(Smoke Signals 1998 directed by Chris Eyre/Screenplay by Sherman Alexie/ Starring Adam Beach, Evan Adams, and Irene Bedard)
Smoke Signals, is an independent film that was created in order to challenge stereotypes and negative depictions of Native American residential life. The film displays the lives of Thomas and Victor in order to allow audiences to see through the eyes of the modern Native American of the 90s. While this film was well received in the media upon its release, to some the film simply reinforced stereotypes. Previous to viewing this film, I was concerned that this movie would simply reinforce stereotypes rather than solve them based on seeing small snippets this film in the documentary film entitled Reel Injun. However what I saw in this film was the ability to express frustration, politics, racial tensions, and stereotypes in an exaggerated and unexpected way through the usage of counter representation. Eyre and Alexie created a film where Native American characters presented stereotypes that were aimed towards them.This gave them the opportunity to liberate themselves. As a result the film was used to express that as a people, Native Americans were beyond the labels, words, and actions that were intended to culturally, socially, psychologically disfranchise them.
One of the stereotypes that is actively challenged in Smoke Signals, is that of the “Noble Savage”. The Noble Savage is an idealized, one dimensional, and pre-colonial portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood cinema. According to authorities in Native American cinema such as Chris Eyre and Jesse Wente (Reel Injun), this Hollywood character is spiritual, mystical, free, and passive. They are also strongly attached to nature, have intrinsic hunting abilities, and are a master of justifiable/tactical warfare. This character is also adverse to change and colonialism. According Eyre this character stems from initial depictions of Native Americans. Western audiences were introduced to the Native American culture through Thomas Edison’s early moving pictures. These images introduced audiences to the Laguna Pueblo dance of the Native American Pueblo people. This showed Western audiences a limited representation of Native American culture. Therefore this early audience could only learn from and draw conclusions based on this portrayal the culture and traditions. It is Eyre’s opinion that Hollywood has been recycling and reusing this small way of thinking with regards to how Native groups are depicted within film today. The scene below from Smoke Signals, included dialogue between Thomas and Victor pokes fun of the concept of the Noble Savage.
Hollywood film productions of the 1930s greatly influenced how Native American were portrayed in the media for a very long time. The genre known as westerns was created in order to allow American audiences to feel validated and cope with loss during the Great Depression. The vigilante cowboy character allowed Caucasian American men to feel empowered during a time when they could not live up to the role placed on them within society. The first Western was entitled Stagecoach. Film maker and critic Jesse Wente deems this western to be the most damaging representation of Native Americans in film and a precursor to the term “savage”. After this many films portrayed Native Americans as antagonists. In the documentary film, Reel Injun, activist Rusell Means recalls a childhood memory of going to the movies with his younger brother during a time when western were all the rave. As a child playing “Cowboys and Indians” came from what young children adapted from film and cartoons. Means recalls him and his brother enduring racial confrontation (being beat up by Caucasian children). Means acknowledges that this treatment was a result of susceptibility and vulnerability of young minds. The film Smoke Signals makes reference to westerns. Victor is watching what might be and episode of Stagecoach and Thomas says,“The only thing more pathetic than Indians on TV is Indians watching Indians on TV “, this is a very subtle yet important line.
*As a child I actually watched Bugs Bunny. I recall my Mom actually pointed out a few episodes with comments that were not politically correct. This above clip that I saw while watching Reel Injun was really surprising. It is really interesting how repetitive images, phrases, and depictions of others whether good or bad forces us to make connections and then apply them to our real world.
All in all, the film Smoke Signals is a very contemporary approach towards challenging stereotypes, politics, racial tensions within the life of Native American youth of the 90s. Outside of challenging stereotypes the film also displayed other important themes such as loss, family, and friendship. This film also had a strong moral message that resonated with me.
Amanda L. Thomas 