How is Matt's acceptance of the manitou indicative of his growing respect for the Indian culture?

Matt does not laugh when Attean fears he might. Matt understand Attean's real fear of failure even though the manitou itself is strange to Matt. He knows how important it is to Attean and he accepts its importance. It is though Matt can now attach importance to a cultural practice that is commensurate to the importance that the culture itself puts on the practice.