In the Silko ceremony, Tayo's healing process is very extensive and he faces many crucial challenges in letting go of traumatic events from the past. During this journey, Tayo encounters many symbols that help him develop a sense of appreciation and freedom. As a Native American with a growing sense of tradition, Tayo believes nature is a key part of healing and just life in general. With the presence and importance of nature in his narrative, Silko communicates this power and emotion to the reader, who follows Tayo through his long but necessary journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During this journey, the reader is bound to witness Tayo's connection to different aspects of the natural world. Starting from the beginning of the novel, the reader sees how the meaning of rain in the jungle is linked not only to Tayo, but also to Rocky. The narrator states: “It was that rain that filled the tire ruts and made the mud so deep that the corporal began to slip and fall on the end of the muddy blanket holding Rocky. Tayo hated this incessant rain as if it were the green rain of the jungle and not the miles of walking or the Japanese grenade that was killing Rocky” (Silko 11). Tayo's relationship with nature at this point is extremely inadequate. He sees nature as the reason Rocky was dying, and this perspective casts a negative light on the natural world. Tayo feels irritation and distrust towards the Earth and compares natural forces to the Japanese, who are the real reason Rocky is injured in the first place. The rain in this flashback is very associated with the suffering that Tayo and Rocky go through during their time at war. Tayo's relationship with the people he loves in America also ties into the idea that he must become one with the natural world. Josiah's impact on Tayo, for example, is a significant part of this journey. Josiah teaches Tayo about life and, even though he is dead, assists Tayo in his healing journey through memories. Josiah is the moral authority Tayo obeys the most: “'You see,' Josiah had said, with the sound of water flowing from the hose into the empty wooden barrel, 'there are some things that are worth more than money.' He pointed to the springs and the narrow canyon. «See, this is where we come from. This sand, this stone, these trees, the vines, all the wildflowers. This land keeps us going'” (Silko 45). This memory shows how Tayo learned a lot about the natural world from Josiah. Learn to respect and love the Earth; even though it may be something boring, it is comparable to a beautiful work of art. Josiah teaches Tayo that there is more to life than material things. As Tayo understands when remembering Josiah, the most important things in life are the Earth he walks on and how he can connect with it in a deeper sense. Toward the end of the novel, Tayo begins to regain his faith in the natural world. When Tayo begins to trust nature again, he learns that to heal properly he must become one with nature. The narrator states, “But lying on top of the bender that pulled him closer felt more familiar than any hug he could remember; he was sinking into the elemental arms of mountain silence. Only his skull held out; and the resistance increased the pain until it became a high-pitched moan. ... He could stare at the thresholds with excruciating pain and stay; or it could let go and flow back. It was up to him” (Silko 201-202). During this time, Tayo is regaining his spiritual center through nature. He has become one with nature and is healing in.