Smoke Signals Paper The identity of modern Native Americans is complex and is becoming increasingly recognized by the rest of the world in light of Native American protests Native Americans such as the Dakota Pipeline protests and the Thirty Meter Telescope case. Native Americans are a group that has been greatly influenced by European colonialism, although the generic history of Native people post-European conquest has been severely misunderstood and misunderstood. Most texts that students are exposed to regarding Native Americans consider them a thing of the past and are inclined to unconsciously favor a European point of view. However, Native American sources that describe Native American life are consequently much more valuable due to their ability to offer a novel perspective. In Chris Eyre's 1998 film Smoke Signals, the truth of being a modern Native American is depicted as embracing shades of gray that ultimately construct an identity that combines both Native tradition and European influence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The film's two main characters, named Thomas and Victor, go on a journey to collect the remains of Victor's father, Arnold, who abandoned him at a very young age. Thomas is characterized as socially awkward but enthusiastic and feels deeply connected to his traditional heritage. By examining the characters of Thomas and Victor, it is possible to juxtapose both aspects of the modern “Indian” lifestyle. The main characteristic that links Thomas to the more traditional Native American lifestyle is his enthusiasm and ability to tell complex and detailed oral stories, in which he immerses himself completely. Thomas is less concerned with the accuracy of a story than with the lesson or meaning of what a story might represent. When Arnold's girlfriend asks if Thomas wants lies or the truth when he's about to tell a story, he simply replies, "Both." However, this emphasis on oral tradition also creates problems within the film, especially for Victor, because he cannot distinguish what is real and what is made up, especially when he hears stories about his father. The same issue is raised in Joel W. Martin's “Indians, Contact, and Colonialism” when he states that “(the textbooks) may imply that Native Americans disappear from religious history” (151). The tradition of oral storytelling in the film is synonymous with Thomas as a character, as his tendency to tell these stories becomes a problem as Victor tries to understand his father's true story. The second way in which Thomas becomes representative of traditional values ​​is that he allows Victor to embark on his journey to find his father's remains by giving him his savings for bus tickets. The journey resembles a pilgrimage, something deeply linked to Native American tradition. During this journey, Victor grows emotionally and eventually ends the pilgrimage by having one of his own when he runs over twenty miles to get help from a woman with whom he is involved in a car accident. Through oral tradition and pilgrimage, Thomas represents the traditional aspect of what it means to be a Native American in modern America. While Thomas represents a traditional lead in the Native American way of life, Victor represents the European influence that conquest and contact left on the natives. Victor's mother is famous for her fry bread, which is a traditional food native to the reservation. Thomas tells the story of Victor's mother who is,.