death

And when she killed it, I told her, 'Ama, you have killed yourself.' And Mama said that, too, later. She said, 'Ama Eaton has burned her own house' (Power, 164).

If she gave it to them it would have been like giving them sickness and death (Power, 166).

Theirs...is the power of death or disappearance (Power, 173).

When Ama kills the panther, Omishto believes she has killed herself. At first, I thought this meant that Ama was the panther. Finishing the book, I have a different take on it. Ama represents all that is natural in Power. She represents the earth, trees, and tradition. When she kills the panther she destroys nature, symbolizing her break away from the traditional Taiga tribe. Ama dies because of this breakage. It simply kills her.