothing to fear as they are just funny-looking fish. The transition with respect to nature is the journey that arises from answer-seeking. The narrative highlights that when one undertakes the right methods of seeking answers, then they can find those answers and reconnect with their past.
The poem is effective. It puts the reader in a particular frame of mind with respect to seeking and finding answers. The key is that one must release oneself from the tethers, seek the council of one's own culture, and if this is done then the answers so long lost will be found. One cannot find answers in fear, worry and a tethered mind. Only by freeing the mind and reconnecting with one's true self will the answers be found, leading ultimately to a much stronger perspective.
