The tones Bama uses in this painting create a striking contrast between the main subject and his surroundings. Notice how the young Native American is created with darker tones compared to the rest of the painting. The lighter tones around him make the viewer's eye float due to his soft appearance, while the darker tones of the young man give the viewer something to hold on to that is solid and much harder than the softness of its environment. Although Bama's use of contrasting tones in his colors puts the focus on the young Native American, that is not the only thing they convey, they also show emotion. The colors used are very warm but also noticeably desaturated. Although the use of such colors gives off a sense of aging similar to that of old parchment paper, the tones are light and warm, showing that there is not only life in the painting but also a feeling of innocence. On the other hand, the young Native American and his decor, like the black feathers on his back, are rather dark and give a somewhat serious impression, however, this atmosphere given by the subject is opposed by the warm colors which surround him. The mixture between these two colors ends up evoking a message of perseverance which says that even though he has seen and perhaps goes through difficulties, he decides to seek peace and continues to do so.