The mention of 1492 (the year Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas) suggests that the nameless man has Native heritage.
The Overstory mentions Indigenous culture several times but doesn’t go into much depth about it, other than offering examples of a different way of interacting with nature—one not based on capitalistic exploitation but connectedness and sharing. Just as in his dream where the chestnut tree laughs at humans for trying to save it, Nick realizes what the beings of light meant: humans are the ones that need saving. While
The Overstory seeks to decentralize humans and shift people’s focus onto other forms of life instead, ultimately the book is
for humans—and so we must recognize that we are the ones that truly need help.