What is the main conflict in the way to rainy mountain?

In The Way to Rainy Mountain, Momaday traces his ancestral roots back to the beginning of the Kiowa tribe. While Momaday seems to have always known about his ancestry, the death of his grandmother prompts a deeper and more personal exploration of his family background. In order to get as close as possible to his roots, Momaday returns to his Grandmother's house where the spirit of the Kiowa tribe is very strong.

The book provides the reader with a series of oral stories from Kiowa tradition written down. The stories link together to narrate the entire life span of the Kiowa tribe from beginning to end. Momaday also provides explanatory information for the stories. Each story is followed by a short account of the factual event the story is based upon. Together the stories and the facts work to create a complete picture of the Kiowa way of life. The stories explain the world as the Kiowa saw it.