Sing Down the Moon

Sing Down the Moon conveys the historical importance of sheepherding within Navajo culture by depicting Bright Morning’s enthusiasm for the animals. She explains that in her tribe, “sheep are owned mostly by the women,” and that possessing sheep gave a woman stature and pride (4). White Deer and Running Bird allude to this tradition early in the novel when they tease Bright Morning and suggest that Tall Boy is only interested in her “because [her] mother owned many sheep,” some of which her daughter would inherit (10). Bright Morning is excited about the prospect of receiving her own sheep, but not only because of their relevance for finding a husband; she realizes that owning her own sheep, or even the responsibility of watching over her mother’s sheep, would give her the opportunity to prove she has overcome the fear and immaturity she displayed the previous year.

As the novel’s plot progresses through Bright Morning’s temporary enslavement and then the forced captivity of the Navajo, sheep take on a new symbolic meaning. Separated from her homeland and the flocks, Bright Morning continues to think about them. Her beloved Tall Boy criticizes her for imagining that the sheep could still be alive in Canyon de Chelly.