"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Laozi. In Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Tayo's journey is told. The reader travels through time with Tayo to experience life before and after the war and, to some extent, the role Native Americans played during that era. Through Tayo's life, we see the importance of storytelling and how without it a culture is lost. Silko uses Tayo's perception as a model to explain how storytelling guides a person mentally, strengthens them physically, and supports them emotionally. Without the cultural aspect of tradition and storytelling, there would be no journey because Tayo would not have known how to take the first step. At the beginning of the novel it is evident that Tayo is weak. “all this time, while I was sitting in my chair. Those white doctors didn't help you at all. Maybe we'd better send for someone else. When the aunt returned from the shop, the old grandmother said to her: “That boy needs a sorcerer. Otherwise he will have to leave. Look at it." (30) From the beginning it is evident how impactful the tradition is...