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"powwow highway dvd"

Written By: R. Quiver

Powwow Highway is a Lakota "cult classic" in the western film genre sense. It reminds us of home. In fact a lot of it was filmed at home in the sacred Black Hills, "the heart of our home and home of our heart," as our ancestors would say about the Black Hills. The film captures a description beyond words. To own a dvd of this film is satisfying. However, to have a poor quality dvd with low quality sound is disappointing. But living on the rez, we cannot be too picky and we are accepting of things we recieve. Thanks for your promptness and I would still recommend this video for your permanent library collection.

"Contemporary Native American Road Movie"

Written By: Daniel A. Brown

A road movie about two contemporary Cheyenne traveling down to New Mexico to spring a relative from prison. Buddy Red Bow (A. Martinez) is a young militant activist with a quick, angry temper. His gargantuan friend, Philbert (Gary Farmer), is a portrait of inner peace with an unlimited appetite to match. Together they mirror the political and spiritual aspects of modern Indian life. Buddy wants to protect his people from the forces of greed surrounding them (his sister is framed on a phony drug charge to lure him off the rez during a crucial tribal council vote). Philbert wants to find his soul-power as a Cheyenne warrior would have done in the old days (his battered auto is christened "Protector"). The pragmatism of the former and the dreaminess of the other first clash but eventually compliment. The foundation of this story is as much about their past and present relationship as the adventure of getting to their destination and home again in one piece. This is the first mainstream movie that deals intelligently with current issues facing native peoples, "Powwow" got over-shadowed by the "Dances With Wolves" hoopla that followed on the heels of its release. A pity, too, because this is a far superior movie that achieved cult status for a time. Both leads portray three-dimensional characters that play off each other with humor and irony, never dissolving into caricature. Includes an effective soundtrack by Robbie Robertson which set him on his current path of working with contemporary native musicians.

"A Shaman in born"

Written By: Achowalogen Tullier

This is an excellent video that leads the audience to empathy and birth. It presented the process of passing a heritage -- stories, legends, myths, and culture -- onto the next generation. When a Native American follows the Red Road, he knows that he must put the next and next and next generation onto the same road. This is what happens in this excellently presented visual media presentation!

"Welcome to the third world"

Written By: R. Kyle

"Powwow Highway" is a tale of Native American life today, which is very third world. The film is told via the contrasting stories of two Cheyenne men from Lame Deer, Montana.

Philbert Bono (Gary Farmer) is a big, gentle soul who trades his homegrown weed for a `war pony', a beat up old rustbucket of a car, to go out on a traditional vision quest. He's going to achieve his medicine by gaining three tokens on the way.

The first thing he gains is a passenger, his high school best friend, Buddy RedBow (A. Martinez). Buddy's been claiming his Native American heritage in a more traditional way. A member of AIM (The American Indian Movement) he's been at Wounded Knee and has earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam.

Buddy had no plans to leave the rez. There's a critical vote coming up on some land issues and he needs to be there to get his tribal members out to the polls, but his sister Bonnie RedBow ( Joannelle Nadine Romero) got arrested in New Mexico on a trumped up drug charge and he's the only one who can get her out of jail and back to her two very young kids.

The story's very much an `odd couple' pairing between the two men who take radically different approaches to solving problems. RedBow is much more confrontational while the gentle Bono seeks ancient wisdom.

"Powwow Highway" takes viewers across the gambit of emotions. You cannot look upon the third world vistas of Native poverty without being moved to tears. But, there are light moments where Philbert is telling ancient stories to his friends.

The soundtrack of this film is also excellent. Robbie Robertson provides much of the music, which is well worth listening to.

My only wish would be to see some bios of the cast of this film. A. Martinez, Gary Farmer, and the others are all people who I'd like to learn more about.

Rebecca Kyle, June 2008

"choosing sides, playing with stereotypes"

Written By: M. Abe

I very much enjoyed Smoke Signals, and this was next on my list. I love the humor, which is subtle. The movie mocks at our stereotypes, but also reminds us that some stereotypes are true.
I found that the physical road travelled in this movie is similar to the travels of the Cheyenne as they were herded northward. That made the movie even more special.
What was interesting to me was the way the "old ways", spirituality, campaigning for rights, and militant revolt all played roles in the movie. Each of us must always try to figure out ways to react to injustices done to us, and this movie offered several possibilities.
The plot could use some strengthening, but the movie was fun to watch, especially when one could fall into the director's point of view of the slightly mocking and yet truthful way of seeing the world from a contemporary Cheyenne viewpoint. I found it more humorous with each watching!