Dreams
Dreams are highly symbolic in this text, and often tell us something about the character's lives, or provoke action in them. For example, Fools Crow has a dream about the Raven, who orders him to kill somebody, which inspires his later actions.
Names
Names are symbolic in the text, as characters are named in a meaningful way. For example, White Man's Dog is later named Fools Crow because he killed the chief of the Crows using medicine.
The Stone
White Man's Dog has a dream in which his father's wife left him a stone the size of a finger. He wakes up in the morning to find that the stone is indeed next to him. Ultimately, this is part of a ritual that symbolizes purification from sexual desire.
Sleep Bringer
Sleep Bringer is the child of Red Paint and White Man's Dog, and her name is also symbolic. She is named after a butterfly Red Paint saw when she first thought she was pregnant, and it therefore has connotations of beauty and nature.
Fingers
As a punishment, the fingers of characters of often cut off in this novel. For some of the characters, including Yellow Kidney, this symbolizes their isolation and alienation from the tribe.
