How we cite our quotes: (Poem.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"You see," Josiah had said, [ . . . ] "there are some things worth more than money." He pointed his chin at the springs and around at the narrow canyon. "This is where we come from, see. This sand, this stone, these trees, the vines, all the wildflowers. This earth keeps us going." (VI.32)
Tayo has learned everything he knows about the natural world from his Uncle Josiah. Josiah is a moral authority for Tayo, teaching him that the most important thing in life is the earth and how we relate to it.
Quote #2
He tasted the deep heartrock of the earth, where the water came from, and he thought maybe this wasn't the end after all. (VI.33)
In this story, even rocks have hearts. We love the word Silko uses here—heartrock—to describe the place where the water comes from. It suggests that there's something loving about the way the earth gives the water to Tayo; it's a gift from the rock's "heart."
Quote #3
They sprinkled the cornmeal on the nose and fed the deer's spirit. They had to show their love and respect, their appreciation; otherwise, the deer would be offended, and they would not come to die for them the following year. (VII.9)
The ritual of the deer is significant in the novel. The characters who follow it—Tayo, Josiah, Robert, Ts'eh, and Ts'eh's brother the Hunter—still maintain some sort of relationship with the natural world. Others, like Emo and Rocky, have rejected the ritual for various reasons, and they are disconnected from the natural world…and we know that doesn't turn out so well for those guys.