The Mountain
In one of his many descriptions about the landscape, Welch describes a nearby mountain as having a "square granite face." This metaphor connects humanity and nature, which is a theme of the text.
Path metaphor
When describing his wrongdoings, Yellow Kidney uses a metaphor to describe how he has diverted from morality and mercy: "I had broken one of the simplest decencies by which people live... I have taken the path traveled only by the meanest scavengers."
Referring to our life choices as being "paths" is a common metaphor, used here by Welch to describe the fact that Yellow Kidney has made some immoral choices.
Cutting ties
The narrator uses a metaphor to describe how Fast Horse "cut ties" with the group and found his freedom. It is clear that he is not literally "cutting ties," but uses this image as a metaphor to describe how Fast Horse distanced himself from the group.
The White Stone
The white stone is a metaphor for the purity of Fools Crow and his father's wife, who both take part in a ritual to cleanse themselves of sexual desire. We know this because the white stone is the crux of the ritual, symbolizing Fools Crow's desire to be pure.
Dreams
Within the text, dreams are often metaphors for the inner life of the characters. For example, Fool's Crow has a large number of dreams through the texts; for example, he dreams about the stone being placed by his bed, which is a metaphor for his betrayal against his father.
