Above all else, I Heard the Owl Call My Name is concerned with change, time, and the values human beings assign to them. The novel contrasts two cultures: the complex, extroverted white society that meets its needs by manipulating its surroundings, and the secretive, tradition-bound Native American society that lives in harmony with nature and accepts things as they are.

Mark Bryan's bishop sends him to the Kwakiutl village, knowing that the young priest is dying of an unspecified disease. "Re-educated" by his experience among the Kwakiutl, Mark learns the relative value of time; the peace, happiness, and sense of accomplishment gained from suffering and struggling with others; and, although it is easily overlooked, the unity that exists between his Christian faith and the values of a "primitive" culture. As he strives to find acceptance among the tribe, Mark learns that gestures reflecting a sense of...