Smoke Signals Essay

The Native Americans stereotypes and history has a lot to do with how we view them today. If it wasn't for the films, drawings or books on the Native Americans than our stereotypes might be different. How we view the holocaust is like how the Native Americans view the Sand Creek Massacre or the battle at Wounded Knee. We can't have empathy for the Native Americans because we don't know what they went through. No one pushed us out of our home, we didn't have a people trying to kill us for a "sport". We can't connect with them on any level! Just like in the movie Native Americans, Victor and Thomas are patronized for the color of their skin and their ancestors past history. Smoke Signals shows how Victor and Thomas both experience Native American stereotypes and Native American imagery when they are traveling.

When the movie started, both Thomas and Victor live on a Native American reservation. While both are experiencing poverty, they travel together to go get Victor's dads things. On the way there, they experience many obstacles, including stereotypes. When Victor and Thomas were on the bus, their seats get taken by these drunk white men. They tried to get their seats back but failed because of the abrupt manner of the white men. This relates to Native American imagery because like many times before, the Native Americans lost to the whites. This relates to when the whites took the Native Americans land, like how the drunk white men took their seats. After losing that battle, Victor tells Thomas that he needs to have a mean Native American look. He needs to look angry in order for the white people to listen to them. They need to be fierce like Geronimo, so they can win even though they didn't before. Another time Victor experiences the stereotypes of Native Americans is when he was much younger. His parents were having a party at his house and all the parents were completely wasted. Victor was very traumatized and in the morning proceeded to throw empty beer bottles at his dads truck. This is an example of a Native American stereotype because alcoholism is VERY common amongst Native Americans same with poverty and obesity. Which are problems that Victor's family also faces.

During Smoke Signals, Victor and Thomas also struggle with Native American history. This history is why they live on the Indian Reservation in Idaho. Another part of Native American history is when Thomas tells his stories. It doesn't matter what story it was, he was always mesmerizing other people whether it was someone he knew very well or someone he didn't know at all. He would tell the stories to anyone he could speak to, just like the past Native Americans. The past Native Americans would tell stories just as Thomas does, whether they were from yesterday of decades ago, the Native Americans would share all the stories of hope, tragedy, battle, anything about their history. The stories would get past down in their families, so that everyone would know the mistakes that they have made and the victories the have made. Another image of Native American history is when Victors mom made fried bread. It is a recipe passed down from generation to generation. Every Native American cooks it, but Victor's mom makes the best fried bread. A story the Thomas told was when she didn't make enough friend bread for everyone. He described it as magic, how she tore the bread in half! Also with Native American history, when Thomas and Victor were on the bus they met a gymnast. She was complaining about how some drama on the team, and Victor was just not having it. He stopped her and said that isn't a real issue, that isn't something that should change your life, you don't have anything to complain about. By being a Native American, Victor and Thomas do have a lot to complain about, a lot of it in this essay!

In the end, Victor and Thomas find power in their history. When Victor cut his hair to mourn his fathers death, he found strength to forgive his father in the end. Even though the haircut was AWFUL, the scene was still very powerful of Victor releasing his fathers ashes into the river, giving him back to nature. Thomas found power in their history by sharing the stories of his friends and families. He always had a story to tell, and the were always uplifting and inspirational. Even though they got through the hard times, they did it together, and didn't hide their Native American history.


xoxo
ellie