Smoke Signals.

Smoke Signals is a very accurate depiction of what occurs on Native American reservations.
It is a land that may appear beautiful to the traveler, but to the Native, is only a minuscule portion of the beautiful land that was once theirs.

A common theme of the film that is representative of many reservations is alcoholism. Drunkenness is forever entwined in the contemporary culture of Native Americans. It is a form of escape from poverty, hunger and the overwhelming thought of being pushed out of their land. We learn at the end of the movie that Arnold Joseph, due to his inebriation, caused the death of Thomas' parents.

Arnold's constant state of drunkenness also leads to him physically abusing both his wife and son, and in turn causes his son to never want to drink.

There are many jokes made on the reservation that would probably remain humorous among Native American tribes. When discussing the weather, the radio caster says, "It's a good day to be indigenous." The beautiful weather is something that correlates with the tribe and their nativity to the land.

Jokes are also being made about having to have a passport to leave the reservation because they view the United States as a country separate from the reservation.

Additionally, Victor's mother says "you know how Native Americans feel about signing papers", when he asks if he should sign a contract stating that he will return after leaving for Phoenix. Native Americans not feeling comfortable signing papers dates back to the pioneers who broke their promises and treaties by killing the ones who kept them alive.

Throughout flashbacks we see Arnold expressing  his true feelings about people of European descent, among others, saying, "poof and they're gone". When Victor and Thomas travel to Arizona, Victor lectures Thomas about being more manly and warrior-like, something characteristic of Native Americans. In turn, white people will listen and respect. These two instances indicate an utter hatred for the whites who are known to have stolen the land of Native American's to claim as their own.

The two main characters in the film play an important role because of their polar differences to each other. Victor is a very cynical, realistic person. He understands how the tribe works and reflects his loss of hope in his bitter persona. Thomas on the other hand, is very energetic, inviting, happy and at times gullible.

Thomas tells beautifully orchestrated stories that capture the attention of his listeners.

I think that these two characters are representations of hopelessness and hope. Thomas has a chance to leave the reservation if he really wanted to because he has the mindset of that pertains to hope. Even though he loves his culture, his positive attitude and outlook on life can take him to higher, better places, if he simply chooses.

Victor's constant cynicism will not. Yes, it has kept him from drinking, but he still holds grudges with his father for leaving, so why would he want to leave? He believes that the reservation, even if in poverty, is his life. His negative views of people, judging people because they're white even if they appear kind, is something that can bring him down on pursuing things on life.

At the end of the film, he appeared to have let go, and had forgiven his father for his mistakes. The loss of his father is something that he struggled with, as almost every fatherless child, but he found closure, and we know this because he was able to share the ashes with Thomas, and release it into the river. This represents the peace that Victor has now made with himself on his father and overall view of the tribe.