Smoke Signals Essay
Often times in movies, Native Americans are depicted in one way. They appear to act like a "savage", not getting along with white people, while focusing on aspects of alcoholism, poverty, and education. However, the movie Smoke Signals, sheds a light into a new area. In this movie, the characters deal with self identification as an Indian, on a reservation in the United States. On their journey to self identification in the movie , the history of unsettling Native American relationships with white settlers has caused Victor and Thomas to struggle with what it means to be a "true" Indian. However, they find strength in being Indian by preserving their culture adopted by previous generations, allowing them the strength to forgive the white settlers just as they have tried to patch relationships with Indians.
Victor, more so than Thomas, dealt with finding the true meaning of being Indian throughout the movie. A father figure was symbol used repeatedly that very much resembled white settlers. During the opening scene where the house is burning down, we later find out that Victor's father had started the fire. If the house is a representation of the Native American culture then this scene very much resembles the oppression and destruction of Indian culture when white settlers arrived in the New World. This idea is seen to really bother Victor, as the idea of a father figure ends up becoming the main plot of the story. As a result Victor is brought to a state where he almost has to go to the extreme to prove that he is Indian. Indians have the stereotype that they are tough, strong, and do not back down from a fight. While Victor and Thomas are on the bus, Victor criticizes Thomas for the way he looks: wearing big glasses, braided hair, and a suit in comparison to Victor's "traditional" long straight hair with jeans and a tan jacket. For Victor, anyone who does not fulfill this idea is instantly deemed as complaiscent, succumbing to the oppression of white people. Doing so helps him cope with the fact that his heritage has been forever altered. By reminding Thomas of where he came from, he is essentially keeping him and his own self from being swayed by American ideals, ultimately holding a grudge on white people (his father).
While Victor and Thomas struggle with these ideas, they find the longevity of Native American culture and aspects of history to empower them. It's no coincidence that Victor looks exactly like his mother and Thomas looks exactly his grandmother. Victor has long straight hair like his mother, and Thomas has the same glasses, suit, and braids as his grandmother. Showing these similarities across generations shows how that despite the "takeover" by white settlers, cultural traditions are still very much an integral part of the lives of Native Americans. The United States is often referred to as the place where culture goes to end. While I don't fully believe this, there is some truth to it. I am a first generation United States born citizen from immigrants, one of which is from India. While I don't feel that my cultural ties to India are gone by any means, I do feel that I have lost some connection to where I come from. For the life a Native American, the clothing they wear is a testament to how their culture has held up. Once Victor realizes this, he cut his hair as a representation of him letting go of the forceful image of what Indians should be like. Culture is a mental mindset, not based on appearance. At the same time Victor is learning about the realities of a true Indian, he learns to forgive white people, as he finds out the regret they had on their acts. The United States (the father) realized their mistakes of mistreating the Native Americans and has worked to make things right by offering benefits to Native Americans in hope to sew together the torn relationship. While Victor before has resented them, he has learned forgiveness, and it is that forgiveness that allows him to move on with his life, gain closure, and focus on himself rather than being angry at others. Victor mentions that he does not believe in the traditional act of throwing ashes into the river because it would make him feel like he was forgetting them. Now that Victor actually dumps those ashes, he has forgiven his "father", or the white people, for what they did to his people in the past. Now that he has forgiven, he can truly fulfill what is means to be an Indian.
It is easy to do research that we have done in class about Indians like the problems with alcoholism, poverty, and even education. While this movie did include these aspects, its primary focus was self identification: how do they struggle with aspects of Native American culture while empowered by others. Showing this side of things proves that there lives are more complex than just some number in a statistic.
Victor, more so than Thomas, dealt with finding the true meaning of being Indian throughout the movie. A father figure was symbol used repeatedly that very much resembled white settlers. During the opening scene where the house is burning down, we later find out that Victor's father had started the fire. If the house is a representation of the Native American culture then this scene very much resembles the oppression and destruction of Indian culture when white settlers arrived in the New World. This idea is seen to really bother Victor, as the idea of a father figure ends up becoming the main plot of the story. As a result Victor is brought to a state where he almost has to go to the extreme to prove that he is Indian. Indians have the stereotype that they are tough, strong, and do not back down from a fight. While Victor and Thomas are on the bus, Victor criticizes Thomas for the way he looks: wearing big glasses, braided hair, and a suit in comparison to Victor's "traditional" long straight hair with jeans and a tan jacket. For Victor, anyone who does not fulfill this idea is instantly deemed as complaiscent, succumbing to the oppression of white people. Doing so helps him cope with the fact that his heritage has been forever altered. By reminding Thomas of where he came from, he is essentially keeping him and his own self from being swayed by American ideals, ultimately holding a grudge on white people (his father).
While Victor and Thomas struggle with these ideas, they find the longevity of Native American culture and aspects of history to empower them. It's no coincidence that Victor looks exactly like his mother and Thomas looks exactly his grandmother. Victor has long straight hair like his mother, and Thomas has the same glasses, suit, and braids as his grandmother. Showing these similarities across generations shows how that despite the "takeover" by white settlers, cultural traditions are still very much an integral part of the lives of Native Americans. The United States is often referred to as the place where culture goes to end. While I don't fully believe this, there is some truth to it. I am a first generation United States born citizen from immigrants, one of which is from India. While I don't feel that my cultural ties to India are gone by any means, I do feel that I have lost some connection to where I come from. For the life a Native American, the clothing they wear is a testament to how their culture has held up. Once Victor realizes this, he cut his hair as a representation of him letting go of the forceful image of what Indians should be like. Culture is a mental mindset, not based on appearance. At the same time Victor is learning about the realities of a true Indian, he learns to forgive white people, as he finds out the regret they had on their acts. The United States (the father) realized their mistakes of mistreating the Native Americans and has worked to make things right by offering benefits to Native Americans in hope to sew together the torn relationship. While Victor before has resented them, he has learned forgiveness, and it is that forgiveness that allows him to move on with his life, gain closure, and focus on himself rather than being angry at others. Victor mentions that he does not believe in the traditional act of throwing ashes into the river because it would make him feel like he was forgetting them. Now that Victor actually dumps those ashes, he has forgiven his "father", or the white people, for what they did to his people in the past. Now that he has forgiven, he can truly fulfill what is means to be an Indian.
It is easy to do research that we have done in class about Indians like the problems with alcoholism, poverty, and even education. While this movie did include these aspects, its primary focus was self identification: how do they struggle with aspects of Native American culture while empowered by others. Showing this side of things proves that there lives are more complex than just some number in a statistic.
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