What are the motifs in Talking God by Tony Hillerman?

Museums face a number of ethical issues that are highlighted in Talking Gods. Institutions like the Smithsonian Natural History Museum preserve ancient relics for scholars to research and preserve knowledge about earlier civilizations. However, when artifacts of current cultures like the Navajo tradition are displayed like exotic animals in a zoo, it dehumanizes and trivializes people who still practice that culture. There is a fine line between learning about other cultures and judging them in a condescending way.