Stories are all about truths held within magic

December 04, 2019

The Coeur d'Alene tribe (the tribe mentioned in smoke and signals).

In the film “Smoke Signals” there could be several elements seen playing in the idea of Native American history, heritage, myths, and beliefs. One of the bigger and more interesting, to me personally, was the idea of storytelling and oral tradition in a Native American community...

The Native American way of life is known for its rich oral subculture. Instead of using a written language to record their cultural journey through history, these indigenous human beings relied on their verbal language to pass on their history, customs, rituals, and legends through bright narratives.

These effective tales are often passed via the tribal elders to the younger generations. They relate their tribal history and they also entertain and keep their subculture.

Each time a story is relayed, it breathes existence into the way of life and brings to life their verbal language. It offers a means into the tribe’s history and also teaches life lessons about things like love, management, and honor. Their symbiotic connection to the earth and intimate relationships with the animals they lived with is likewise depicted through storytelling.

Mythology plays a vital element in Native American faith. Creation myths are one of the most famous traditions for Native American tribes. Much of the natural world turned into a sacred mystery. In growing and sharing these myths, local people had been capable of giving an explanation for normal everyday natural occurrences inclusive of weather-associated activities, in addition to their very own beginnings.

Each tribe seems to have its very own particular introduction myth — tales that defined how their tribe came to be. These myths talk to the importance of storytelling in Native Americans’ lifestyles as well as to the uniqueness of the tribe and its beliefs. These myths additionally show their recognition for ancient expertise and the way nature played an important and reverential role.

While it was clear to see there were plenty of peeks, mostly from the character Thomas, of storytelling in the movie, it brings to question: “What specific ways do the characters in this film struggle with circumstances and ideas that have to do with Native American history and stereotypes? And how do the characters find power and meaning in historical and cultural traditions?”

As for the struggle in the characters for history? I think that can easily be seen as a modernizing effect. Native Americans were put in reservations, confined in one sparse area, where often it is considered in poverty. Victor and Thomas specifically are examples of history being a bit lost along the generation lines. The two were, as was quoted: “Some kids are born from fire, and some kids are born from ash”, meaning to confirm they were born after the tribe had been enclosed in the reservation. They don’t exactly know their history, or not a lot of it, which leads them to struggle to really understand heritage.

The two main characters also seem to struggle, contrasting with one another, of the stereotype of what a Native American is. Thomas had his views from maybe more accurately portrayed cultural facts, a deeper sort of connection on his idea of a Native American. Whereas Victor, on the other hand, gets his ideas from visual images and filtered ideas of the stereotypical superficial look. The scene when the two are talking with one another on the bus shows the two very different ideas the two young men have, where Victor is explaining how Thomas needs to try to look more like a real Native American: Stoic, free, warrior look… “As if you have just come back from hunting a bison on the plains,” only for Thomas to remind him their history had shown their tribe specifically to have been fishers, not hunters.

While the two, for most the movie, seem to argue about which idea is truer, the progress throughout the movies shows the two of them beginning to accept one another’s views. Thomas finds meaning in the deeper connection with his heritage. More specifically the stories he tells. He keeps with the oral tradition passed on culturally to remain connected, but he also finds a certain power in dealing with difficult truths through exaggerations in his story: “I can remember it as the night I could fly,” referencing when his mother, in a last desperate attempt to save her child, threw him out the window of the burning home.

Victor, on the other hand, finds power in the idea of a strong, wild, stoic warrior ideal of Native Americans in which allows him to have gotten through the hard times in his life. It’s only later, I would say at the time of the wreck, that he finds the true meaning in himself as a Native American. He finds the ability to truly let go of the fiery anger he had kept pinned up inside himself to forgive his father and move on in his life; to build a much richer life story.