Smoke Signals Thesis

Characters in the film Smoke Signals experience struggles regarding Native American History and stereotypes by attempting to be the strong Indians that they are thought to be. Victor is a character who feels the responsibility of always being defensive and independent as he expects other people to treat Native Americans like he and Thomas in an inferior way. These characters are very different at the start of the movie but towards the end, we start to see the true Native American meaning and culture. Native Americans are traditional in ways like the fact that they like to dress similar to one another, eat a certain diet, and sing certain songs. This reminds me of how Victor tries to show Thomas how Indian men should wear their hair and embrace its freedom flowing long. Negative stereotypes commonly directed at Native Americans remind me of the policemen being quick to believe the white man in the movie who was drunk in the car wreck and blamed everything on Victor, assuming an Indian as so would have an alcohol problem. This represents how Native Americans live their life, as they seem to embrace it and one another and the freedom they have been granted, rather than dwell on the negative stereotypes and judgement from others. 

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  1. Ann LawsonJanuary 9, 2018 at 8:40 AM

    Characters in the film Smoke Signals experience struggles regarding Native American History and stereotypes. Victor is a character who is trapped by the responsibility of always being defensive and independent as a stereotypical "warrior" should be. He is also burdened by the history of Native Americans being treaded in an inferior way. The movie's characters change and grow, however, and their true Native American history and traditions is part of what makes that possible.

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