What is the importance of names in the novel, Wizard of the Crow?

Names in this novel are symbols of the degree to which characters resist or assimilate into Western norms and expectations. Many of the characters adopt different names for themselves according to how Western or Aburirian their names are. For example, Nyawira's choice to use Nyawira instead of Grace reflects her concern with preserving her Aburirian traditions and heritage. Meanwhile, Titus Tajirika's decision to adopt the last name Whitehead instead represents his obsession with becoming Western and white and his willingness to, in the process, negate his own past and heritage.